United Arab Emirates: Pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2016, United Arab Emirates' pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary rose 5.91 on 2015 (from 23.36 to 29.27).

Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2015), the average change was +0.15 and a typical year strayed about 1.43 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 4.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.91 in 2016 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.99 in 1997. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2007 to 2016 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 23% of the movement over 9 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 2016, United Arab Emirates had the 1st highest value of the 14 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 United Arab Emirates in the 2016 ranking

• Kenya — 2nd of 14: 28.87
• Yemen, Rep. — 3rd of 14: 26.41
• Naoero — 4th of 14: 22.5

What this measures

Preprimary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in preprimary 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 29 values

Pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary in nearby economies

• Bahrain — 14.4 (2018)
• Djibouti — 14.4 (2018)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 26.04 (2018)
• Jordan — 17.56 (2018)
• Kuwait — 8.33 (2018)
• Lebanon — 15.62 (2017)
• Malta — 11.79 (2017)
• Oman — 20.77 (2018)
• Qatar — 14.83 (2018)
• Saudi Arabia — 15.04 (2018)
• Tunisia — 15.24 (2016)

More education data for United Arab Emirates

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 4 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 10 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 8 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils (% female) — 49.03% (2017)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 24.52 (2016)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 94.21% (2020)
• Primary education, pupils — 586,477 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 108.04% (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is United Arab Emirates's pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary?

29.27 in 2016, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1973?

It is up 17.95% from 24.82 in 1973 (0.38% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 29.27 in 2016 and the lowest 15.74 in 2013.

How does United Arab Emirates rank?

1st highest of 14 economies with data for 2016.

Is the latest change in pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary unusual for United Arab Emirates?

In 2016, United Arab Emirates' pupil-teacher ratio, preprimary rose 5.91 on 2015 (from 23.36 to 29.27). Across the 24 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2015), the average change was +0.15 and a typical year strayed about 1.43 from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 4.0 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRE.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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