Netherlands: Tertiary education, academic staff (% female)

Key figures

Over five years it is up 3.6 percentage points from 46.31% in 2019. Since 1992 it is up 24.06 percentage points from 25.85% in 1992. The World Bank has no value for 7 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2024, Netherlands' tertiary education, academic staff (% female) rose 0.58 percentage points on 2023 (from 49.33% to 49.91%).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2023), the average change was +0.52 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.66 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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 1.46 percentage points in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.88 percentage points in 1994. 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 0.58 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 97% 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

In 2024, Netherlands had the 22nd highest value of the 61 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 Netherlands in the 2024 ranking

• Norway — 19th of 61: 50.6%
• Andorra — 20th of 61: 50.48%
• Serbia — 21st of 61: 50.2%
• Estonia — 23rd of 61: 49.7%
• Malaysia — 24th of 61: 49.45%
• Honduras — 25th of 61: 48.88%

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 26 values

Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) in nearby economies

• Albania — 58.85% (2024)
• Andorra — 50.48% (2024)
• Armenia — 63.47% (2024)
• Austria — 45.74% (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 62.01% (2024)
• Belarus — 61.56% (2024)
• Belgium — 50.36% (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 46.78% (2023)
• Bulgaria — 52.32% (2024)
• Croatia — 51.15% (2023)

More education data for Netherlands

• 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 — 1.14 million (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 1.61 million (2023)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 5.18% (2022)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.01 (2020)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Netherlands's tertiary education, academic staff (% female)?

49.91% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1992?

It is up 24.06 percentage points from 25.85% in 1992. The highest value was 49.91% in 2024 and the lowest 24.05% in 1994.

How does Netherlands rank?

22nd highest of 61 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in tertiary education, academic staff (% female) unusual for Netherlands?

In 2024, Netherlands' tertiary education, academic staff (% female) rose 0.58 percentage points on 2023 (from 49.33% to 49.91%). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2023), the average change was +0.52 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.66 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above 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.

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