Sweden: Secondary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Sweden's secondary education, teachers (% female) rose 0.38 percentage points on 2023 (from 59.47% to 59.85%).

Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1974 to 2023), the average change was +0.16 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.93 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 5.72 percentage points in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 5.02 percentage points in 2018. 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 the straight-line trend is downward, about 0.56 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 59% 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.

How it compares

In 2024, Sweden had the 52nd highest value of the 84 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 Sweden in the 2024 ranking

• Turks and Caicos Islands — 48th of 84: 60.37%
• China — 49th of 84: 60.33%
• Bahrain — 50th of 84: 60.06%
• Spain — 52nd of 84: 59.55%
• Ecuador — 53rd of 84: 59.32%
• Honduras — 54th of 84: 59.24%

What this measures

Female teachers as a percentage of total secondary 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 34 values

Secondary education, teachers (% female) in nearby economies

• Albania — 70.66% (2024)
• Andorra — 64.3% (2024)
• Armenia — 88.72% (2024)
• Austria — 64.27% (2024)
• Belarus — 81.3% (2024)
• Belgium — 63.96% (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 64.15% (2023)
• Bulgaria — 77.01% (2024)
• Croatia — 71.34% (2023)
• Cyprus — 67.78% (2023)
• Denmark

More education data for Sweden

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 13 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 859,847 (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 987,895 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.05 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.07 (2020)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.08 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary)

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 Sweden's secondary education, teachers (% female)?

59.85% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1973?

It is up 13.96 percentage points from 45.9% in 1973. The highest value was 64.37% in 2017 and the lowest 44.84% in 1976.

How does Sweden rank?

52nd highest of 84 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in secondary education, teachers (% female) unusual for Sweden?

In 2024, Sweden's secondary education, teachers (% female) rose 0.38 percentage points on 2023 (from 59.47% to 59.85%). Across the 29 yearly changes before that (1974 to 2023), the average change was +0.16 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.93 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.SEC.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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