Iceland: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Iceland's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.52 percentage points on 2022 (from 82.02% to 81.5%).

Across the 13 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2022), the average change was +0.38 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.83 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 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 2.23 percentage points in 1972 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.52 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 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 1% of the movement over 8 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

In 2023, Iceland had the 17th highest value of the 37 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 Iceland in the 2023 ranking

• Gibraltar — 14th of 37: 83.25%
• Belgium — 15th of 37: 82.68%
• Portugal — 16th of 37: 81.92%
• Samoa — 18th of 37: 80.81%
• Singapore — 19th of 37: 80.55%
• South Africa — 20th of 37: 78.52%

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 17 values

Primary education, teachers (% female) in nearby economies

• Albania — 88.8% (2024)
• Andorra — 81.6% (2024)
• Armenia — 89.52% (2024)
• Austria — 91.39% (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 94.18% (2024)
• Belarus — 99.51% (2024)
• Belgium — 82.68% (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 86.56% (2023)
• Bulgaria — 94.22% (2024)
• Croatia — 93.42% (2023)
• Cyprus

More education data for Iceland

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 32,314 (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 98.22% (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 76.52% (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 37,056 (2023)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 108.91% (2023)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.52 (2023)

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 Iceland's primary education, teachers (% female)?

81.5% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 31.32 percentage points from 50.18% in 1971. The highest value was 82.75% in 2019 and the lowest 50.18% in 1971.

How does Iceland rank?

17th highest of 37 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Iceland's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.52 percentage points on 2022 (from 82.02% to 81.5%). Across the 13 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2022), the average change was +0.38 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.83 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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