The number of children enrolled in primary education in Albania continued to decline during 2024. Enrolment fell from 146 962 students in 2023 to 141 089 a year later, representing a decrease of 5 873 students, or around 4%.
Të lidhura
None found
This decline is significantly higher than that recorded in the European Union. According to Eurostat data, 23.2 million students were enrolled in primary education in EU countries in 2024, 35 153 fewer than a year earlier, or just 0.2% fewer.
The contraction in Albania has been concentrated particularly in the public sector. The number of students in public schools fell from 130 067 in 2023 to 123 491 in 2024. In absolute terms, this represents 6 576 fewer students, while the decline was around 5.1%.
The situation was different in private education, where the number of students rose from 16 895 to 17 598. This means 703 more students and an increase of around 4.2%.
Teaching in primary education remains a profession in which women make up an overwhelming majority. In Albania, they account for 87.6% of all teachers, while men represent 12.4%.
Over a longer period, data for the European Union show a development different from that of Albania. Compared with 2014, the number of primary school students in the EU increased by 2.9%, equivalent to 659 086 more students.
France topped the list for the number of primary school students in 2024, with 4.1 million. It was followed by Germany with 3.3 million, Spain with 2.8 million and Italy with 2.6 million students.
The smallest numbers were recorded in Malta, with 27 537 students, Luxembourg, with 43 020, and Cyprus, with 60 596.
Differences between countries in the number of students are influenced by population size and demographic structure. The typical age at which primary education begins, as well as the age at which children are required to start formal education, also play a role.
During the 2014–2024 period, the number of primary school students increased in 15 EU countries, while it fell in 11 others, based on the countries for which data were available.
Luxembourg recorded the largest relative increase, at +21.4%, followed by Slovenia at +18.2%. On the other hand, the steepest declines were recorded in Poland, at -25.7%, Croatia, at -10.3%, and Portugal, at -10.0%.
The student-teacher ratio has declined since 2014
In 2024, the European Union average was 13.3 primary school students per teacher. This ratio serves as an indicator of the human resources available to the education system and can provide an indirect indication of the conditions in which teaching takes place.
The lowest ratios in 2024 were found in Greece and Luxembourg, with 7.4 and 8.2 students per teacher, respectively. These were the only two EU countries where the indicator was below 10 students per teacher.
Romania had the highest ratio, at 18.2 students per teacher. It was followed by Czechia and France, with 17.9 each, the Netherlands with 16.3 and Germany with 15.2 students per teacher.
At EU level, the ratio fell from 14.2 students per teacher in 2014 to 13.3 in 2024. The same trend was observed in 23 member states.
The most significant decrease was recorded in Bulgaria, where the ratio fell from 17.8 to 10.4 students per teacher. In Slovenia, it declined from 15.9 to 10.8.
In Austria, during the 2014–2024 period, the indicator did not change and remained at 12.0 students per teacher. In several other countries, however, the ratio increased; the largest change was recorded in Lithuania, where it rose from 10.2 to 13.7 students per teacher.
