Solomon Islands: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

Key figures

Over five years it is up 23.37% from 20.6 in 2013 (4.29% a year on average, compounded). Since 1970 it is up 5.73% from 24.03 in 1970 (0.12% 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 2018, Solomon Islands' pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.37 on 2017 (from 25.78 to 25.41).

Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2017), the average change was +0.29 and a typical year strayed about 1.77 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 5.41 in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.48 in 1986. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2010 to 2018 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.96 a year. A straight line explains 78% of the movement over 9 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, Solomon Islands had the 29th highest value of the 83 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 Solomon Islands in the 2018 ranking

• Sierra Leone — 25th of 83: 27.52
• El Salvador — 26th of 83: 26.89
• Morocco — 27th of 83: 26.8
• Namibia — 29th of 83: 25.09
• Kyrgyz Republic — 30th of 83: 24.99
• Jamaica — 31st of 83: 24.79

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 33 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 Solomon Islands

• 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 — 98,955 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 81.84% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 80.63% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 82.99% (2024)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 52,566 (2018)
• Secondary education, general pupils (% female)

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 Solomon Islands's pupil-teacher ratio, primary?

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

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 5.73% from 24.03 in 1970 (0.12% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 26.78 in 1974 and the lowest 19.14 in 2012.

How does Solomon Islands rank?

29th highest of 83 economies with data for 2018.

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

In 2018, Solomon Islands' pupil-teacher ratio, primary fell 0.37 on 2017 (from 25.78 to 25.41). Across the 27 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2017), the average change was +0.29 and a typical year strayed about 1.77 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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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