Teachers in primary education, female (number) in India

India: Teachers in primary education, female (number) was 2.36 million number in 2019. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2019)
2.36 million number
Change on year
up 5.3%
World rank
2nd
of 196 countries
All-time high
2.36 million number
in 2019
All-time low
334,852 number
in 1971
Years of data
17
1971–2019

Teachers in primary education, female in India, 1971–2019

500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2.5M1971199520191971: 334.9k number1972: 344.3k number1973: 362.5k number1974: 363.8k number1975: 378.3k number1976: 387.1k number1999: 987.5k number2000: 1.0M number2001: 1.0M number2002: 1.0M number2003: 1.3M number2013: 2.1M number2014: 2.2M number2015: 2.2M number2016: 2.1M number2017: 2.2M number2019: 2.4M number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2019, teachers in primary education, female in India stood at 2.36 million number. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 5.3% on the previous year and up 12.1% over ten years.

Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, female in India peaked at 2.36 million number in 2019 and was at its lowest, 334,852 number, in 1971.

That places India 2nd out of 196 countries with data for 2019, putting it in the top 10%.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Teachers in primary education, female (number) in India, year by year

Annual values for Teachers in primary education, female (number) in India, 1971 to 2019.
Year number Change
1971 334,852 number —
1972 344,282 number +2.8%
1973 362,489 number +5.3%
1974 363,755 number +0.3%
1975 378,323 number +4.0%
1976 387,122 number +2.3%
1999 987,497 number +155.1%
2000 1.01 million number +2.4%
2001 1.02 million number +1.0%
2002 1.02 million number -0.1%
2003 1.34 million number +31.1%
2013 2.10 million number +57.4%
2014 2.18 million number +3.6%
2015 2.18 million number -0.1%
2016 2.10 million number -3.5%
2017 2.24 million number +6.6%
2019 2.36 million number +5.3%

India compared with similar countries

  • India's 2.36 million number is above the median for lower middle income countries, which is 26,278 number, 89.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
  • India's 2.36 million number is above the median for South Asia, which is 79,209 number, 29.8× the median. (6 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Teachers in primary education, female (number) in India 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.

YearChange FromTo
1999 +155.1% 387,122 number 987,497 number
2013 +57.4% 1.34 million number 2.10 million number
2003 +31.1% 1.02 million number 1.34 million number

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 361,804 number 334,852 number 387,122 number 6
1990s 987,497 number 987,497 number 987,497 number 1
2000s 1.10 million number 1.01 million number 1.34 million number 4
2010s 2.19 million number 2.10 million number 2.36 million number 6

Countries ranked near India

  1. 1 China 4.39 million number compare
  2. 3 United States 1.54 million number compare
  3. 4 Indonesia 1.19 million number compare
  4. 5 Brazil 707,006 number compare

See the full ranking of 241 places →

More education data for India

All data for India →

Frequently asked questions

What is teachers in primary education, female in India?
Teachers in primary education, female in India was 2.36 million number in 2019, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest teachers in primary education, female recorded in India?
The highest recorded value was 2.36 million number in 2019.
What is the lowest teachers in primary education, female recorded in India?
The lowest recorded value was 334,852 number in 1971.
How does India rank for teachers in primary education, female?
India ranks 2nd out of 196 countries with data for 2019.
Is teachers in primary education, female rising or falling in India?
Over the last ten years it is up 12.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this India 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.

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Teachers in primary education, female in India. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 November 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/teachers-in-primary-education-female-number/india/

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About this data

Indicator
Teachers in primary education, female (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
241 places, 7,410 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of female teachers in public and private primary education institutions. Teachers are persons employed full time or part time in an official capacity to guide and direct the learning experience of pupils and students, irrespective of their qualifications or the delivery mechanism, i.e. face-to-face and/or at a distance. This definition excludes educational personnel who have no active teaching duties (e.g. headmasters, headmistresses or principals who do not teach) and persons who work occasionally or in a voluntary capacity in educational institutions.