Ireland: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

Since 1976 it is up 19.61 percentage points from 64.87% in 1976. The World Bank has no value for 12 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Ireland's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.08 percentage points on 2022 (from 84.56% to 84.48%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2022), the average change was +0.45 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.89 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 7.48 percentage points in 1977 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.62 percentage points in 2007. 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, Ireland had the 12th 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 Ireland in the 2023 ranking

• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 9th of 37: 86.56%
• United Kingdom — 10th of 37: 86.44%
• North Macedonia — 11th of 37: 85.99%
• Cyprus — 13th of 37: 84.32%
• Gibraltar — 14th of 37: 83.25%
• Belgium — 15th of 37: 82.68%

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

• 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 Ireland

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 8 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 548,873 (2022)
• Secondary education, pupils — 456,625 (2022)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.04 (2020)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.1 (2020)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP)

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

84.48% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1976?

It is up 19.61 percentage points from 64.87% in 1976. The highest value was 84.92% in 2011 and the lowest 64.87% in 1976.

How does Ireland rank?

12th highest of 37 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Ireland's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.08 percentage points on 2022 (from 84.56% to 84.48%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1979 to 2022), the average change was +0.45 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.89 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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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