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Digest of Education Statistics
2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest


Table 601.50. Pupil/teacher ratios in public and private elementary and secondary schools, by level of education and country: Selected years, 2000 through 2014
Country Elementary school Junior high school (lower secondary) Senior high school (upper secondary)
2000 2005 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2000 2005 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2000 2005 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22
OECD average1 17.7   17.0   15.9   15.4   15.0   15.1   15.0     14.0   13.6   13.3   13.1   13.2   13.0   13.7   13.5   13.6   13.7   13.5   13.2   13.3  
Australia 17.3   16.2   15.7   15.6   15.5   15.6   15.6                   12.1 2,3  12.0 2,3  12.0 2,3  12.0 2,3  12.0 2,3  12.1 2,3 
Austria   14.1   12.2   12.1   12.0   11.9   12.0     10.6   9.3   9.1   9.0   9.0   8.8     11.3   10.1   9.8   9.8   9.9   10.0  
Belgium 15.0 4  12.8   12.4 5  12.4 5  12.5 5  12.7 5  12.7     9.4   8.1 5  8.1 5  8.2 5  9.3 5  9.2   9.7 3,6  9.9 6  10.1 5,6  10.1 5,6  10.1 5,6  9.9 5  9.9  
Canada 18.1         14.0 3,4  16.5 3,4    18.1     15.9 4,7  15.8 4,7        19.5     14.1   14.1   13.8   13.8    
Chile   25.9   24.6   23.1   22.1   22.5   21.3     25.9   25.1   23.6   22.4   24.3   22.8     26.6   26.1   25.4   24.0   25.1   23.9  
                                                                                     
Czech Republic 19.7   17.5   18.7   18.7   18.9   18.8   18.7   14.7   13.5   11.2   11.1   11.1   11.2   11.9   11.5   12.8   12.1   11.7   11.3   11.1   11.7  
Denmark 10.4             11.9   11.4   11.9 7  11.5 7  11.8 7  11.9 7    11.0   14.4             13.1  
Estonia     16.2   13.2   13.1   13.0   12.9       14.9   10.1   9.9   9.8   9.9       16.6 6  13.7   14.1 6  11.3 6  14.6 6 
Finland 16.9   15.9   14.0   13.7   13.6   13.2   13.3   10.7   10.0   9.8   9.3   8.9   9.0   8.9   17.0 6,8  18.0 6,8  17.1 6  16.3 6  16.1 6  16.0   16.2  
France 19.8   19.4   18.7 5  18.4 5  18.9 5  19.3   19.4   14.7   14.2   15.0 5  14.8 5  15.5 5  15.4   15.4   10.4   10.3   9.7 5  10.0 5  9.9 5  10.1   10.4  
                                                                                     
Germany 19.8   18.8   16.7   16.3   16.0   15.6   15.4   15.7   15.5   14.9   14.2   14.0   13.6   13.4   13.9   14.0   13.2   13.8   13.7   13.2   13.1  
Greece 13.4   11.1       9.4   9.5   9.4   10.8   7.9         7.3   7.8   10.5   8.8         8.1    
Hungary 10.9   10.6   10.8   10.7   10.7   10.6 9  11.5   10.9   10.4   10.7   10.5   10.6   10.4 9  10.9   11.4 6  12.2   12.5   12.4   12.5   12.0 9  12.5  
Iceland       10.2   10.2   10.4     12.7 7  11.3 7  10.3 7  10.6   10.6   10.5     9.7   10.8 6  11.3   11.5 6  11.5 6     
Ireland 21.5   17.9   15.9   15.7   16.2   16.4 10  16.3 10                15.9 3,6  15.5 3,6  14.4 3,6,10  14.4 3,6  15.0 3,6  13.9 3,10  13.9 3,10 
                                                                                     
