North America: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, North America's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 85.86% to 85.85%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.47 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 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 0.97 percentage points in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.34 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.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 15% of the movement over 10 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

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 33 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 North America

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 26.2 million (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 28.14 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 1.89 million (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 70.3% (2020)
• Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) — 51.24% (2024)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.98 (2020)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 27.5 million (2018)
• Secondary education, vocational pupils

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is North America's primary education, teachers (% female)?

85.85% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1992?

It is up 0.96 percentage points from 84.9% in 1992. The highest value was 87.13% in 2006 and the lowest 84.47% in 2008.

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

In 2024, North America's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 85.86% to 85.85%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.04 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.47 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Where does this data come from?

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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