Switzerland: Secondary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Switzerland's secondary education, teachers rose 2.5% on 2023 (from 66,603 to 68,266).

Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2023), the average change was +0.9% and a typical year strayed about 2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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 3.6% in 1980 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.2% in 2014. 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 721.2 a year. A straight line explains 81% 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 36th highest value of the 85 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

• Bolivia — 33rd of 85: 72,283
• Belarus — 34th of 85: 71,514
• Burkina Faso — 35th of 85: 68,557
• Serbia — 37th of 85: 67,944
• Norway — 38th of 85: 59,473
• Syrian Arab Republic — 39th of 85: 54,596

What this measures

Secondary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at secondary 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 14 values

Secondary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Albania — 23,080 (2024)
• Andorra — 605 (2024)
• Armenia — 22,576 (2024)
• Austria — 75,436 (2024)
• Belarus — 71,514 (2024)
• Belgium — 137,795 (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 27,426 (2023)
• Bulgaria — 43,834 (2024)
• Croatia — 53,231 (2023)
• Cyprus — 8,083 (2023)
• Denmark — 50,935 (2024)

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 secondary education, teachers?

68,266 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1979?

It is up 71.21% from 39,873 in 1979 (1.2% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 68,266 in 2024 and the lowest 39,873 in 1979.

How does Switzerland rank?

36th highest of 85 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Switzerland's secondary education, teachers rose 2.5% on 2023 (from 66,603 to 68,266). Across the 10 yearly changes before that (1980 to 2023), the average change was +0.9% and a typical year strayed about 2% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.8 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.SEC.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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