Norway: Pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary

Key figures

Since 1972 it is up 155.67% from 5.19 in 1972 (2.11% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 28 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2017, Norway's pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary rose 2.99 on 2016 (from 10.28 to 13.26).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1977 to 2016), the average change was −0.02 and a typical year strayed about 0.47 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.99 in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.01 in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those 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, Norway had the 18th highest value of the 34 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 Norway in the 2017 ranking

• Romania — 14th of 34: 15.19
• Cyprus — 15th of 34: 14.4
• Spain — 16th of 34: 13.44
• Korea, Rep. — 18th of 34: 13.03
• Poland — 19th of 34: 12.97
• Belgium — 20th of 34: 12.7

What this measures

Preprimary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in preprimary 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 18 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary in nearby economies

• Albania — 17.09 (2018)
• Andorra — 13.28 (2018)
• Armenia — 6.27 (2018)
• Austria — 11.54 (2017)
• Azerbaijan — 18.17 (2018)
• Belarus — 7.92 (2018)
• Belgium — 12.7 (2017)
• Bulgaria — 12.23 (2017)
• Croatia — 12.94 (2016)
• Cyprus — 14.4 (2017)
• Finland — 11.14 (2017)

More education data for Norway

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 434,422 (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 469,508 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.98 (2020)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.95 (2020)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Norway's pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary?

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

How has it changed since 1972?

It is up 155.67% from 5.19 in 1972 (2.11% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 13.26 in 2017 and the lowest 3.88 in 1990.

How does Norway rank?

18th highest of 34 economies with data for 2017.

Is the latest change in pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary unusual for Norway?

In 2017, Norway's pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary rose 2.99 on 2016 (from 10.28 to 13.26). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1977 to 2016), the average change was −0.02 and a typical year strayed about 0.47 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

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