Teachers in primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Teachers in primary education, both sexes was 281,128 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
281,128
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
26th
of 216 countries
All-time high
318,533
in 2017
All-time low
213,000
in 1987
Years of data
44
1971–2023
Teachers in primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 281,128 for teachers in primary education, both sexes 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, teachers in primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom peaked at 318,533 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 213,000, in 1987.
That places United Kingdom 26th out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 44 years of available data.
Teachers in primary education, both sexes 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% |
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
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 2.37 million (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is teachers in primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom?
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom was 281,128 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 318,533 in 2017.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 213,000 in 1987.
- How does United Kingdom rank for teachers in primary education, both sexes?
- United Kingdom ranks 26th out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is teachers in primary education, both sexes 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 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 — 44 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release