Israel   17.3   20.6 10  15.9 10  15.2   15.3   15.5     13.4   12.8 10  13.6 10  13.6   13.5   12.1     13.4   11.0 10  11.3 10  11.0   11.0 10  10.6 10 
Italy 11.0   10.6   11.3 10  11.7 10  12.1 10  12.3   12.4   10.4   10.1   11.9 10  11.5 10  11.8 10  11.7   11.6   10.2   11.0   12.1 10  12.8 10  13.0 10  12.6   12.5  
Japan 20.9   19.4   18.4   18.1   17.7   17.4   17.1   16.8   15.1   14.4   14.2   14.1   13.9   13.8   14.0   13.0 6  12.2 6  12.2 6  12.1 6  11.7 6  11.9  
Korea, Republic of 32.1   28.0   21.1   19.6   18.4   17.3   16.9   21.5   20.8   19.7   18.8   18.1   17.5   16.6   20.9   16.0   16.5   15.8   15.4   15.1   14.5  
Latvia         11.0   11.2   11.0           7.9   7.8   7.6           10.7   10.2   10.0  
                                                                                     
Luxembourg 15.9 10    10.1   9.9   9.2   8.8   8.9           10.7   11.2   10.9   9.2 3,10  9.0 3,10  9.1 3  9.6 3  7.6   7.1   8.9  
Mexico 27.2   28.3   28.1   28.1   28.0   27.7   27.4   34.8   33.7   32.7   31.9   31.9   32.2   33.0   26.5   25.8   26.9   26.8   26.9   27.3   20.6  
Netherlands 16.8 4  15.9 4  15.7 4,10  15.8   15.8   17.0 10  16.6 10        15.3   15.6   16.0 10  16.2 10  17.1 3  16.2 3  16.5 3,6,10  18.2   18.6   19.0 10  19.2 10 
New Zealand 20.6   18.1   16.2   16.3   16.4   16.4   16.4   19.9   16.8   16.3   16.3   16.4   16.4   16.2   13.1   12.9   14.4   13.9   13.7   13.3   13.1  
Norway 12.4     10.5 10  10.4 10  10.3   10.3   10.3   9.9     9.9 10  10.0 10  10.4   9.8   9.7   9.7     9.4 10  9.7 6,10  9.6 6  10.3 6,8  10.3  
                                                                                     
Poland 12.7   11.7   10.0   11.0   11.0   11.1   11.0   11.5   12.7   12.7   10.0   9.9   9.9   10.4   16.9   12.9   12.1   11.1   10.9   11.0   10.9  
Portugal 12.1   10.8   10.9   11.2 11  11.9   13.2   14.0   10.4   8.2   7.9   8.2 11  9.6   10.4   10.1   7.9   8.0   7.2 6  7.3 6,11  7.6 6  8.4 6  8.9  
Slovak Republic 18.3   18.9   17.1   16.9   16.8   16.9   17.2   13.5   14.1   13.6   13.1   12.8   12.5   12.5   12.8   14.3   14.6   14.3   13.9   13.6   13.5  
Slovenia   15.0   16.2   16.0   15.9   16.0   15.9     11.1   8.0   7.9   7.9   8.2   8.3     14.6   14.3 6  14.3 6  14.1 6  13.5   13.7  
Spain 14.9   14.3   13.2   13.2   13.4   13.8   13.5     12.5   10.1   10.3   10.6   11.6   11.8   11.9 3  8.1   9.6   9.8   9.9   11.0   11.3  
                                                                                     
Sweden 12.8   12.2   11.7   11.3   11.8   12.7   12.7   12.8   12.0   11.4   11.3   11.3   12.0   12.2   15.2   14.0   13.1   13.0   13.2   12.8   13.8  
Switzerland10    14.6   14.9       15.0   14.8     11.7   11.8       12.0   11.8     10.5 2  10.3 2         
Turkey 30.5   25.8   21.7   21.0   20.1   19.8   19.3           20.1   19.3   18.4   14.0   16.2   17.6   17.8   16.2   15.6   14.8  
United Kingdom 21.2   20.7   19.8   19.9   21.1   20.7   19.6   17.6 2  17.0   17.1   15.2   14.2   18.5   15.0   12.5 2  11.8 2,6  15.2 6  17.3   17.1   18.5   16.3  
United States 15.8   14.9   14.5   15.3   15.3   15.3   15.4   16.3   15.1   14.0   15.2   15.3   15.4   15.5   14.1   16.0   15.0   15.3   15.3   15.4   15.5  
                                                                                     
