Tonga: Primary education, teachers (% female)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Tonga's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 3.62 percentage points on 2023 (from 81.86% to 78.24%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1982 to 2023), the average change was +0.34 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.34 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 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 7.98 percentage points in 1975 and the biggest yearly fall was 7.84 percentage points in 2003. 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 upward, about 0.86 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 73% 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 2024, Tonga had the 54th highest value of the 105 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 Tonga in the 2024 ranking

• Ecuador — 51st of 105: 79.45%
• Qatar — 52nd of 105: 79.06%
• Viet Nam — 53rd of 105: 79.04%
• Dominican Republic — 55th of 105: 77.93%
• Brunei Darussalam — 56th of 105: 77.77%
• Spain — 57th of 105: 77.75%

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 44 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 Tonga

• 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) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 15,644 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 108.79% (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 818 (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, female (% gross) — 110.66% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary, male (% gross) — 107.14% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.95 (2020)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Tonga's primary education, teachers (% female)?

78.24% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 34.47 percentage points from 43.77% in 1970. The highest value was 81.86% in 2023 and the lowest 43.52% in 1971.

How does Tonga rank?

54th highest of 105 economies with data for 2024.

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

In 2024, Tonga's primary education, teachers (% female) fell 3.62 percentage points on 2023 (from 81.86% to 78.24%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1982 to 2023), the average change was +0.34 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 2.34 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.7 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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