Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC): Tertiary education, academic staff (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC)'s tertiary education, academic staff (% female) fell 2.29 percentage points on 2022 (from 25.55% to 23.27%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.14 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.66 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2 percentage points in 2022 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.29 percentage points in 2023. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.28 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 57% 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

Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) is the share of female academic staff in tertiary education.

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 42 values

Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 13.68% (2020)
• Algeria — 47.31% (2024)
• Bahrain — 46.89% (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 50.84% (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 34% (2020)
• Jordan — 33.44% (2024)
• Malta — 39.03% (2024)
• Morocco — 36.36% (2024)
• Oman — 38.92% (2024)
• Pakistan — 36.47% (2024)

More education data for Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC)

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6.5 (2025)
• Primary completion rate, total (% of relevant age group) — 68.43% (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 148.37 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 100.08% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 98.09% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 102.02% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 3.67 million (2024)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC)'s tertiary education, academic staff (% female)?

23.27% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1982?

It is up 2.92 percentage points from 20.35% in 1982. The highest value was 25.55% in 2022 and the lowest 20.35% in 1982.

Is the latest change in tertiary education, academic staff (% female) unusual for Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC)?

In 2023, Heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC)'s tertiary education, academic staff (% female) fell 2.29 percentage points on 2022 (from 25.55% to 23.27%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was +0.14 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.66 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 3.7 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.TER.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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