In Albania, the number of students in primary education continued to decline in 2024. From 146,962 students registered in 2023, the number dropped to 141,089, or 5,873 fewer students in one year. This represents a decline of about 4%, significantly stronger than that registered in the European Union, according to Eurostat data.
In 2024, 23.2 million students were enrolled in primary education in the EU, just 0.2% less than the previous year, or a decrease of 35,153 students.
In Albania, the decline has mainly affected public education. The number of students in public institutions fell from 130,067 in 2023 to 123,491 in 2024, or by 6,576 students, a contraction of about 5.1%.
In contrast, private education followed the opposite trend. The number of students in private institutions increased from 16,895 to 17,598, or by 703 students, representing an increase of about 4.2%.
Teaching, a profession dominated by women
In Albania, 87.6% of primary education teachers are women, while only 12.4% are men, demonstrating a marked dominance of women in this profession.
europe
In a longer-term perspective, the situation in the European Union is different. Compared to 2014, the number of students in primary education increased by 2.9%, or by 659,086 students.
France recorded the largest number of students in primary education in 2024, with 4.1 million, followed by Germany with 3.3 million, Spain with 2.8 million and Italy with 2.6 million.
In contrast, the lowest figures were recorded in Malta, with 27,537 students, Luxembourg, with 43,020, and Cyprus, with 60,596.
The number of students in primary education is related to population size, demographic structure, as well as differences between countries regarding the usual age of starting primary education and the age at which children should begin compulsory formal education.
Compared to 2014, the number of students in primary education increased in 15 EU countries and decreased in the other 11 countries for which data were available.
The largest relative increases were recorded in Luxembourg (+21.4%) and Slovenia (+18.2%), while the strongest decreases were noted in Poland (-25.7%), Croatia (-10.3%) and Portugal (-10.0%).
The student-teacher ratio has declined since 2014.
In 2024, there were an average of 13.3 primary school students per teacher in the European Union. The pupil-teacher ratio provides information on the human resources available to the education system and can be used as an indirect indicator for assessing teaching conditions.
In 2024, Greece and Luxembourg recorded the lowest student-teacher ratios in primary education, with 7.4 and 8.2 students per teacher respectively. These were the only EU countries with a ratio below 10 students per teacher.
At the other end, Romania had the highest ratio, with 18.2 students per teacher, followed by the Czech Republic and France, with 17.9 each, the Netherlands with 16.3, and Germany with 15.2 students per teacher.
Compared to 2014, the student-teacher ratio at EU level fell from 14.2 to 13.3 in 2024. The same trend was recorded in 23 EU countries.
The largest declines were recorded in Bulgaria, where the ratio dropped from 17.8 to 10.4 students per teacher, and in Slovenia, from 15.9 to 10.8.
In Austria, the ratio remained unchanged at 12.0 students per teacher during the period 2014–2024. Meanwhile, in several other countries the ratio increased, with the most noticeable change in Lithuania, where it went from 10.2 to 13.7 students per teacher./ Monitor
