Singapore: Secondary education, teachers

Key figures

Over five years it is down 7.76% from 14,745 in 2018 (1.6% a year on average, compounded). Since 1970 it is up 81.03% from 7,513 in 1970 (1.13% a year on average, compounded). 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, Singapore's secondary education, teachers fell 3.3% on 2022 (from 14,059 to 13,601).

Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2022), the average change was +1% and a typical year strayed about 3.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 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 6.6% in 2009 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.1% in 1972. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2016 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 215.4 a year. A straight line explains 95% of the movement over 8 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 2023, Singapore had the 28th highest value of the 39 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 Singapore in the 2023 ranking

• Ireland — 25th of 39: 32,531
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 26th of 39: 27,426
• North Macedonia — 27th of 39: 18,794
• Nicaragua — 29th of 39: 12,739
• Cyprus — 30th of 39: 8,083
• Bhutan — 31st of 39: 6,995

What this measures

Secondary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at secondary level, including full-time and part-time teachers.

Limitations: The precision of this indicator can be influenced by the enumeration method used, such as headcount or 'full-time equivalent' count of teachers.

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

All 23 values

Secondary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 5,040 (2023)
• Cambodia — 107,312 (2021)
• China — 7.41 million (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 31,678 (2024)
• Indonesia — 1.35 million (2025)
• Japan — 627,777 (2023)
• Kiribati — 969 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 233,046 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 35,584 (2022)
• Macao SAR, China — 2,938 (2024)
• Malaysia — 217,105 (2024)

More education data for Singapore

• 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) — 4 (2025)
• Government expenditure on education, total (% of GDP) — 2.19% (2024)
• Preprimary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 238,816 (2023)
• Primary education, teachers — 16,639 (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 163,746 (2023)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 80.55% (2023)

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 Singapore's secondary education, teachers?

13,601 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 81.03% from 7,513 in 1970 (1.13% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 15,384 in 2016 and the lowest 7,505 in 1972.

How does Singapore rank?

28th highest of 39 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in secondary education, teachers unusual for Singapore?

In 2023, Singapore's secondary education, teachers fell 3.3% on 2022 (from 14,059 to 13,601). Across the 18 yearly changes before that (1971 to 2022), the average change was +1% and a typical year strayed about 3.3% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 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.SEC.TCHR, 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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