Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female was 86.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
86.4%
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
59th
of 212 countries
All-time high
87.0%
in 2013
All-time low
77.3%
in 1971
Years of data
43
1971–2023
Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland recorded 86.4% for percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in 2023.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and down 0.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 87.0% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 77.3%, in 1971.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 59th of 212 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 77.3% | — |
| 1972 | 77.6% | +0.4% |
| 1973 | 78.1% | +0.7% |
| 1974 | 78.5% | +0.4% |
| 1975 | 78.6% | +0.2% |
| 1976 | 80.7% | +2.7% |
| 1977 | 78.2% | -3.1% |
| 1978 | 78.1% | -0.1% |
| 1979 | 78.2% | +0.1% |
| 1980 | 78.4% | +0.3% |
| 1982 | 78.1% | -0.4% |
| 1983 | 78.4% | +0.4% |
| 1984 | 78.6% | +0.3% |
| 1985 | 79.1% | +0.6% |
| 1987 | 78.4% | -0.9% |
| 1988 | 78.1% | -0.3% |
| 1989 | 77.8% | -0.5% |
| 1990 | 78.1% | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 78.0% | -0.0% |
| 1992 | 78.2% | +0.2% |
| 1999 | 81.0% | +3.6% |
| 2000 | 81.1% | +0.1% |
| 2001 | 81.8% | +0.9% |
| 2002 | 81.8% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 81.4% | -0.5% |
| 2004 | 81.5% | +0.1% |
| 2005 | 81.6% | +0.2% |
| 2006 | 81.3% | -0.3% |
| 2007 | 81.3% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 81.4% | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 80.8% | -0.8% |
| 2010 | 87.0% | +7.7% |
| 2011 | 87.0% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 87.0% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 87.0% | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 84.7% | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 85.2% | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 86.2% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 86.1% | -0.1% |
| 2020 | 86.3% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 86.3% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 86.3% | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 86.4% | +0.1% |
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 86.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 84.3%, 1.0× the median. (75 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's 86.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 87.2%, 99% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 78.4% | 77.3% | 80.7% | 9 |
| 1980s | 78.4% | 77.8% | 79.1% | 8 |
| 1990s | 78.8% | 78.0% | 81.0% | 4 |
| 2000s | 81.4% | 80.8% | 81.8% | 10 |
| 2010s | 86.3% | 84.7% | 87.0% | 8 |
| 2020s | 86.3% | 86.3% | 86.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- 56 Puerto Rico 87.1% compare
- 57 Netherlands 87.0% compare
- 58 Bosnia and Herzegovina 86.6% compare
- 60 Saint Lucia 86.2% compare
- 61 Israel 86.2% compare
- 62 North Macedonia 86.0% compare
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Percentage of teachers in primary education who are female in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 86.4% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of teachers in primary education who are female recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 87.0% in 2013.
- What is the lowest percentage of teachers in primary education who are female recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 77.3% in 1971.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for percentage of teachers in primary education who are female?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 59th out of 212 countries with data for 2023.
- Is percentage of teachers in primary education who are female rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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