China: Secondary education, teachers, female

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, China's secondary education, teachers, female rose 4.1% on 2023 (from 4.29 million to 4.47 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2023), the average change was +4.2% and a typical year strayed about 2.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below 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 9.1% in 2003 and the biggest yearly fall was 3.6% in 2013. 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 141,938 a year. A straight line explains 97% 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.

How it compares

In 2024, China had the 2nd highest value of the 83 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

• Pakistan — 2nd of 83: 1.15 million
• Brazil — 3rd of 83: 629,792
• Germany — 4th of 83: 395,262

What this measures

Secondary education, teachers, female, refers to the total number of female teachers at secondary level, including 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 sum.

All 41 values

Secondary education, teachers, female in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 3,512 (2023)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 17,472 (2024)
• Indonesia — 841,094 (2025)
• Kiribati — 609 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 151,467 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 18,434 (2022)
• Macao SAR, China — 1,687 (2024)
• Malaysia — 152,236 (2024)
• Mongolia — 19,568 (2024)
• Myanmar — 132,399 (2018)
• Naoero

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 secondary education, teachers, female?

4.47 million in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1979?

It is up 456.77% from 802,600 in 1979 (3.89% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 4.47 million in 2024 and the lowest 749,700 in 1984.

How does China rank?

2nd highest of 83 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in secondary education, teachers, female unusual for China?

In 2024, China's secondary education, teachers, female rose 4.1% on 2023 (from 4.29 million to 4.47 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2023), the average change was +4.2% and a typical year strayed about 2.7% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.TCHR.FE, 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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