India: Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary

Key figures

Over five years it is down 7.34% from 30.78 in 2013 (1.51% a year on average, compounded). Since 1971 it is up 30.1% from 21.92 in 1971 (0.56% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 29 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2018, India's pupil-teacher ratio, secondary rose 1.08 on 2017 (from 27.44 to 28.52).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2017), the average change was −0.32 and a typical year strayed about 1.03 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.08 in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.16 in 2016. 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 27% of the movement over 9 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, India had the 6th highest value of the 60 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 India in the 2018 ranking

• Bangladesh — 2nd of 60: 35.1
• Eritrea — 3rd of 60: 35.02
• Afghanistan — 4th of 60: 33.5
• Rwanda — 6th of 60: 28.25
• El Salvador — 7th of 60: 27.56
• Myanmar — 8th of 60: 27.25

What this measures

Secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in 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 19 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary in nearby economies

• Bangladesh — 35.1 (2018)
• Bhutan — 10.81 (2018)
• Nepal — 28.26 (2019)
• Sri Lanka — 17.53 (2018)

More education data for India

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 126.12 million (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 111.03% (2025)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 110.61% (2025)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 111.42% (2025)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.02 (2021)
• Secondary education, pupils — 133.16 million (2025)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is India's pupil-teacher ratio, secondary?

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

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 30.1% from 21.92 in 1971 (0.56% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 33.62 in 1999 and the lowest 21.24 in 1973.

How does India rank?

6th highest of 60 economies with data for 2018.

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

In 2018, India's pupil-teacher ratio, secondary rose 1.08 on 2017 (from 27.44 to 28.52). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2017), the average change was −0.32 and a typical year strayed about 1.03 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.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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