South Africa vs Thailand: Primary education, teachers

South Africa
287,310
in 2023
Thailand
305,368
in 2025
South Africa rank
22nd
Thailand rank
19th

Primary education, teachers over time

  • South Africa
  • Thailand
0100.0k200.0k300.0k400.0k197119982025

How they compare

Thailand currently reports 305,368 against 287,310 in South Africa, a difference of 18,058.

That makes Thailand's figure about 1.1 times South Africa's.

Across all 17 years both countries report, Thailand has been ahead every year.

South Africa ranks 22nd and Thailand ranks 19th of 204 countries.

Thailand has averaged higher in every one of the 5 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade South Africa Thailand Difference Ahead
1970s 146,094 233,116 87,022 Thailand
1990s 235,023 310,799 75,776 Thailand
2000s 212,742 320,839 108,097 Thailand
2010s 226,562 316,242 89,680 Thailand
2020s 287,310 320,912 33,602 Thailand

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher primary education, teachers, South Africa or Thailand?
Thailand, at 305,368 against 287,310 in South Africa as of 2025.
What is the difference in primary education, teachers between South Africa and Thailand?
18,058, with Thailand ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Thailand?
17 years are reported by both, from 1977 to 2023.
How do South Africa and Thailand rank globally for primary education, teachers?
South Africa ranks 22nd and Thailand ranks 19th of 204 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Primary education, teachers. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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South Africa vs Thailand: Primary education, teachers. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/primary-education-teachers/south-africa/thailand/

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About this data

Indicator
Primary education, teachers
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
249 places, 9,469 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.