Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Singapore
Singapore: Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) was 16,639 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Singapore, 1970–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, teachers in primary education, both sexes in Singapore stood at 16,639.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and up 5.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, both sexes in Singapore peaked at 16,925 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 9,463, in 1980.
Singapore ranks 125th of 216 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 38 years of available data.
Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Singapore, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 12,259 | — |
| 1971 | 11,965 | -2.4% |
| 1972 | 10,858 | -9.3% |
| 1973 | 11,135 | +2.6% |
| 1974 | 10,985 | -1.3% |
| 1975 | 10,777 | -1.9% |
| 1976 | 10,597 | -1.7% |
| 1977 | 10,345 | -2.4% |
| 1978 | 10,347 | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 10,492 | +1.4% |
| 1980 | 9,463 | -9.8% |
| 1981 | 9,505 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 10,286 | +8.2% |
| 1983 | 9,921 | -3.5% |
| 1984 | 10,657 | +7.4% |
| 1985 | 10,363 | -2.8% |
| 1986 | 10,264 | -1.0% |
| 1987 | 10,199 | -0.6% |
| 1988 | 9,962 | -2.3% |
| 1989 | 9,998 | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 10,006 | +0.1% |
| 1991 | 9,843 | -1.6% |
| 1992 | 10,188 | +3.5% |
| 1993 | 10,711 | +5.1% |
| 1994 | 10,553 | -1.5% |
| 1995 | 10,356 | -1.9% |
| 1996 | 10,618 | +2.5% |
| 2007 | 14,242 | +34.1% |
| 2008 | 14,850 | +4.3% |
| 2009 | 16,171 | +8.9% |
| 2016 | 15,734 | -2.7% |
| 2017 | 15,969 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 16,294 | +2.0% |
| 2019 | 16,545 | +1.5% |
| 2020 | 16,725 | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 16,925 | +1.2% |
| 2022 | 16,793 | -0.8% |
| 2023 | 16,639 | -0.9% |
Singapore compared with similar countries
- Singapore's 16,639 is below the median for high income countries, which is 17,584, 95% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Singapore's 16,639 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 7,144, 2.3× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Singapore changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2007 | +34.1% | 10,618 | 14,242 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 10,976 | 10,345 | 12,259 | 10 |
| 1980s | 10,062 | 9,463 | 10,657 | 10 |
| 1990s | 10,325 | 9,843 | 10,711 | 7 |
| 2000s | 15,088 | 14,242 | 16,171 | 3 |
| 2010s | 16,136 | 15,734 | 16,545 | 4 |
| 2020s | 16,770 | 16,639 | 16,925 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Singapore
More education data for Singapore
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 13,601 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 336 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 9,429 (1989)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 8,429 (1989)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 163,746 (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 238,816 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.4 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0404 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is teachers in primary education, both sexes in Singapore?
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Singapore was 16,639 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Singapore?
- The highest recorded value was 16,925 in 2021.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Singapore?
- The lowest recorded value was 9,463 in 1980.
- How does Singapore rank for teachers in primary education, both sexes?
- Singapore ranks 125th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is teachers in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Singapore?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Singapore data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 38 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release