China: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, China's primary education, teachers (% female) rose 1.14 percentage points on 2023 (from 73.36% to 74.51%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2023), the average change was +0.92 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.37 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 5.3 percentage points in 1978 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.04 percentage points in 1977. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.33 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 99% of the movement over 10 observed years.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

A straight-line projection, tested first

Extending that straight line gives about 79.31% for 2027. We show this only because the same method, fitted on earlier years, predicted 2022 to 2024 better than "no change" would have: its average miss was 0.75%, against 1.99% for assuming no change. Treat it as a continuation of the recent pattern, not a forecast of events: it cannot see a recession, a policy change or a revision to the data.

See how a linear trend forecast works and the guide on forecasting without fooling yourself.

How it compares

In 2024, China had the 69th highest value of the 105 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to China in the 2024 ranking

• Hong Kong SAR, China — 66th of 105: 76.08%
• Grenada — 67th of 105: 75.97%
• Oman — 68th of 105: 74.81%
• Lesotho — 70th of 105: 74.46%
• Norway — 71st of 105: 73.56%
• El Salvador — 72nd of 105: 73.52%

What this measures

Female teachers as a percentage of total primary education teachers includes full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The indicator measures the level of gender representation in the teaching profession, rather than the effectiveness and quality of teaching.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 46 values

Primary education, teachers (% female) in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 77.77% (2024)
• Cambodia — 60.14% (2024)
• Fiji — 64.64% (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 76.08% (2024)
• Indonesia — 72.37% (2025)
• Kiribati — 84.33% (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 76.66% (2024)
• Lao PDR — 54.89% (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 81.11% (2024)
• Malaysia — 70.09% (2024)

More education data for China

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, pupils — 97.98 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 7.41 million (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 76.88% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 6.74 million (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 108.57 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 99.65% (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is China's primary education, teachers (% female)?

74.51% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1974?

It is up 38.11 percentage points from 36.4% in 1974. The highest value was 74.51% in 2024 and the lowest 33.26% in 1977.

How does China rank?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.TCHR.FE.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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