Small states: Tertiary education, academic staff (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Small states' tertiary education, academic staff (% female) fell 12.83 percentage points on 2023 (from 54.64% to 41.8%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.61 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.24 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 11.77 percentage points in 2023 and the biggest yearly fall was 12.83 percentage points in 2024. 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 12% 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

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 41 values

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

• Afghanistan — 13.68% (2020)
• Algeria — 47.31% (2024)
• Bahrain — 46.89% (2024)
• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 50.84% (2025)
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 34% (2020)
• Jordan — 33.44% (2024)
• Malta — 39.03% (2024)
• Morocco — 36.36% (2024)
• Oman — 38.92% (2024)
• Pakistan — 36.47% (2024)

More education data for Small states

• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• School enrollment, tertiary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.34 (2024)
• Primary education, pupils — 5.13 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 100.86% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 100.39% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 101.31% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 243,069 (2024)
• Primary education, teachers (% female) — 69.37% (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Small states's tertiary education, academic staff (% female)?

41.8% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1981?

It is up 6.6 percentage points from 35.21% in 1981. The highest value was 54.64% in 2023 and the lowest 34.7% in 1986.

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

In 2024, Small states' tertiary education, academic staff (% female) fell 12.83 percentage points on 2023 (from 54.64% to 41.8%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.61 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.24 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 6.0 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Where does this data come from?

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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