Singapore: Secondary education, general pupils

Key figures

Since 1970 it is up 25.25% from 136,782 in 1970 (0.48% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 19 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2017, Singapore's secondary education, general pupils fell 4.4% on 2016 (from 179,225 to 171,319).

Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2016), the average change was +0.8% and a typical year strayed about 3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 9.5% in 1994 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.4% in 2017. 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 52nd highest value of the 69 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

• Lithuania — 49th of 69: 218,532
• Croatia — 50th of 69: 207,005
• Namibia — 51st of 69: 202,252
• Lesotho — 53rd of 69: 133,639
• Central African Republic — 54th of 69: 132,695
• North Macedonia — 55th of 69: 115,834

What this measures

Secondary general pupils are the number of secondary students enrolled in general education programs, including teacher training.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 29 values

Secondary education, general pupils in nearby economies

• Australia — 1.68 million (2017)
• Brunei Darussalam — 38,822 (2018)
• Cambodia — 955,656 (2018)
• China — 68.39 million (2018)
• Fiji — 92,262 (2016)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 341,591 (2018)
• Indonesia — 19.99 million (2018)
• Kiribati — 9,548 (2017)
• Korea, Rep. — 2.78 million (2017)
• Lao PDR — 671,064 (2018)
• Macao SAR, China

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

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Singapore's secondary education, general pupils?

171,319 in 2017, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 25.25% from 136,782 in 1970 (0.48% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 205,171 in 2009 and the lowest 136,782 in 1970.

How does Singapore rank?

52nd highest of 69 economies with data for 2017.

Is the latest change in secondary education, general pupils unusual for Singapore?

In 2017, Singapore's secondary education, general pupils fell 4.4% on 2016 (from 179,225 to 171,319). Across the 23 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2016), the average change was +0.8% and a typical year strayed about 3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

Source

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