Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa
MDG: Sub-saharan Africa: Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female was 49.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
49.4%
Change on year
up 0.3%
Rank
193rd
of 221 groups
All-time high
49.4%
in 2024
All-time low
37.0%
in 1978
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
MDG: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 49.4% for percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 6.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 49.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 37.0%, in 1978.
MDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 193rd of 221 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 37.3% | — |
| 1971 | 37.2% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 37.7% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 37.7% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 37.8% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 37.9% | +0.3% |
| 1976 | 37.6% | -0.8% |
| 1977 | 37.3% | -0.7% |
| 1978 | 37.0% | -0.9% |
| 1979 | 37.4% | +1.1% |
| 1980 | 37.8% | +1.0% |
| 1981 | 38.1% | +1.0% |
| 1982 | 37.8% | -0.9% |
| 1983 | 38.4% | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 38.9% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 39.7% | +1.9% |
| 1986 | 39.9% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 39.5% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 40.1% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 41.5% | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 41.4% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 41.2% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 41.5% | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 41.5% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 42.2% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 43.8% | +3.7% |
| 1996 | 43.7% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 43.1% | -1.2% |
| 1998 | 43.3% | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 43.7% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 43.7% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 43.4% | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 44.3% | +2.1% |
| 2003 | 43.5% | -1.7% |
| 2004 | 44.9% | +3.1% |
| 2005 | 44.9% | -0.0% |
| 2006 | 45.0% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 44.2% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 44.3% | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 44.0% | -0.7% |
| 2010 | 44.6% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 44.9% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 44.9% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 46.1% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 46.3% | +0.5% |
| 2015 | 47.0% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 46.9% | -0.2% |
| 2017 | 46.9% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 46.7% | -0.3% |
| 2019 | 47.7% | +2.2% |
| 2020 | 48.5% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 48.3% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 49.1% | +1.6% |
| 2023 | 49.3% | +0.4% |
| 2024 | 49.4% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 37.5% | 37.0% | 37.9% | 10 |
| 1980s | 39.2% | 37.8% | 41.5% | 10 |
| 1990s | 42.5% | 41.2% | 43.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 44.2% | 43.4% | 45.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 46.2% | 44.6% | 47.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 48.9% | 48.3% | 49.4% | 5 |
Countries ranked near MDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- 190 Ethiopia 44.8% compare
- 191 Equatorial Guinea 44.4% compare
- 192 Eritrea 44.1% compare
- 193 Comoros 43.2% compare
- 194 Uganda 43.1% compare
- 195 Afghanistan 41.6% compare
- 196 Mauritania 41.3% compare
More education data for MDG: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.14 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.62 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.42 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.38 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.59 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 3.52 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 3.88 % change on previous year (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 2.60 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa was 49.4% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of teachers in primary education who are female recorded in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 49.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest percentage of teachers in primary education who are female recorded in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.0% in 1978.
- How does MDG: Sub-saharan Africa rank for percentage of teachers in primary education who are female?
- MDG: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 193rd out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of teachers in primary education who are female rising or falling in MDG: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this MDG: Sub-saharan Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release