Suriname: Pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2018, Suriname's pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary rose 0.8 on 2017 (from 13.42 to 14.22).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2017), the average change was −0.32 and a typical year strayed about 0.62 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.8 standard deviations above 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 0.92 in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.36 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 downward, about 0.18 a year. A straight line explains 51% 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, Suriname had the 23rd highest value of the 38 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 Suriname in the 2018 ranking

• Pakistan — 19th of 38: 16.43
• Cabo Verde — 20th of 38: 15.69
• Indonesia — 21st of 38: 15.42
• Tunisia — 23rd of 38: 13.63
• Bhutan — 24th of 38: 12.63
• Bahamas, The — 25th of 38: 12.62

What this measures

Lower secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in lower 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 16 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary in nearby economies

• Bahamas, The — 12.62 (2018)
• Belize — 17.31 (2018)
• Brazil — 17.56 (2017)
• Cayman Islands — 11.57 (2018)
• Chile — 18.32 (2017)
• Colombia — 26.31 (2018)
• Costa Rica — 12.52 (2018)
• Cuba — 9.71 (2018)
• Dominican Republic — 21.07 (2015)
• Ecuador — 22.78 (2018)
• El Salvador

More education data for Suriname

• 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 — 60,612 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 91.92% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 63,941 (2023)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 76.11% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 89.67% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 94.09% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Suriname's pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary?

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

How has it changed since 2001?

It is down 14.1% from 16.55 in 2001 (0.89% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 16.55 in 2001 and the lowest 12.5 in 2016.

How does Suriname rank?

23rd highest of 38 economies with data for 2018.

Is the latest change in pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary unusual for Suriname?

In 2018, Suriname's pupil-teacher ratio, lower secondary rose 0.8 on 2017 (from 13.42 to 14.22). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2017), the average change was −0.32 and a typical year strayed about 0.62 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.8 standard deviations above 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.LO.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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