Cuba: Pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2018, Cuba's pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary rose 0.31 on 2017 (from 9.25 to 9.56).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2017), the average change was −0.02 and a typical year strayed about 0.72 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above 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 1.31 in 2005 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.41 in 2007. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2009 to 2018 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 8% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2018, Cuba had the 27th highest value of the 33 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 Cuba in the 2018 ranking

• Moldova — 24th of 33: 10.09
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 25th of 33: 9.86
• Oman — 26th of 33: 9.69
• Macao SAR, China — 28th of 33: 9.26
• Jordan — 29th of 33: 8.4
• Guatemala — 30th of 33: 8.15

What this measures

Upper secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in upper 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 22 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary in nearby economies

• Bahamas, The — 12.34 (2018)
• Belize — 15.08 (2018)
• Brazil — 15.69 (2017)
• Cayman Islands — 10.31 (2018)
• Chile — 18.39 (2017)
• Colombia — 24.95 (2018)
• Costa Rica — 12.28 (2018)
• Dominica — 7.32 (2016)
• Dominican Republic — 22.76 (2015)
• Ecuador — 18.71 (2018)
• El Salvador

More education data for Cuba

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 698,052 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 98.11% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 97.6% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 98.58% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 82,575 (2024)
• Lower secondary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) — 89.23% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Cuba's pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary?

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

How has it changed since 1996?

It is up 9.31% from 8.75 in 1996 (0.41% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 11.63 in 2005 and the lowest 7.51 in 2012.

How does Cuba rank?

27th highest of 33 economies with data for 2018.

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

In 2018, Cuba's pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary rose 0.31 on 2017 (from 9.25 to 9.56). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2017), the average change was −0.02 and a typical year strayed about 0.72 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.5 standard deviations above 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.UP.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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