Timor-Leste: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

Over five years it is down 9.55% from 7,898 in 2018 (1.99% a year on average, compounded). Since 2001 it is up 138.85% from 2,991 in 2001 (4.04% a year on average, compounded). The World Bank has no value for 11 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 30.4% in 2002 and the biggest yearly fall was 7.8% in 2004. 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, Timor-Leste had the 31st highest value of the 40 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 Timor-Leste in the 2023 ranking

• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 28th of 40: 9,722
• Eswatini — 29th of 40: 8,880
• North Macedonia — 30th of 40: 7,723
• Cyprus — 32nd of 40: 5,389
• Iceland — 33rd of 40: 3,568
• Djibouti — 34th of 40: 2,739

What this measures

Primary education, teachers refers to the total number of teachers at primary 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 12 values

Primary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Brunei Darussalam — 3,846 (2024)
• Cambodia — 46,016 (2024)
• China — 6.74 million (2024)
• Fiji — 6,295 (2024)
• Hong Kong SAR, China — 28,284 (2024)
• Indonesia — 1.51 million (2025)
• Japan — 440,864 (2023)
• Kiribati — 734 (2024)
• Korea, Rep. — 173,133 (2024)
• Lao PDR — 21,845 (2025)
• Macao SAR, China — 2,896 (2024)

More education data for Timor-Leste

• 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)
• Preprimary education, duration (years) — 3 (2025)
• Compulsory education, duration (years) — 9 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 227,656 (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 119.65% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 120.59% (2023)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross)

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 Timor-Leste's primary education, teachers?

7,144 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2001?

It is up 138.85% from 2,991 in 2001 (4.04% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 8,058 in 2017 and the lowest 2,991 in 2001.

How does Timor-Leste rank?

31st highest of 40 economies with data for 2023.

Where does this data come from?

The World Bank's World Development Indicators, 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..

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.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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