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The backbone of education: EU’s 5.26 million teachers

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In 2023, 5.26 million teachers worked in EU primary and secondary schools (levels 1-3 of the International standard classification of education (ISCED)). Primary schools employed 36% of all teachers, while 34% were employed in lower secondary, and the remaining 30% in upper secondary schools.

Women made up most of the workforce, accounting for 73% of all teachers, with men making up the remaining 27%. 

Among EU teachers, slightly more than half (52%) were aged from 30 to 49, while 40% were aged 50 or older and only 8% were younger than 30.

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Source dataset: educ_uoe_perp01

12.2 pupils per teacher in 2023

In 2023, there was an average of 12.2 pupils or students per teacher in the EU primary and secondary schools. This pupil-teacher ratio has been declining in the past 10 years, from 13.3 in 2013.

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The highest pupil-teacher ratio was recorded in the schools in the Netherlands (16.0), followed by France (14.9) and Slovakia (14.7). The lowest ratio was recorded in Greece (8.4), Malta and Luxembourg (both 8.8).

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Source dataset: educ_uoe_perp04

This article is published to mark World Teachers’ Day, celebrated globally on 5 October.

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Methodological notes

  • Primary, lower secondary and upper secondary education: levels defined in accordance with the ISCED.
  • The data on teachers and pupils used for the calculation is expressed in full-time equivalents. The comparability of pupil-teacher ratios across countries may be affected by differences in class size by grade and in the number of hours taught, as well as different school spatial distribution, practices on school shifts and multi-grade classes.

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