Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in United States
United States: Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) was 1.78 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Teachers in primary education, both sexes in United States, 1984–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
United States recorded 1.78 million for teachers in primary education, both sexes in 2023. That is the highest value across all 18 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, both sexes in United States peaked at 1.78 million in 2023 and was at its lowest, 1.41 million, in 1985.
United States ranks 3rd of 216 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in United States, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1984 | 1.42 million | — |
| 1985 | 1.41 million | -0.1% |
| 1986 | 1.43 million | +0.8% |
| 1993 | 1.43 million | +0.2% |
| 1994 | 1.44 million | +1.1% |
| 1995 | 1.47 million | +2.1% |
| 1996 | 1.50 million | +1.8% |
| 1998 | 1.58 million | +5.0% |
| 2014 | 1.69 million | +7.2% |
| 2015 | 1.71 million | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 1.76 million | +2.5% |
| 2017 | 1.77 million | +0.7% |
| 2018 | 1.75 million | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 1.70 million | -3.2% |
| 2020 | 1.69 million | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 1.76 million | +4.0% |
| 2022 | 1.77 million | +0.7% |
| 2023 | 1.78 million | +0.3% |
United States compared with similar countries
- United States's 1.78 million is above the median for high income countries, which is 17,584, 101.2× the median. (78 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 1.42 million | 1.41 million | 1.43 million | 3 |
| 1990s | 1.48 million | 1.43 million | 1.58 million | 5 |
| 2010s | 1.73 million | 1.69 million | 1.77 million | 6 |
| 2020s | 1.75 million | 1.69 million | 1.78 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near United States
More education data for United States
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.74 million (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 419,732 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 4.34 million (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 4.14 million (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 25.35 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 23.83 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 1.33 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0708 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is teachers in primary education, both sexes in United States?
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes in United States was 1.78 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in United States?
- The highest recorded value was 1.78 million in 2023.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in United States?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.41 million in 1985.
- How does United States rank for teachers in primary education, both sexes?
- United States ranks 3rd out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is teachers in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in United States?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United States 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.
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CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release