Singapore: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

Key figures

Since 1970 it is down 50.45% from 29.65 in 1970 (1.48% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 16 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2017, Singapore's pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.37 on 2016 (from 15.06 to 14.69).

Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2016), the average change was −0.26 and a typical year strayed about 1.27 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below 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 3.11 in 1980 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.23 in 1984. 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, Singapore had the 28th 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 Singapore in the 2017 ranking

• United Kingdom — 24th of 50: 15.13
• New Zealand — 25th of 50: 14.92
• North Macedonia — 26th of 50: 14.91
• Gibraltar — 28th of 50: 14.17
• Finland — 29th of 50: 13.67
• Lithuania — 30th of 50: 13.52

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 32 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)
• Malaysia — 11.66 (2017)
• Mongolia — 30.38 (2018)

More education data for Singapore

• 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) — 4 (2025)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 2.19% (2024)
• Preprimary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 238,816 (2023)
• Primary education, teachers — 16,639 (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 163,746 (2023)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 80.55% (2023)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

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

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

How has it changed since 1970?

It is down 50.45% from 29.65 in 1970 (1.48% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 32.67 in 1972 and the lowest 14.69 in 2017.

How does Singapore rank?

28th highest of 50 economies with data for 2017.

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

In 2017, Singapore's pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.37 on 2016 (from 15.06 to 14.69). Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2016), the average change was −0.26 and a typical year strayed about 1.27 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below 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.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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