Iran, Islamic Rep.: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

Since 1971 it is up 253.67% from 105,295 in 1971 (2.46% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 11 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s primary education, teachers rose 9.9% on 2022 (from 338,846 to 372,396).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1978 to 2022), the average change was +0.9% and a typical year strayed about 9.7% 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 45.6% in 1983 and the biggest yearly fall was 16.7% in 1987. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

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

How it compares

In 2023, Iran, Islamic Rep. had the 5th highest value of the 40 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 Iran, Islamic Rep. in the 2023 ranking

• Mexico — 2nd of 40: 571,832
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 3rd of 40: 561,172
• Japan — 4th of 40: 440,864
• Russian Federation — 6th of 40: 327,102
• Türkiye — 7th of 40: 299,967
• South Africa — 8th of 40: 287,310

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 42 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)
• Israel — 92,770 (2024)
• Jordan — 64,348 (2024)
• Kuwait — 32,782 (2021)
• Lebanon — 36,699 (2024)
• Malta — 1,941 (2024)
• Morocco — 189,855 (2024)
• Oman

More education data for Iran, Islamic Rep.

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 9.09 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 101.96% (2023)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 72.48% (2020)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 102.05% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 101.88% (2023)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Iran, Islamic Rep.'s primary education, teachers?

372,396 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 253.67% from 105,295 in 1971 (2.46% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 372,396 in 2023 and the lowest 97,071 in 1973.

How does Iran, Islamic Rep. rank?

5th highest of 40 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for Iran, Islamic Rep.?

In 2023, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s primary education, teachers rose 9.9% on 2022 (from 338,846 to 372,396). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1978 to 2022), the average change was +0.9% and a typical year strayed about 9.7% 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.

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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