Tunisia: Pupil-teacher ratio, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2018, Tunisia's pupil-teacher ratio, primary rose 0.3 on 2017 (from 16.57 to 16.87).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2017), the average change was −0.52 and a typical year strayed about 0.55 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 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 0.59 in 1987 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.43 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 2009 to 2018 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 30% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2018, Tunisia had the 55th 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 Tunisia in the 2018 ranking

• Albania — 51st of 83: 17.57
• Peru — 52nd of 83: 17.39
• Indonesia — 53rd of 83: 17.03
• Thailand — 55th of 83: 16.64
• China — 56th of 83: 16.43
• Grenada — 57th of 83: 16.35

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 46 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, primary in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 48.79 (2018)
• Algeria — 24.32 (2018)
• Bahrain — 11.92 (2018)
• Djibouti — 29.37 (2018)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 23.68 (2018)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 28.52 (2017)
• Israel — 12.07 (2016)
• Jordan — 18.54 (2018)
• Kuwait — 8.88 (2018)
• Lebanon — 12.48 (2017)
• Malta — 12.94 (2017)
• Morocco

More education data for Tunisia

• 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)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.45 (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 38.12% (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary, female (% gross) — 49.4% (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary, male (% gross) — 27.38% (2023)
• Primary education, pupils — 1.34 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross)

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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Questions people ask

What is Tunisia's pupil-teacher ratio, primary?

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

How has it changed since 1971?

It is down 64.46% from 47.47 in 1971 (2.18% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 47.47 in 1971 and the lowest 15.8 in 2015.

How does Tunisia rank?

55th highest of 83 economies with data for 2018.

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

In 2018, Tunisia's pupil-teacher ratio, primary rose 0.3 on 2017 (from 16.57 to 16.87). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1988 to 2017), the average change was −0.52 and a typical year strayed about 0.55 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 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.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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