Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa
UNICEF: West and Central Africa: Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female was 44.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
44.8%
Change on year
up 0.4%
Rank
213th
of 221 groups
All-time high
44.8%
in 2024
All-time low
21.3%
in 1971
Years of data
55
1970–2024
Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa, 1970–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa is 44.8%, measured in 2024. That is the highest value across all 55 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.4% on the previous year and up 9.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa peaked at 44.8% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 21.3%, in 1971.
UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 213th 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: West and Central Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 21.6% | — |
| 1971 | 21.3% | -1.5% |
| 1972 | 22.9% | +7.5% |
| 1973 | 23.2% | +1.1% |
| 1974 | 23.2% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 23.5% | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 23.7% | +0.9% |
| 1977 | 24.9% | +5.0% |
| 1978 | 26.5% | +6.5% |
| 1979 | 27.7% | +4.4% |
| 1980 | 28.5% | +2.7% |
| 1981 | 29.5% | +3.8% |
| 1982 | 29.0% | -1.8% |
| 1983 | 30.2% | +4.1% |
| 1984 | 31.3% | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 32.3% | +3.0% |
| 1986 | 32.4% | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 30.9% | -4.7% |
| 1988 | 32.5% | +5.3% |
| 1989 | 34.9% | +7.5% |
| 1990 | 34.1% | -2.3% |
| 1991 | 33.6% | -1.5% |
| 1992 | 35.1% | +4.5% |
| 1993 | 35.5% | +1.0% |
| 1994 | 37.1% | +4.5% |
| 1995 | 36.6% | -1.3% |
| 1996 | 37.2% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 36.9% | -0.8% |
| 1998 | 36.5% | -0.9% |
| 1999 | 35.6% | -2.6% |
| 2000 | 36.1% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 36.3% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 37.0% | +1.8% |
| 2003 | 37.0% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 39.0% | +5.5% |
| 2005 | 38.2% | -2.1% |
| 2006 | 38.5% | +0.6% |
| 2007 | 35.9% | -6.7% |
| 2008 | 35.8% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 36.2% | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 37.2% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 38.8% | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 37.8% | -2.6% |
| 2013 | 40.9% | +8.1% |
| 2014 | 41.0% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 41.3% | +0.9% |
| 2016 | 41.4% | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 41.5% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 41.3% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 42.9% | +3.9% |
| 2020 | 44.3% | +3.3% |
| 2021 | 44.0% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 44.2% | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 44.6% | +0.8% |
| 2024 | 44.8% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 23.9% | 21.3% | 27.7% | 10 |
| 1980s | 31.2% | 28.5% | 34.9% | 10 |
| 1990s | 35.8% | 33.6% | 37.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 37.0% | 35.8% | 39.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 40.4% | 37.2% | 42.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 44.4% | 44.0% | 44.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near UNICEF: West and Central Africa
More education data for UNICEF: West and Central Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number) 4.92 % change on previous year (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 20.41 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 0.9224 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 22.91 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 0.5411 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 8.34 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 0.9535 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.20 million (2021)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.46 million (2024)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 5.73 % change on previous year (2021)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in UNICEF: West and Central Africa was 44.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of teachers in primary education who are female recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 44.8% in 2024.
- What is the lowest percentage of teachers in primary education who are female recorded in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 21.3% in 1971.
- How does UNICEF: West and Central Africa rank for percentage of teachers in primary education who are female?
- UNICEF: West and Central Africa ranks 213th out of 221 groups with data for 2024.
- Is percentage of teachers in primary education who are female rising or falling in UNICEF: West and Central Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this UNICEF: West and Central 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