Primary education, teachers in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Primary education, teachers was 281,128 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
281,128
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
26th
of 204 countries
All-time high
318,533
in 2017
All-time low
213,000
in 1987
Years of data
44
1971–2023
Primary education, teachers in United Kingdom, 1971–2023
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 281,128 for primary education, teachers in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 12.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, teachers in United Kingdom peaked at 318,533 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 213,000, in 1987.
United Kingdom ranks 26th of 204 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Primary education, teachers in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 248,908 | — |
| 1972 | 259,757 | +4.4% |
| 1973 | 271,074 | +4.4% |
| 1974 | 278,609 | +2.8% |
| 1975 | 282,793 | +1.5% |
| 1976 | 285,786 | +1.1% |
| 1977 | 280,315 | -1.9% |
| 1978 | 275,564 | -1.7% |
| 1979 | 275,020 | -0.2% |
| 1980 | 270,346 | -1.7% |
| 1982 | 250,510 | -7.3% |
| 1983 | 245,000 | -2.2% |
| 1984 | 243,000 | -0.8% |
| 1985 | 244,000 | +0.4% |
| 1987 | 213,000 | -12.7% |
| 1988 | 215,000 | +0.9% |
| 1989 | 225,000 | +4.7% |
| 1990 | 228,000 | +1.3% |
| 1991 | 229,100 | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 230,200 | +0.5% |
| 1999 | 249,384 | +8.3% |
| 2000 | 248,148 | -0.5% |
| 2001 | 261,362 | +5.3% |
| 2002 | 264,111 | +1.1% |
| 2003 | 262,390 | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 258,966 | -1.3% |
| 2005 | 265,257 | +2.4% |
| 2006 | 249,862 | -5.8% |
| 2007 | 255,690 | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 244,391 | -4.4% |
| 2009 | 245,879 | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 252,290 | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 255,994 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 247,079 | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 250,693 | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 272,430 | +8.7% |
| 2016 | 313,649 | +15.1% |
| 2017 | 318,533 | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 279,097 | -12.4% |
| 2019 | 280,505 | +0.5% |
| 2020 | 281,266 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 285,965 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 282,367 | -1.3% |
| 2023 | 281,128 | -0.4% |
United Kingdom compared with similar countries
- United Kingdom's 281,128 is above the median for high income countries, which is 17,584, 16.0× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- United Kingdom's 281,128 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 31,624, 8.9× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 273,092 | 248,908 | 285,786 | 9 |
| 1980s | 238,232 | 213,000 | 270,346 | 8 |
| 1990s | 234,171 | 228,000 | 249,384 | 4 |
| 2000s | 255,606 | 244,391 | 265,257 | 10 |
| 2010s | 274,474 | 247,079 | 318,533 | 9 |
| 2020s | 282,682 | 281,128 | 285,965 | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More education data for United Kingdom
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, teachers in United Kingdom?
- Primary education, teachers in United Kingdom was 281,128 in 2023, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, teachers recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 318,533 in 2017.
- What is the lowest primary education, teachers recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 213,000 in 1987.
- How does United Kingdom rank for primary education, teachers?
- United Kingdom ranks 26th out of 204 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary education, teachers rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom 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
CSV · JSON — 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).
About this data
Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.