Colombia: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Colombia's primary education, teachers rose 4.4% on 2021 (from 173,243 to 180,781).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2021), the average change was +0.6% and a typical year strayed about 3.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 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 14.4% in 1972 and the biggest yearly fall was 8.2% in 2000. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2013 to 2022 the straight-line trend is downward, about 1,241 a year. A straight line explains 65% of the movement over 9 observed years.

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

How it compares

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

Closest to Colombia in the 2022 ranking

• Mozambique — 2nd of 7: 133,644
• Benin — 3rd of 7: 59,742
• Liberia — 4th of 7: 37,210

What this measures

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

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

All 50 values

Primary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 1,087 (2023)
• Aruba — 628 (2016)
• Bahamas, The — 1,497 (2024)
• Barbados — 1,592 (2024)
• Belize — 2,497 (2024)
• Bolivia — 76,710 (2024)
• Brazil — 696,748 (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 247 (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 323 (2024)
• Chile — 94,709 (2024)
• Costa Rica — 43,058 (2024)

More education data for Colombia

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 4.14 million (2022)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.97 (2020)
• Secondary education, pupils — 4.85 million (2022)
• Primary education, pupils (% female) — 48.13% (2018)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 23.3 (2018)
• Secondary education, teachers — 190,940 (2022)

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 Colombia's primary education, teachers?

180,781 in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 110.2% from 86,005 in 1970 (1.44% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 220,517 in 1998 and the lowest 86,005 in 1970.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for Colombia?

In 2022, Colombia's primary education, teachers rose 4.4% on 2021 (from 173,243 to 180,781). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1986 to 2021), the average change was +0.6% and a typical year strayed about 3.9% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.9 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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..

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.TCHR, 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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.