Iran, Islamic Rep.: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

Since 1971 it is up 31.38 percentage points from 45.18% in 1971. The World Bank has no value for 17 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 (% female) fell 0.35 percentage points on 2022 (from 76.91% to 76.56%).

Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2022), the average change was +0.82 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.75 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 10.68 percentage points in 1978 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.81 percentage points in 1974. 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 24th 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 Iran, Islamic Rep. in the 2023 ranking

• South Africa — 20th of 37: 78.52%
• Nicaragua — 21st of 37: 77.89%
• West Bank and Gaza — 22nd of 37: 77.36%
• Greece — 24th of 37: 75.64%
• Tunisia — 25th of 37: 71.91%
• Mexico — 26th of 37: 70.3%

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 36 values

Primary education, teachers (% female) in nearby economies

• Afghanistan — 41.64% (2023)
• Algeria — 70.12% (2025)
• Bahrain — 77.12% (2024)
• Djibouti — 37.39% (2023)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 66.17% (2024)
• Israel — 86.15% (2024)
• Jordan — 79.86% (2024)
• Kuwait — 90.44% (2021)
• Lebanon — 90.02% (2024)
• Malta — 85.83% (2024)
• Morocco

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

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Questions people ask

What is Iran, Islamic Rep.'s primary education, teachers (% female)?

76.56% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 31.38 percentage points from 45.18% in 1971. The highest value was 76.91% in 2022 and the lowest 45.18% in 1971.

How does Iran, Islamic Rep. rank?

24th highest of 37 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.35 percentage points on 2022 (from 76.91% to 76.56%). Across the 28 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2022), the average change was +0.82 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.75 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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.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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