Ecuador: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

Key figures

Over five years it is up 4.14% from 23.3 in 2013 (0.81% a year on average, compounded). Since 1971 it is down 34.39% from 36.98 in 1971 (0.89% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 1 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2018, Ecuador's pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.22 on 2017 (from 24.48 to 24.26).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2017), the average change was −0.28 and a typical year strayed about 1.06 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 1.74 in 1979 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.79 in 1994. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.33 a year. A straight line explains 58% of the movement over 10 observed 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, Ecuador had the 36th highest value of the 83 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 Ecuador in the 2018 ranking

• West Bank and Gaza — 32nd of 83: 24.45
• Myanmar — 33rd of 83: 24.36
• Algeria — 34th of 83: 24.32
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 36th of 83: 23.68
• Colombia — 37th of 83: 23.3
• Lao PDR — 38th of 83: 22.34

What this measures

Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in primary 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 47 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 12.41 (2018)
• Bahamas, The — 19.45 (2018)
• Barbados — 13.99 (2018)
• Belize — 19.78 (2018)
• Brazil — 20.22 (2017)
• British Virgin Islands — 11.62 (2017)
• Cayman Islands — 15.75 (2018)
• Chile — 17.79 (2017)
• Colombia — 23.3 (2018)
• Costa Rica — 12.2 (2018)
• Cuba — 9.16 (2018)

More education data for Ecuador

• 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 — 1.72 million (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 77,432 (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 55.29% (2021)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 79.45% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 1.79 million (2024)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary — 19.32 (2018)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Ecuador's pupil-teacher ratio, primary?

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

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 34.39% from 36.98 in 1971 (0.89% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 38.2 in 1974 and the lowest 21.9 in 2011.

How does Ecuador rank?

36th highest of 83 economies with data for 2018.

Is the latest change in pupil-teacher ratio, primary unusual for Ecuador?

In 2018, Ecuador's pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.22 on 2017 (from 24.48 to 24.26). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2017), the average change was −0.28 and a typical year strayed about 1.06 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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.PRM.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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