Iran, Islamic Rep.: Tertiary education, academic staff (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s tertiary education, academic staff (% female) rose 0.63 percentage points on 2019 (from 33.37% to 34%).

Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2019), the average change was +0.74 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.62 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 3.38 percentage points in 2007 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.03 percentage points in 2008. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is upward, about 1.04 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 93% 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.

Closest to Iran, Islamic Rep. in the 2020 ranking

• Lao PDR — 1st of 4: 39.74%
• Afghanistan — 3rd of 4: 13.68%
• Chad — 4th of 4: 7.88%

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 30 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)
• Jordan — 33.44% (2024)
• Malta — 39.03% (2024)
• Morocco — 36.36% (2024)
• Oman — 38.92% (2024)
• Pakistan — 36.47% (2024)
• Qatar — 36.35% (2024)

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
• 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 Iran, Islamic Rep.'s tertiary education, academic staff (% female)?

34% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 21.69 percentage points from 12.31% in 1971. The highest value was 34% in 2020 and the lowest 11.32% in 1972.

Is the latest change in tertiary education, academic staff (% female) unusual for Iran, Islamic Rep.?

In 2020, Iran, Islamic Rep.'s tertiary education, academic staff (% female) rose 0.63 percentage points on 2019 (from 33.37% to 34%). Across the 25 yearly changes before that (1972 to 2019), the average change was +0.74 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.62 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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.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.

Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.