Samoa: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

Since 1975 it is up 17.24 percentage points from 63.57% in 1975. The World Bank has no value for 32 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2023, Samoa's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.27 percentage points on 2022 (from 81.08% to 80.81%).

Across the 9 yearly changes before that (1976 to 2022), the average change was +1.1 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.89 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 2.79 percentage points in 1977 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.27 percentage points in 2023. 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, Samoa had the 18th highest value of the 37 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 Samoa in the 2023 ranking

• Belgium — 15th of 37: 82.68%
• Portugal — 16th of 37: 81.92%
• Iceland — 17th of 37: 81.5%
• Singapore — 19th of 37: 80.55%
• South Africa — 20th of 37: 78.52%
• Nicaragua — 21st of 37: 77.89%

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 17 values

Primary education, teachers (% female) in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 77.77% (2024)
• Cambodia — 60.14% (2024)
• China — 74.51% (2024)
• Fiji — 64.64% (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 76.08% (2024)
• Indonesia — 72.37% (2025)
• Kiribati — 84.33% (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 76.66% (2024)
• Lao PDR — 54.89% (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 81.11% (2024)
• Malaysia

More education data for Samoa

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 34,962 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 101.04% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 99.1% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 102.89% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1 (2021)
• Primary education, pupils (% female) — 48.01% (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 Samoa's primary education, teachers (% female)?

80.81% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1975?

It is up 17.24 percentage points from 63.57% in 1975. The highest value was 81.08% in 2022 and the lowest 63.57% in 1975.

How does Samoa rank?

18th highest of 37 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, Samoa's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 0.27 percentage points on 2022 (from 81.08% to 80.81%). Across the 9 yearly changes before that (1976 to 2022), the average change was +1.1 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.89 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.5 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.

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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