Primary education, teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income): Primary education, teachers was 49.4% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Primary education, teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % female.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary education, teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) is 49.4%, measured 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, primary education, teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) peaked at 49.4% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 37.0%, in 1978.
Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 40th of 45 groups on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 55 years of available data.
Primary education, teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income), year by year
| Year | % female | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 37.3% | — |
| 1971 | 37.2% | -0.1% |
| 1972 | 37.7% | +1.2% |
| 1973 | 37.6% | -0.1% |
| 1974 | 37.7% | +0.3% |
| 1975 | 37.8% | +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 | 39.4% | -1.2% |
| 1988 | 40.0% | +1.5% |
| 1989 | 41.5% | +3.6% |
| 1990 | 41.4% | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 41.2% | -0.6% |
| 1992 | 41.5% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 41.5% | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 42.2% | +1.7% |
| 1995 | 43.8% | +3.8% |
| 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% | +3.2% |
| 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% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 44.9% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 44.9% | -0.1% |
| 2013 | 46.1% | +2.9% |
| 2014 | 46.4% | +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 | 48.6% | +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% | 37.8% | 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 Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- 37 Dominica 88.9% compare
- 38 Albania 88.8% compare
- 39 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 88.4% compare
- 40 Bermuda 88.3% compare
- 41 Serbia 88.3% compare
- 42 Philippines 88.3% compare
- 43 Turks and Caicos Islands 87.9% compare
More education data for Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 196.79 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 81.42 million (2024)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 5.14 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 40.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.9733 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1526 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 56.4% (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0.0001 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Primary education, teachers in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) was 49.4% in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, teachers recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The highest recorded value was 49.4% in 2024.
- What is the lowest primary education, teachers recorded in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- The lowest recorded value was 37.0% in 1978.
- How does Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) rank for primary education, teachers?
- Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) ranks 40th out of 45 groups with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, teachers rising or falling in Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income)?
- Over the last ten years it is up 6.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Sub-Saharan Africa (excluding high income) data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, teachers (% female). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Female teachers as a percentage of total primary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers.