Ghana: Pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2019, Ghana's pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary fell 0.28 on 2018 (from 13.38 to 13.1).

Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2018), the average change was −0.31 and a typical year strayed about 0.68 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 0.79 in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.56 in 2017. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2019 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.4 a year. A straight line explains 87% of the movement over 9 observed years.

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

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 12.14 for 2022. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2017 to 2019 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.88, against 1.7 for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Ghana in the 2019 ranking

• Nepal — 1st of 3: 31.99
• Djibouti — 2nd of 3: 29.96

What this measures

Lower secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in lower 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 20 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary in nearby economies

• Cabo Verde — 15.69 (2018)
• Eritrea — 40.34 (2018)
• Gambia, The — 19.34 (2018)
• Kenya — 30.65 (2015)
• Mali — 29.73 (2018)
• Mauritania — 37.6 (2018)
• Niger — 34.74 (2017)

More education data for Ghana

• 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 — 4.98 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 100.97% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 100.67% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 101.25% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 122,558 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.02 (2020)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Ghana's pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary?

13.1 in 2019, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1999?

It is down 34.07% from 19.87 in 1999 (2.06% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 19.87 in 1999 and the lowest 13.1 in 2019.

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

In 2019, Ghana's pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary fell 0.28 on 2018 (from 13.38 to 13.1). Across the 17 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2018), the average change was −0.31 and a typical year strayed about 0.68 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.SEC.ENRL.LO.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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