Korea, Rep.: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2017, Korea, Rep.'s pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.02 on 2016 (from 16.31 to 16.29).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2016), the average change was −0.73 and a typical year strayed about 0.93 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 1997 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.2 in 1984. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2008 to 2017 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.87 a year. A straight line explains 86% 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 2017, Korea, Rep. had the 22nd highest value of the 50 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 Korea, Rep. in the 2017 ranking

• Romania — 18th of 50: 19.33
• Chile — 19th of 50: 17.79
• Türkiye — 20th of 50: 16.98
• Slovak Republic — 22nd of 50: 15.54
• Bulgaria — 23rd of 50: 15.21
• United Kingdom — 24th of 50: 15.13

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 47 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 9.9 (2018)
• Cambodia — 41.7 (2018)
• China — 16.43 (2018)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 13.35 (2018)
• Indonesia — 17.03 (2018)
• Kiribati — 25.49 (2017)
• Lao PDR — 22.34 (2018)
• Macao SAR, China — 13.5 (2018)
• Malaysia — 11.66 (2017)
• Mongolia — 30.38 (2018)
• Myanmar — 24.36 (2018)

More education data for Korea, Rep.

• 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 — 2.51 million (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 173,133 (2024)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 76.66% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 2.66 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 233,046 (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers, female — 151,467 (2024)

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 Korea, Rep.'s pupil-teacher ratio, primary?

16.29 in 2017, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 71.36% from 56.87 in 1971 (2.68% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 56.87 in 1971 and the lowest 16.29 in 2017.

How does Korea, Rep. rank?

22nd highest of 50 economies with data for 2017.

Is the latest change in pupil-teacher ratio, primary unusual for Korea, Rep.?

In 2017, Korea, Rep.'s pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.02 on 2016 (from 16.31 to 16.29). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1987 to 2016), the average change was −0.73 and a typical year strayed about 0.93 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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.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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.