Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in South Africa
South Africa: Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female was 37.4% in 1994. ▲ Rising
Latest (1994)
37.4%
Change on year
up 5.0%
World rank
110th
of 172 countries
All-time high
37.4%
in 1994
All-time low
31.7%
in 1988
Years of data
5
1988–1994
Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in South Africa, 1988–1994
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in South Africa is 37.4%, measured in 1994. That is the highest value across all 5 years on record.
The figure is up 5.0% on the previous year and up 17.9% over ten years.
South Africa ranks 110th of 172 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in South Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1988 | 31.7% | — |
| 1989 | 33.8% | +6.6% |
| 1990 | 34.5% | +1.9% |
| 1993 | 35.6% | +3.3% |
| 1994 | 37.4% | +5.0% |
South Africa compared with similar countries
- South Africa's 37.4% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 49.0%, 76% of the median. (46 countries reporting)
- South Africa's 37.4% is above the median for Sub-Saharan Africa, which is 20.7%, 1.8× the median. (38 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 32.8% | 31.7% | 33.8% | 2 |
| 1990s | 35.8% | 34.5% | 37.4% | 3 |
Countries ranked near South Africa
- 107 Korea 38.1% compare
- 108 Greece 37.7% compare
- 109 Ireland 37.6% compare
- 111 Tajikistan 37.3%
- 112 France 37.2%
- 113 Luxembourg 37.2% compare
More education data for South Africa
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 181,739 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 339,638 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 410,708 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 407,696 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 5.50 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 7.52 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.44 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.119 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in South Africa?
- Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in South Africa was 37.4% in 1994, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female recorded in South Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 37.4% in 1994.
- What is the lowest percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female recorded in South Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 31.7% in 1988.
- How does South Africa rank for percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female?
- South Africa ranks 110th out of 172 countries with data for 1994.
- Is percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female rising or falling in South Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this South Africa data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release