OECD members: Trained teachers in upper secondary education (% of total teachers)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, OECD members' trained teachers in upper secondary education (% of total teachers) rose 0.36 percentage points on 2019 (from 93.76% to 94.12%).

Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2004 to 2019), the average change was −0.16 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.87 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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 2014 and the biggest yearly fall was 1.25 percentage points in 2009. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.2 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 35% 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.

What this measures

Trained teachers in upper secondary education are the percentage of upper secondary school teachers who have received the minimum organized teacher training (pre-service or in-service) required for teaching in a given country.

Limitations: This indicator does not take into account differences in teachers' experiences and status, teaching methods, teaching materials, and classroom conditions - all factors that affect the quality of teaching and learning. Some teachers without formal training may have acquired equivalent pedagogical skills through professional experience. In addition, national standards regarding teacher qualifications and pedagogical skills may vary.

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

All 18 values

Trained teachers in upper secondary education (% of total teachers) in nearby economies

• Bahrain — 100% (2024)
• Jordan — 100% (2024)
• Oman — 100% (2024)
• Qatar — 100% (2024)
• Saudi Arabia — 100% (2024)
• West Bank and Gaza — 100% (2023)

More education data for OECD members

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 91.38 million (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 6.28 million (2024)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 81.25% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 116.41 million (2024)
• Secondary education, teachers — 8.66 million (2024)
• Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort) — 94.07% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is OECD members's trained teachers in upper secondary education (% of total teachers)?

94.12% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2003?

It is down 2.21 percentage points from 96.34% in 2003. The highest value was 96.96% in 2006 and the lowest 91.6% in 2011.

Is the latest change in trained teachers in upper secondary education (% of total teachers) unusual for OECD members?

In 2020, OECD members' trained teachers in upper secondary education (% of total teachers) rose 0.36 percentage points on 2019 (from 93.76% to 94.12%). Across the 16 yearly changes before that (2004 to 2019), the average change was −0.16 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.87 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.6 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.SEC.TCAQ.UP.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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