Switzerland: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Switzerland's primary education, teachers rose 2.7% on 2023 (from 56,804 to 58,349).

Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2013 to 2023), the average change was +2.3% and a typical year strayed about 1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 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.

From 2016 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1,062 a year. A straight line explains 99% 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 2024, Switzerland had the 42nd highest value of the 108 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 Switzerland in the 2024 ranking

• Niger — 39th of 108: 69,636
• Rwanda — 40th of 108: 68,326
• Jordan — 41st of 108: 64,348
• Chad — 43rd of 108: 54,801
• Norway — 44th of 108: 51,889
• Honduras — 45th of 108: 49,996

What this measures

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

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

All 12 values

Primary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Albania — 9,336 (2024)
• Andorra — 413 (2024)
• Armenia — 7,540 (2024)
• Austria — 35,752 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 38,731 (2024)
• Belarus — 22,228 (2024)
• Belgium — 80,763 (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 9,722 (2023)
• Bulgaria — 22,710 (2024)
• Croatia — 13,441 (2023)
• Cyprus — 5,389 (2023)
• Denmark

More education data for Switzerland

• 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 — 556,945 (2024)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 4.86% (2022)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.99 (2020)
• Secondary education, pupils — 636,381 (2024)
• Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education) — 26% (2016)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Switzerland's primary education, teachers?

58,349 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2012?

It is up 29.79% from 44,956 in 2012 (2.2% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 58,349 in 2024 and the lowest 44,956 in 2012.

How does Switzerland rank?

42nd highest of 108 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for Switzerland?

In 2024, Switzerland's primary education, teachers rose 2.7% on 2023 (from 56,804 to 58,349). Across the 9 yearly changes before that (2013 to 2023), the average change was +2.3% and a typical year strayed about 1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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.PRM.TCHR, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. 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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