Latin America & Caribbean: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Latin America & Caribbean's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.73 percentage points on 2023 (from 78.52% to 77.79%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.01 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.43 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 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 2.11 percentage points in 1971 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.17 percentage points in 1998. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.08 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 54% 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.

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 55 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)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 76.56% (2023)
• Israel — 86.15% (2024)
• Jordan — 79.86% (2024)
• Kuwait — 90.44% (2021)
• Lebanon — 90.02% (2024)
• Malta

More education data for Latin America & Caribbean

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 61.44 million (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 3.34 million (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 63.3 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 4.37 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers, female — 2.64 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers (% female) — 60.52% (2024)
• Persistence to last grade of primary, female (% of cohort)

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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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Latin America & Caribbean's primary education, teachers (% female)?

77.79% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is down 0.32 percentage points from 78.11% in 1970. The highest value was 80.21% in 1971 and the lowest 76.82% in 1998.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers (% female) unusual for Latin America & Caribbean?

In 2024, Latin America & Caribbean's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.73 percentage points on 2023 (from 78.52% to 77.79%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.01 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.43 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 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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