Teachers in primary education, female in United Kingdom
United Kingdom: Teachers in primary education, female was 242,999 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
242,999
Change on year
down 0.3%
World rank
18th
of 212 countries
All-time high
271,515
in 2017
All-time low
167,000
in 1987
Years of data
43
1971–2023
Teachers in primary education, female in United Kingdom, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
United Kingdom recorded 242,999 for teachers in primary education, female in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.3% on the previous year and up 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, female in United Kingdom peaked at 271,515 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 167,000, in 1987.
United Kingdom ranks 18th of 212 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Teachers in primary education, female in United Kingdom, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 192,409 | — |
| 1972 | 201,573 | +4.8% |
| 1973 | 211,780 | +5.1% |
| 1974 | 218,601 | +3.2% |
| 1975 | 222,336 | +1.7% |
| 1976 | 230,659 | +3.7% |
| 1977 | 219,163 | -5.0% |
| 1978 | 215,186 | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 215,029 | -0.1% |
| 1980 | 211,953 | -1.4% |
| 1982 | 195,584 | -7.7% |
| 1983 | 192,000 | -1.8% |
| 1984 | 191,000 | -0.5% |
| 1985 | 193,000 | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 167,000 | -13.5% |
| 1988 | 168,000 | +0.6% |
| 1989 | 175,000 | +4.2% |
| 1990 | 178,000 | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 178,800 | +0.4% |
| 1992 | 180,000 | +0.7% |
| 1999 | 201,987 | +12.2% |
| 2000 | 201,264 | -0.4% |
| 2001 | 213,905 | +6.3% |
| 2002 | 216,011 | +1.0% |
| 2003 | 213,561 | -1.1% |
| 2004 | 210,946 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 216,489 | +2.6% |
| 2006 | 203,232 | -6.1% |
| 2007 | 207,835 | +2.3% |
| 2008 | 199,034 | -4.2% |
| 2009 | 198,574 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 219,430 | +10.5% |
| 2011 | 222,652 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 214,898 | -3.5% |
| 2013 | 218,064 | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 265,587 | +21.8% |
| 2017 | 271,515 | +2.2% |
| 2018 | 240,699 | -11.3% |
| 2019 | 241,644 | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 242,740 | +0.5% |
| 2021 | 246,795 | +1.7% |
| 2022 | 243,731 | -1.2% |
| 2023 | 242,999 | -0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 214,082 | 192,409 | 230,659 | 9 |
| 1980s | 186,692 | 167,000 | 211,953 | 8 |
| 1990s | 184,697 | 178,000 | 201,987 | 4 |
| 2000s | 208,085 | 198,574 | 216,489 | 10 |
| 2010s | 236,811 | 214,898 | 271,515 | 8 |
| 2020s | 244,066 | 242,740 | 246,795 | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom
More education data for United Kingdom
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,022 tertiary education (2023)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 281,128 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is teachers in primary education, female in United Kingdom?
- Teachers in primary education, female in United Kingdom was 242,999 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, female recorded in United Kingdom?
- The highest recorded value was 271,515 in 2017.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, female recorded in United Kingdom?
- The lowest recorded value was 167,000 in 1987.
- How does United Kingdom rank for teachers in primary education, female?
- United Kingdom ranks 18th out of 212 countries with data for 2023.
- Is teachers in primary education, female rising or falling in United Kingdom?
- Over the last ten years it is up 11.4%. 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, female (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 43 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release