Malaysia: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2017, Malaysia's pupil-teacher ratio, primary rose 0.04 on 2016 (from 11.61 to 11.66).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2016), the average change was −0.5 and a typical year strayed about 0.52 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 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 0.24 in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.63 in 1980. 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 0.27 a year. A straight line explains 74% 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, Malaysia had the 39th 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 Malaysia in the 2017 ranking

• Sweden — 36th of 50: 12.23
• Cyprus — 37th of 50: 12.04
• Netherlands — 38th of 50: 11.81
• British Virgin Islands — 40th of 50: 11.62
• Latvia — 41st of 50: 11.54
• Italy — 42nd of 50: 11.48

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 41 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)
• Korea, Rep. — 16.29 (2017)
• Lao PDR — 22.34 (2018)
• Macao SAR, China — 13.5 (2018)
• Mongolia — 30.38 (2018)
• Myanmar — 24.36 (2018)

More education data for Malaysia

• 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)
• Secondary education, pupils — 2.64 million (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 80.28% (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary, female (% gross) — 81.54% (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary, male (% gross) — 79.11% (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 217,105 (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 3.06 million (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1970?

It is down 62.38% from 30.98 in 1970 (2.06% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 31.9 in 1975 and the lowest 11.41 in 2014.

How does Malaysia rank?

39th highest of 50 economies with data for 2017.

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

In 2017, Malaysia's pupil-teacher ratio, primary rose 0.04 on 2016 (from 11.61 to 11.66). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1983 to 2016), the average change was −0.5 and a typical year strayed about 0.52 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.0 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.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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