Malaysia: Secondary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 2.94 percentage points from 67.18% in 2019. Since 1970 it is up 31.23 percentage points from 38.89% in 1970. 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 2024, Malaysia's secondary education, teachers (% female) rose 2.67 percentage points on 2023 (from 67.45% to 70.12%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1984 to 2023), the average change was +0.33 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.67 percentage points in 2024 and the biggest yearly fall was 2.48 percentage points in 1995. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 23% of the movement over 9 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

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

How it compares

In 2024, Malaysia had the 22nd highest value of the 84 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 Malaysia in the 2024 ranking

• Philippines — 19th of 84: 71.48%
• St. Lucia — 20th of 84: 71.26%
• Albania — 21st of 84: 70.66%
• St. Vincent and the Grenadines — 23rd of 84: 70.07%
• Algeria — 24th of 84: 70%
• Oman — 25th of 84: 69.81%

What this measures

Female teachers as a percentage of total secondary 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 43 values

Secondary education, teachers (% female) in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 69.68% (2023)
• China — 60.33% (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 55.16% (2024)
• Indonesia — 62.14% (2025)
• Kiribati — 62.85% (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 64.99% (2024)
• Lao PDR — 51.8% (2022)
• Macao SAR, China — 57.42% (2024)
• Mongolia — 75.85% (2024)
• Myanmar — 86.16% (2018)

More education data for Malaysia

• 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)
• Secondary education, pupils — 2.64 million (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (% gross) — 80.28% (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary, female (% gross) — 81.54% (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary, male (% gross) — 79.11% (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 217,105 (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 3.06 million (2024)

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 Malaysia's secondary education, teachers (% female)?

70.12% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 31.23 percentage points from 38.89% in 1970. The highest value was 70.12% in 2024 and the lowest 38.89% in 1970.

How does Malaysia rank?

22nd highest of 84 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in secondary education, teachers (% female) unusual for Malaysia?

In 2024, Malaysia's secondary education, teachers (% female) rose 2.67 percentage points on 2023 (from 67.45% to 70.12%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1984 to 2023), the average change was +0.33 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.3 standard deviations above that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.SEC.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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