Saudi Arabia: Pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2018, Saudi Arabia's pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary rose 3.7 on 2017 (from 11.33 to 15.04).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2017), the average change was +0.04 and a typical year strayed about 1.23 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 3.7 in 2018 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.27 in 2016. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2009 to 2018 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.36 a year. A straight line explains 45% 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 2018, Saudi Arabia had the 37th highest value of the 56 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 Saudi Arabia in the 2018 ranking

• Cabo Verde — 33rd of 56: 16.33
• Barbados — 34th of 56: 15.65
• Brunei Darussalam — 35th of 56: 15.43
• Qatar — 37th of 56: 14.83
• Macao SAR, China — 38th of 56: 14.5
• Djibouti — 39th of 56: 14.4

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 14 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary in nearby economies

• Bahrain — 14.4 (2018)
• Djibouti — 14.4 (2018)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 26.04 (2018)
• Jordan — 17.56 (2018)
• Kuwait — 8.33 (2018)
• Lebanon — 15.62 (2017)
• Malta — 11.79 (2017)
• Oman — 20.77 (2018)
• Qatar — 14.83 (2018)
• Tunisia — 15.24 (2016)
• United Arab Emirates — 29.27 (2016)

More education data for Saudi Arabia

• 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)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 83.88% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.01 (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) — 84.15% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary, male (% gross) — 83.65% (2024)
• Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) — 48.05% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Saudi Arabia's pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary?

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

How has it changed since 1979?

It is down 47.57% from 28.68 in 1979 (1.64% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 28.68 in 1979 and the lowest 9.57 in 2005.

How does Saudi Arabia rank?

37th highest of 56 economies with data for 2018.

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

In 2018, Saudi Arabia's pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary rose 3.7 on 2017 (from 11.33 to 15.04). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (2008 to 2017), the average change was +0.04 and a typical year strayed about 1.23 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.0 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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