Colombia: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2022, Colombia's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.79 percentage points on 2021 (from 77.81% to 77.01%).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2021), the average change was +0.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.52 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.42 percentage points in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.53 percentage points in 2012. 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

• Canada — 2nd of 8: 75.11%
• Botswana — 3rd of 8: 74.08%
• Cabo Verde — 4th of 8: 63.51%

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 31 values

Primary education, teachers (% female) in nearby economies

• Antigua and Barbuda — 94.11% (2023)
• Aruba — 84.39% (2015)
• Bahamas, The — 91.12% (2024)
• Barbados — 76.76% (2024)
• Belize — 77.41% (2024)
• Bolivia — 65.58% (2024)
• Brazil — 89.08% (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 92.71% (2024)
• Cayman Islands — 84.83% (2024)
• Chile — 81.26% (2024)
• Costa Rica

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)
• Primary education, teachers — 180,781 (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)

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 (% female)?

77.01% in 2022, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is down 0.16 percentage points from 77.17% in 1970. The highest value was 79.76% in 1992 and the lowest 76.5% in 2006.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers (% female) unusual for Colombia?

In 2022, Colombia's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.79 percentage points on 2021 (from 77.81% to 77.01%). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2021), the average change was +0.06 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.52 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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.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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