East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD): Primary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)'s primary education, teachers rose 0.3% on 2023 (from 10.03 million to 10.06 million).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.7% and a typical year strayed about 1.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 10.7% in 1972 and the biggest yearly fall was 2% in 2017. 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 49,383 a year. A straight line explains 61% 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

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

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 55 values

Primary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 163,167 (2023)
• Algeria — 247,748 (2025)
• Bahrain — 9,404 (2024)
• Djibouti — 2,739 (2023)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 483,053 (2024)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 372,396 (2023)
• Israel — 92,770 (2024)
• Jordan — 64,348 (2024)
• Kuwait — 32,782 (2021)
• Lebanon — 36,699 (2024)
• Malta — 1,941 (2024)
• Morocco

More education data for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 177.79 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 100.05% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 159.24 million (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 90.98% (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 10.22 million (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 62.19% (2024)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)'s primary education, teachers?

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

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 110.44% from 4.78 million in 1970 (1.39% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 10.18 million in 2021 and the lowest 4.78 million in 1970.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)?

In 2024, East Asia & Pacific (IDA & IBRD)'s primary education, teachers rose 0.3% on 2023 (from 10.03 million to 10.06 million). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.7% and a typical year strayed about 1.4% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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.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.

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