Panama: Tertiary education, academic staff (% female)

Key figures

Since 1970 it is up 28.84 percentage points from 21.21% in 1970. The World Bank has no value for 31 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Panama's tertiary education, academic staff (% female) rose 0.04 percentage points on 2022 (from 50.01% to 50.05%).

Across the 15 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was −0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.4 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 2.16 percentage points in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 7.94 percentage points in 2003. 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

In 2023, Panama had the 13th highest value of the 30 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 Panama in the 2023 ranking

• Belgium — 9th of 30: 50.36%
• North Macedonia — 10th of 30: 50.09%
• Montenegro — 11th of 30: 50.07%
• Brunei Darussalam — 13th of 30: 49%
• Slovenia — 14th of 30: 48.15%
• United Kingdom — 15th of 30: 47.77%

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 23 values

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

• Aruba — 53.96% (2016)
• Belize — 54.01% (2024)
• Brazil — 46.97% (2024)
• British Virgin Islands — 63.16% (2024)
• Colombia — 40.34% (2022)
• Cuba — 61.71% (2024)
• Dominican Republic — 46.96% (2024)
• Ecuador — 42.24% (2023)
• El Salvador — 39.98% (2023)
• Honduras — 48.88% (2024)

More education data for Panama

• 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 — 451,308 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 96.94% (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 26.97% (2020)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 53.7% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) — 12.61% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross)

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 Panama's tertiary education, academic staff (% female)?

50.05% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 28.84 percentage points from 21.21% in 1970. The highest value was 51.81% in 2002 and the lowest 21.21% in 1970.

How does Panama rank?

13th highest of 30 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Panama's tertiary education, academic staff (% female) rose 0.04 percentage points on 2022 (from 50.01% to 50.05%). Across the 15 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was −0.11 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.4 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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