Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa
WB: Sub-saharan Africa: Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female was 25.6% in 2021. ▲ Rising
Latest (2021)
25.6%
Change on year
up 3.2%
Rank
190th
of 221 groups
All-time high
29.0%
in 1999
All-time low
18.5%
in 1985
Years of data
37
1985–2021
Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa, 1985–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
WB: Sub-saharan Africa recorded 25.6% for percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in 2021.
The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa peaked at 29.0% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 18.5%, in 1985.
WB: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 190th of 221 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 18.5% | — |
| 1986 | 18.8% | +1.5% |
| 1987 | 19.7% | +4.7% |
| 1988 | 20.2% | +2.6% |
| 1989 | 21.3% | +5.6% |
| 1990 | 21.7% | +1.9% |
| 1991 | 21.8% | +0.3% |
| 1992 | 22.4% | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 23.4% | +4.4% |
| 1994 | 25.1% | +7.4% |
| 1995 | 26.0% | +3.3% |
| 1996 | 26.7% | +2.9% |
| 1997 | 27.5% | +2.8% |
| 1998 | 28.3% | +2.9% |
| 1999 | 29.0% | +2.6% |
| 2000 | 27.7% | -4.4% |
| 2001 | 26.6% | -4.2% |
| 2002 | 26.1% | -1.8% |
| 2003 | 24.9% | -4.4% |
| 2004 | 23.8% | -4.6% |
| 2005 | 23.4% | -1.7% |
| 2006 | 23.2% | -0.7% |
| 2007 | 22.8% | -1.7% |
| 2008 | 22.0% | -3.5% |
| 2009 | 20.8% | -5.8% |
| 2010 | 19.9% | -4.1% |
| 2011 | 23.7% | +18.9% |
| 2012 | 23.9% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 24.1% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 24.1% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 24.7% | +2.2% |
| 2016 | 25.2% | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 25.2% | -0.1% |
| 2018 | 24.9% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 25.1% | +0.9% |
| 2020 | 24.8% | -1.2% |
| 2021 | 25.6% | +3.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 19.7% | 18.5% | 21.3% | 5 |
| 1990s | 25.2% | 21.7% | 29.0% | 10 |
| 2000s | 24.1% | 20.8% | 27.7% | 10 |
| 2010s | 24.1% | 19.9% | 25.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 25.2% | 24.8% | 25.6% | 2 |
More education data for WB: Sub-saharan Africa
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, male (number), gaps 5.90 million (2021)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 39.08 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.55 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 42.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.19 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 26.37 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual 1.55 % 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 tertiary education who are female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in WB: Sub-saharan Africa was 25.6% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female recorded in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The highest recorded value was 29.0% in 1999.
- What is the lowest percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female recorded in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.5% in 1985.
- How does WB: Sub-saharan Africa rank for percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female?
- WB: Sub-saharan Africa ranks 190th out of 221 groups with data for 2021.
- Is percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female rising or falling in WB: Sub-saharan Africa?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this WB: Sub-saharan 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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About this data
February 2026 Data Release