Myanmar: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

Since 1971 it is up 219.21% from 68,156 in 1971 (2.5% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 8 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2018, Myanmar's primary education, teachers fell 7% on 2017 (from 233,815 to 217,561).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1978 to 2017), the average change was +2.5% and a typical year strayed about 4.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 13.7% in 1978 and the biggest yearly fall was 7% in 2018. 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

See how every economy compares in the full ranking.

What this measures

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 40 values

Primary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 3,846 (2024)
• Cambodia — 46,016 (2024)
• China — 6.74 million (2024)
• Fiji — 6,295 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 28,284 (2024)
• Indonesia — 1.51 million (2025)
• Japan — 440,864 (2023)
• Kiribati — 734 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 173,133 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 21,845 (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 2,896 (2024)

More education data for Myanmar

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 10 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 5.3 million (2018)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 120.22% (2018)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 4.18 million (2018)
• Secondary education, vocational pupils — 7,348 (2018)
• Secondary education, teachers — 153,660 (2018)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 24.36 (2018)

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 Myanmar's primary education, teachers?

217,561 in 2018, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 219.21% from 68,156 in 1971 (2.5% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 241,433 in 2016 and the lowest 65,079 in 1975.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for Myanmar?

In 2018, Myanmar's primary education, teachers fell 7% on 2017 (from 233,815 to 217,561). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1978 to 2017), the average change was +2.5% and a typical year strayed about 4.6% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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..

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.TCHR, 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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