India's student-teacher ratios improve overall, but gaps persist across states
The average number of pupils per teacher in India fell to 19 in 2025-26, meeting the NEP 2020 target, though some states still lag behind.
National data show the pupil-teacher ratio dropped from 27 in 2018-19 to 19 in the 2025-26 school year, aligning with the 30:1 benchmark set by the National Education Policy 2020. Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand posted the lowest ratios, under 15, while Delhi recorded a ratio of 27, well above the national average. The figures highlight uneven progress in staffing classrooms across the country.
Why it matters
Student-teacher ratios affect learning quality, and uneven state performance could widen educational inequalities.
In this story
pupil-teacher ratioeducation statisticsNEP 2020state disparitiesclassroom staffing
