Panama: Pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary

Key figures

Since 1999 it is down 18.09% from 14.79 in 1999 (1.1% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 2 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2017, Panama's pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary fell 2.31 on 2016 (from 14.42 to 12.11).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2016), the average change was −0.13 and a typical year strayed about 1.06 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.27 in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.45 in 2014. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 7% 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 2017, Panama had the 17th highest value of the 28 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 Panama in the 2017 ranking

• Korea, Rep. — 14th of 28: 13.03
• Bulgaria — 15th of 28: 12.7
• New Zealand — 16th of 28: 12.44
• Austria — 18th of 28: 11.71
• Slovak Republic — 19th of 28: 11.32
• Spain — 20th of 28: 11.29

What this measures

Upper secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in upper 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 17 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary in nearby economies

• Bahamas, The — 12.34 (2018)
• Belize — 15.08 (2018)
• Brazil — 15.69 (2017)
• Cayman Islands — 10.31 (2018)
• Chile — 18.39 (2017)
• Colombia — 24.95 (2018)
• Costa Rica — 12.28 (2018)
• Cuba — 9.56 (2018)
• Dominica — 7.32 (2016)
• Dominican Republic — 22.76 (2015)
• Ecuador

More education data for Panama

• 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 — 451,308 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 96.94% (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 26.97% (2020)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 53.7% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) — 12.61% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Panama's pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary?

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

How has it changed since 1999?

It is down 18.09% from 14.79 in 1999 (1.1% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 14.97 in 2001 and the lowest 11.54 in 2014.

How does Panama rank?

17th highest of 28 economies with data for 2017.

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

In 2017, Panama's pupil-teacher ratio, upper secondary fell 2.31 on 2016 (from 14.42 to 12.11). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2000 to 2016), the average change was −0.13 and a typical year strayed about 1.06 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

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