Sierra Leone: Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary

Key figures

Over five years it is up 7.46% from 20.51 in 2011 (1.45% a year on average, compounded). Since 1971 it is up 8.1% from 20.39 in 1971 (0.17% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 26 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2016, Sierra Leone's pupil-teacher ratio, secondary rose 1.5 on 2015 (from 20.54 to 22.04).

Across the 12 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2015), the average change was +0.03 and a typical year strayed about 4.55 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 11 in 1986 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.94 in 1976. 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 2016, Sierra Leone had the 5th highest value of the 16 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 Sierra Leone in the 2016 ranking

• Papua New Guinea — 1st of 16: 34.3
• Chad — 2nd of 16: 27.13
• Naoero — 3rd of 16: 24.8
• Cameroon — 5th of 16: 19.26
• Puerto Rico (US) — 6th of 16: 17.16
• Eswatini — 7th of 16: 15.55

What this measures

Secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in 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 20 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, secondary in nearby economies

• Benin — 10.99 (2016)
• Burkina Faso — 23.12 (2018)
• Burundi — 26.6 (2018)
• Cabo Verde — 15.42 (2018)
• Cameroon — 19.26 (2016)
• Central African Republic — 31.64 (2017)
• Chad — 27.13 (2016)
• Comoros — 8.31 (2018)
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 14.24 (2015)
• Eritrea — 35.02 (2018)
• Eswatini — 15.55 (2016)

More education data for Sierra Leone

• 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) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 2.07 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 162.12% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 166.35% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 157.95% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 46,575 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Sierra Leone's pupil-teacher ratio, secondary?

22.04 in 2016, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 8.1% from 20.39 in 1971 (0.17% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 31.51 in 1986 and the lowest 17.17 in 1991.

How does Sierra Leone rank?

5th highest of 16 economies with data for 2016.

Is the latest change in pupil-teacher ratio, secondary unusual for Sierra Leone?

In 2016, Sierra Leone's pupil-teacher ratio, secondary rose 1.5 on 2015 (from 20.54 to 22.04). Across the 12 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2015), the average change was +0.03 and a typical year strayed about 4.55 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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.SEC.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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