Barbados: Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary

Key figures

Since 1974 it is down 23.33% from 23.4 in 1974 (0.6% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 21 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2018, Barbados' pupil-teacher ratio, secondary fell 0.52 on 2017 (from 18.46 to 17.94).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1977 to 2017), the average change was −0.21 and a typical year strayed about 1.2 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.45 in 1990 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.6 in 1984. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2018, Barbados had the 22nd highest value of the 60 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Barbados in the 2018 ranking

• Morocco — 18th of 60: 19.42
• Madagascar — 19th of 60: 19.3
• Lao PDR — 20th of 60: 18.15
• Sri Lanka — 22nd of 60: 17.53
• West Bank and Gaza — 23rd of 60: 17.33
• Belize — 24th of 60: 16.72

What this measures

Secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in secondary school.

Limitations: The comparability of pupil-teacher ratios across countries is affected by the definition of teachers and by differences in class size by grade and in the number of hours taught, as well as the different practices countries employ such as part-time teachers, school shifts, and multi-grade classes. Moreover, the underlying enrollment levels are subject to a variety of reporting errors.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 24 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 9.3 (2018)
• Bahamas, The — 12.48 (2018)
• Belize — 16.72 (2018)
• Brazil — 16.72 (2017)
• British Virgin Islands — 8.71 (2017)
• Cayman Islands — 10.97 (2018)
• Chile — 18.37 (2017)
• Colombia — 25.91 (2018)
• Costa Rica — 12.43 (2018)
• Cuba — 9.63 (2018)
• Dominica — 10.69 (2015)

More education data for Barbados

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 16,314 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 83.94% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 83.04% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 84.8% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 18,457 (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 104.37% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Barbados's pupil-teacher ratio, secondary?

17.94 in 2018, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1974?

It is down 23.33% from 23.4 in 1974 (0.6% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 23.41 in 1981 and the lowest 14.58 in 2006.

How does Barbados rank?

22nd highest of 60 economies with data for 2018.

Is the latest change in pupil-teacher ratio, secondary unusual for Barbados?

In 2018, Barbados' pupil-teacher ratio, secondary fell 0.52 on 2017 (from 18.46 to 17.94). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (1977 to 2017), the average change was −0.21 and a typical year strayed about 1.2 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.ENRL.TC.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://uis.unesco.org/bdds, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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