Average class size in six selected countries versus the world average in 2006

The bar chart illustrates the average class sizes in primary and lower secondary schools across six nations, compared against the global average in 2006. Overall, South Korea exhibited the highest number of students per class at both educational levels, whereas Iceland consistently reported the lowest figures. Notably, primary school class sizes were generally larger than those in lower secondary education, with the exceptions of South Korea, Japan, Mexico, and Iceland.

South Korea led the group with 34 students in primary classes and 36 in lower secondary, both significantly exceeding the world averages of 26 and 24 respectively. Japan also maintained high figures, with 27 primary and 31 lower secondary students. Conversely, Iceland had the smallest classes, at 15 for primary and 17 for lower secondary, both well below the global benchmarks.

In the UK and Denmark, primary school classes were larger than their lower secondary counterparts. The UK had 23 primary and 22 lower secondary students, while Denmark recorded 21 and 19 respectively. Mexico presented a distinct contrast, with a primary class size of 21, which surged to 31 in lower secondary education, matching Japan's figure for that level.