Hungary: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2016, Hungary's pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.21 on 2015 (from 10.98 to 10.77).

Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2015), the average change was +0.04 and a typical year strayed about 0.62 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 1.74 in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.27 in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2007 to 2016 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.08 a year. A straight line explains 56% 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 2016, Hungary had the 13th highest value of the 14 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 Hungary in the 2016 ranking

• Croatia — 10th of 14: 13.51
• Dominica — 11th of 14: 13.08
• Israel — 12th of 14: 12.07
• Luxembourg — 14th of 14: 8.3

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 22 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in nearby economies

• Albania — 17.57 (2018)
• Andorra — 10.5 (2018)
• Armenia — 15.42 (2018)
• Austria — 10.02 (2017)
• Azerbaijan — 15.43 (2018)
• Belarus — 19.23 (2018)
• Belgium — 11.28 (2017)
• Bulgaria — 15.21 (2017)
• Croatia — 13.51 (2016)
• Cyprus — 12.04 (2017)
• Estonia — 11.31 (2017)
• Finland

More education data for Hungary

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 4 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 8 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 384,692 (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 815,267 (2024)
• Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) — 43.29% (2024)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 3.8% (2022)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 90.84% (2020)
• Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

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

10.77 in 2016, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1994?

It is up 11.54% from 9.65 in 1994 (0.5% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 12.02 in 1997 and the lowest 9.59 in 2003.

How does Hungary rank?

13th highest of 14 economies with data for 2016.

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

In 2016, Hungary's pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.21 on 2015 (from 10.98 to 10.77). Across the 19 yearly changes before that (1995 to 2015), the average change was +0.04 and a typical year strayed about 0.62 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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.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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