Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa
UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
UNICEF: 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.
Compared with earlier readings it 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 UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 49.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 37.0%, in 1978.
UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.0% in 1978.
- How does UNICEF: Sub-saharan Africa rank for percentage of teachers in primary education who are female?
- UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: 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 UNICEF: 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