In the 2018/19 academic year there were 16.4 students for every one teacher in the United Kingdom, the same as in the previous academic year. Of all school types in the UK, nursery schools had the most children per teacher at 22.9, followed by primary schools at 20.5, middle schools at 15.9 and secondary schools which had 15.9 pupils per teacher.

United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Primary data was reported at 17.388 % in 2014. This records a decrease from the previous number of 18.438 % for 2013. United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Primary data is updated yearly, averaging 18.678 % from Dec 1971 (Median) to 2014, with 36 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 23.327 % in 1971 and a record low of 17.105 % in 2003. United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Primary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s United Kingdom – Table UK.World Bank.WDI: Education Statistics. Primary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in primary school.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

The United Kingdom had an average of 39.7 students per teacher at middle schools in 2019, the highest among the provided countries. By comparison, Iceland had just five students for every member of staff in this year, the lowest ratio among the displayed countries.

United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Secondary data was reported at 15.459 % in 2015. This records a decrease from the previous number of 15.829 % for 2014. United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Secondary data is updated yearly, averaging 14.768 % from Dec 1993 (Median) to 2015, with 18 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 15.866 % in 2013 and a record low of 10.498 % in 1996. United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Secondary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.World Bank: Education Statistics. Secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in secondary school.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

This statistic shows the ratio of pupils to teachers in the United Kingdom from 2003 to 2012. These figures cover education from primary to upper secondary level. The highest level for this period was in 2003 when there were an average of 19.6 students per teacher.

United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Upper Secondary data was reported at 16.166 % in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 15.633 % for 2013. United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Upper Secondary data is updated yearly, averaging 13.916 % from Dec 1993 (Median) to 2014, with 17 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 16.166 % in 2014 and a record low of 8.705 % in 1996. United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Upper Secondary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.World Bank: Education Statistics. Upper secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in upper secondary school.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted Average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Virgin Islands (British) VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Secondary data was reported at 8.707 Ratio in 2017. This records an increase from the previous number of 7.451 Ratio for 2016. Virgin Islands (British) VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Secondary data is updated yearly, averaging 9.628 Ratio from Dec 1973 (Median) to 2017, with 26 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 17.304 Ratio in 1975 and a record low of 7.230 Ratio in 1999. Virgin Islands (British) VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Secondary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Virgin Islands (British) – Table VG.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. Secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in secondary school.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Data as of February 2020.;Weighted average;

Virgin Islands, British VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Upper Secondary data was reported at 6.745 Ratio in 2011. This records a decrease from the previous number of 7.043 Ratio for 2010. Virgin Islands, British VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Upper Secondary data is updated yearly, averaging 7.442 Ratio from Dec 1999 (Median) to 2011, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 10.388 Ratio in 2001 and a record low of 6.458 Ratio in 2007. Virgin Islands, British VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Upper Secondary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Virgin Islands (British) – Table VG.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. Upper secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in upper secondary school.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Data as of February 2020.;Weighted average;

United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Preprimary data was reported at 20.044 % in 2014. This records an increase from the previous number of 18.827 % for 2012. United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Preprimary data is updated yearly, averaging 22.837 % from Dec 1987 (Median) to 2014, with 20 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 28.752 % in 2002 and a record low of 18.187 % in 2011. United Kingdom UK: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Preprimary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s UK – Table UK.World Bank: Education Statistics. Preprimary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in preprimary school.; ; UNESCO Institute for Statistics; Weighted average; Each economy is classified based on the classification of World Bank Group's fiscal year 2018 (July 1, 2017-June 30, 2018).

Virgin Islands (British) VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Preprimary data was reported at 8.274 Ratio in 2016. This records a decrease from the previous number of 10.094 Ratio for 2015. Virgin Islands (British) VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Preprimary data is updated yearly, averaging 13.279 Ratio from Dec 1975 (Median) to 2016, with 19 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 21.364 Ratio in 1979 and a record low of 8.274 Ratio in 2016. Virgin Islands (British) VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Preprimary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Virgin Islands (British) – Table VG.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. Preprimary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in preprimary school.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Data as of February 2020.;Weighted average;

In 2023/24 the pupil to teacher ratio at nursery schools in Northern Ireland was 25.6, which was higher than both England, at 23.7 and Wales at 11.4.

An estimated 88.7 percent of teachers in England who qualified in 2022 were still teaching at schools one year after receiving their teaching qualification. By comparison, 86.4 percent of teachers who qualified in 2010 were still teaching a year after qualifying, with 70.8 percent of 2010 qualifiers still teaching five years later. Teacher supply Teacher retention has been an ongoing issue for schools in England due to various factors. While then number of qualified teachers has remained relatively steady between 2015 and 2023, it has not been enough to keep pace with the rising number of pupils in state schools. Additionally, teachers are working more hours on average to cope with a rising workload. Stagnant pay may also be a contributing factor to declining teacher retention, with average primary teacher starting salaries in England falling well behind many of its European neighbors. Teacher strikes National strikes took place in the UK on throughout 2022 and 2023, with members of four teachers unions taking industrial action. This strike action was related to teacher pay amid an ongoing cost of living crisis. Most state-school teachers in England and Wales had a five percent pay rise in 2022, but unions argue that with inflation exceeding ten percent that year, teachers were having to take real-terms pay cuts. The government was initially reluctant to negotiate with unions due to a squeeze on government finances and strike action across many sectors in the UK. By July 2023, however, a deal with the government was reached for the 2023/24 academic, whereby teachers would receive a 6.5 percent pay rise.

Virgin Islands, British VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Lower Secondary data was reported at 8.890 Ratio in 2011. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.814 Ratio for 2010. Virgin Islands, British VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Lower Secondary data is updated yearly, averaging 10.273 Ratio from Dec 1999 (Median) to 2011, with 11 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.265 Ratio in 2003 and a record low of 6.358 Ratio in 1999. Virgin Islands, British VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Lower Secondary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Virgin Islands (British) – Table VG.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. Lower secondary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in lower secondary school.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Data as of February 2020.;Weighted average;

VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Tertiary data was reported at 5.438 Ratio in 2018. This records a decrease from the previous number of 9.267 Ratio for 2016. VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Tertiary data is updated yearly, averaging 9.506 Ratio from Dec 1999 (Median) to 2018, with 7 observations. The data reached an all-time high of 11.533 Ratio in 2009 and a record low of 5.438 Ratio in 2018. VG: Pupil-Teacher Ratio: Tertiary data remains active status in CEIC and is reported by World Bank. The data is categorized under Global Database’s Virgin Islands (British) – Table VG.World Bank.WDI: Social: Education Statistics. Tertiary school pupil-teacher ratio is the average number of pupils per teacher in tertiary school.;UNESCO Institute for Statistics (http://uis.unesco.org/). Data as of February 2020.;Weighted average;