Other reporting                                                                                    
countries                                                                                    
Argentina 22.7 10,12              13.2 10,12              9.0 10,12             
Brazil 26.6 12  22.9   23.4   22.5   21.7   21.2   20.9   34.2 12  18.1   20.4   19.8   19.1   18.5   17.8   38.7 12  17.6   17.3   16.9   16.8   15.7   15.4  
China 20.2 12    17.2   17.1   17.5   16.9   16.2   17.6 12    15.0   14.6   12.8   13.4   12.6   13.8 12    18.4   18.4   16.2   17.0   16.5  
Colombia           25.0   24.3             26.6   26.3             22.9   21.9  
India 43.0 10,12              22.0 10,12              9.2 10,12             
Indonesia 27.1 13    19.9   20.3   25.2   20.7   21.4   19.6 13    17.0   18.3   21.6   18.0   18.3   17.8 13    16.1   20.1   22.8   22.6   19.8  
Lithuania             10.2               7.4               8.1  
Russian Federation 17.3 13    19.2 10  20.0 10  20.1 10  20.3   20.2           8.9 10  8.9 14  8.8 14    11.2 6,15  11.3 3,6,16  8.7 3,6,10  15.3 10     
Saudi Arabia     11.2   11.0   10.9           8.8   9.8   9.7           11.0   10.9   10.7      
South Africa                           26.2 14               
—Not available.                                            
†Not applicable. This level of education is not part of the national education structure; students in the age group normally associated with this education level were reported in other levels.                                            
1 Refers to the mean of the data values for all reporting Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) countries, to which each country reporting data contributes equally. The average includes all current OECD countries for which a given year's data are available, even if they were not members of OECD in that year. However, if data were reported for less than 75 percent of the countries, the average for that year is omitted.                                            
2 Includes only general programs.                                            
3 Includes junior high school data.                                            
4 Includes preprimary data.                                            
5 Excludes independent private institutions.                                            
6 Includes postsecondary non-higher-education.                                            
7 Includes elementary school data.                                            
8 Includes occupation-specific education corresponding to that offered at the vocational associate's degree level in the United States.                                            
9 Includes data on management personnel.                                            
10 Public institutions only.                                            
11 Based on a head count of teachers, rather than full-time equivalents.                                            
12 Data from 1999 reported for 2000.                                            
13 Data from 2001 reported for 2000.                                            
14 Includes senior high school data.                                            
15 Excludes general programs.                                            
16 Excludes part-time personnel in public institutions.                                            
NOTE: The pupil/teacher ratio is the number of full-time-equivalent students divided by the number of full-time-equivalent teachers, including teachers for students with disabilities and other special teachers. Data for 2012 and earlier years were calculated using the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) 1997. Data for 2013 and 2014 used the ISCED 2011 classification and may not be comparable to data for earlier years. In this table, elementary school corresponds to ISCED 1997 and ISCED 2011 level 1 (U.S. grades 1 through 6), junior high school corresponds to ISCED 1997 and ISCED 2011 level 2 (U.S. grades 7 through 9), and senior high school corresponds to ISCED 1997 and ISCED 2011 level 3 (U.S. grades 10 through 12).                                            
SOURCE: Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD), Online Education Database; and Education at a Glance, 2002 through 2016. (This table was prepared May 2017).                                            

2016 Tables and Figures All Years of Tables and Figures Most Recent Full Issue of the Digest