What the enrolment and staffing counts say about primary schools in Southern Africa

Mozambique’s pupil total rose faster than its teacher count

In 2015, Mozambique reported 5.87 million primary pupils and 107,976 teachers, a ratio of about 54.3. In 2022, it reported 7.66 million pupils and 133,644 teachers, about 57.3 per teacher. The ratio rose because enrolment grew faster than the reported teaching workforce. Source 1 Source 2

Namibia and Zambia added pupils and teachers

Namibia recorded 590,029 pupils and 21,240 teachers in 2024, about 27.8 per teacher. Zambia recorded 4,489,003 pupils and 116,859 teachers, about 38.4. Both systems had more teachers and pupils than in 2015, but their ratios moved differently because their counts grew at different speeds. Source 1 Source 2

Lesotho’s ratio fell as enrolment declined

Lesotho reported 361,637 primary pupils and 10,930 teachers in 2015, compared with 309,480 pupils and 10,388 teachers in 2024. The pupil count fell more rapidly, lowering the ratio from about 33.1 to 29.8. The latest pair was 2022 for Botswana and 2023 for South Africa. Source 1 Source 2

A national staffing ratio is separate from class size

The calculation divides enrolled pupils by the total reported primary teaching workforce. It does not account for teaching hours, different staffing by grade, or differences across schools. A class can have more or fewer pupils than the national ratio would suggest. Source 1 Source 2

Sources

• UNESCO Institute for Statistics via World Bank, primary pupils
• UNESCO Institute for Statistics via World Bank, primary teachers
• World Bank economy metadata, capital coordinates