Primary education, teachers in Malaysia
Malaysia: Primary education, teachers was 273,792 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
273,792
Change on year
up 7.5%
World rank
27th
of 204 countries
All-time high
278,496
in 2014
All-time low
54,366
in 1970
Years of data
48
1970–2024
Primary education, teachers in Malaysia, 1970–2024
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary education, teachers in Malaysia is 273,792, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 7.5% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, teachers in Malaysia peaked at 278,496 in 2014 and was at its lowest, 54,366, in 1970.
That places Malaysia 27th out of 204 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.
Primary education, teachers in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 54,366 | — |
| 1975 | 59,343 | +9.2% |
| 1977 | 61,267 | +3.2% |
| 1978 | 63,636 | +3.9% |
| 1979 | 64,270 | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 73,664 | +14.6% |
| 1981 | 77,100 | +4.7% |
| 1982 | 79,796 | +3.5% |
| 1983 | 81,664 | +2.3% |
| 1984 | 83,760 | +2.6% |
| 1985 | 91,424 | +9.1% |
| 1987 | 102,356 | +12.0% |
| 1988 | 109,563 | +7.0% |
| 1989 | 112,204 | +2.4% |
| 1990 | 120,505 | +7.4% |
| 1991 | 126,139 | +4.7% |
| 1992 | 130,482 | +3.4% |
| 1993 | 134,579 | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 139,343 | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 140,430 | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 147,128 | +4.8% |
| 1998 | 132,443 | -10.0% |
| 1999 | 142,996 | +8.0% |
| 2000 | 154,720 | +8.2% |
| 2001 | 154,233 | -0.3% |
| 2002 | 159,041 | +3.1% |
| 2003 | 174,504 | +9.7% |
| 2004 | 180,682 | +3.5% |
| 2005 | 189,521 | +4.9% |
| 2006 | 205,513 | +8.4% |
| 2007 | 214,984 | +4.6% |
| 2008 | 223,335 | +3.9% |
| 2009 | 245,871 | +10.1% |
| 2010 | 256,615 | +4.4% |
| 2011 | 262,708 | +2.4% |
| 2012 | 270,069 | +2.8% |
| 2013 | 274,348 | +1.6% |
| 2014 | 278,496 | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 269,757 | -3.1% |
| 2016 | 267,060 | -1.0% |
| 2017 | 264,648 | -0.9% |
| 2018 | 258,596 | -2.3% |
| 2019 | 250,694 | -3.1% |
| 2020 | 255,394 | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 266,743 | +4.4% |
| 2022 | 253,358 | -5.0% |
| 2023 | 254,669 | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 273,792 | +7.5% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 273,792 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 24,978, 11.0× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 273,792 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7,144, 38.3× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 60,576 | 54,366 | 64,270 | 5 |
| 1980s | 90,170 | 73,664 | 112,204 | 9 |
| 1990s | 134,894 | 120,505 | 147,128 | 9 |
| 2000s | 190,240 | 154,233 | 245,871 | 10 |
| 2010s | 265,299 | 250,694 | 278,496 | 10 |
| 2020s | 260,791 | 253,358 | 273,792 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, teachers in Malaysia?
- Primary education, teachers in Malaysia was 273,792 in 2024, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, teachers recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 278,496 in 2014.
- What is the lowest primary education, teachers recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 54,366 in 1970.
- How does Malaysia rank for primary education, teachers?
- Malaysia ranks 27th out of 204 countries with data for 2024.
- Is primary education, teachers rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, teachers. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.