Ghana: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2019, Ghana's pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.25 on 2018 (from 27.25 to 26.99).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1985 to 2018), the average change was +0.13 and a typical year strayed about 1.93 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 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 4.19 in 2000 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.4 in 1986. 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 0.69 a year. A straight line explains 75% 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.

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Ghana in the 2019 ranking

• Nepal — 2nd of 4: 19.74
• Kazakhstan — 3rd of 4: 17.21
• Monaco — 4th of 4: 11.7

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 44 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in nearby economies

• Angola — 50.03 (2015)
• Benin — 39.2 (2018)
• Botswana — 23.71 (2015)
• Burkina Faso — 39.72 (2018)
• Burundi — 42.52 (2018)
• Cabo Verde — 21.07 (2018)
• Cameroon — 44.83 (2018)
• Central African Republic — 83.41 (2016)
• Chad — 56.89 (2016)
• Comoros — 28.06 (2018)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 33.2 (2015)

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

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1974?

It is down 11.98% from 30.67 in 1974 (0.28% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 35.39 in 2006 and the lowest 23.24 in 1986.

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

In 2019, Ghana's pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.25 on 2018 (from 27.25 to 26.99). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1985 to 2018), the average change was +0.13 and a typical year strayed about 1.93 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.2 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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).

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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