Jamaica: Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary

Key figures

Over five years it is up 3.21% from 16.18 in 2013 (0.63% a year on average, compounded). Since 1975 it is down 37.48% from 26.71 in 1975 (1.09% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 24 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2018, Jamaica's pupil-teacher ratio, secondary rose 1.21 on 2017 (from 15.49 to 16.7).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1985 to 2017), the average change was +0.13 and a typical year strayed about 1.56 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 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 2.52 in 2011 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.61 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 2010 to 2018 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 19% of the movement over 8 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, Jamaica had the 26th 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 Jamaica in the 2018 ranking

• Sri Lanka — 22nd of 60: 17.53
• West Bank and Gaza — 23rd of 60: 17.33
• Belize — 24th of 60: 16.72
• Cabo Verde — 26th of 60: 15.42
• Indonesia — 27th of 60: 15.21
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 28th of 60: 15.16

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 20 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 9.3 (2018)
• Bahamas, The — 12.48 (2018)
• Barbados — 17.94 (2018)
• Belize — 16.72 (2018)
• Brazil — 16.72 (2017)
• British Virgin Islands — 8.71 (2017)
• Cayman Islands — 10.97 (2018)
• Chile — 18.37 (2017)
• Colombia — 25.91 (2018)
• Costa Rica — 12.43 (2018)
• Cuba — 9.63 (2018)

More education data for Jamaica

• 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) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 211,097 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 97.3% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 97.08% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 97.5% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 177,095 (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 84.46% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1975?

It is down 37.48% from 26.71 in 1975 (1.09% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 30.46 in 1985 and the lowest 14.29 in 2010.

How does Jamaica rank?

26th highest of 60 economies with data for 2018.

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

In 2018, Jamaica's pupil-teacher ratio, secondary rose 1.21 on 2017 (from 15.49 to 16.7). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1985 to 2017), the average change was +0.13 and a typical year strayed about 1.56 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.7 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.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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