United Kingdom: Secondary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, United Kingdom's secondary education, teachers rose 0.8% on 2022 (from 385,798 to 388,714).

Across the 22 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2022), the average change was +0.8% and a typical year strayed about 4.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below 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 11.9% in 1995 and the biggest yearly fall was 4.9% in 2006. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 the straight-line trend is downward, about 4,133 a year. A straight line explains 36% 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 2023, United Kingdom had the 7th 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 United Kingdom in the 2023 ranking

• Japan — 4th of 39: 627,777
• Congo, Dem. Rep. — 5th of 39: 621,578
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 6th of 39: 406,399
• South Africa — 8th of 39: 181,739
• Kenya — 9th of 39: 168,396
• Sri Lanka — 10th of 39: 155,543

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 26 values

Secondary education, teachers in nearby economies

• Albania — 23,080 (2024)
• Andorra — 605 (2024)
• Armenia — 22,576 (2024)
• Austria — 75,436 (2024)
• Belarus — 71,514 (2024)
• Belgium — 137,795 (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 27,426 (2023)
• Bulgaria — 43,834 (2024)
• Croatia — 53,231 (2023)
• Cyprus — 8,083 (2023)
• Denmark — 50,935 (2024)

More education data for United Kingdom

• Primary school starting age (years) — 5 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Secondary education, pupils — 6.4 million (2023)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.02 (2020)
• Primary education, pupils — 4.86 million (2023)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 4.17 million (2017)
• Secondary education, general pupils (% female) — 49.21% (2017)
• Secondary education, pupils (% female)

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 United Kingdom's secondary education, teachers?

388,714 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1993?

It is down 2.26% from 397,697 in 1993 (0.08% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 476,337 in 1996 and the lowest 353,098 in 2000.

How does United Kingdom rank?

7th highest of 39 economies with data for 2023.

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

In 2023, United Kingdom's secondary education, teachers rose 0.8% on 2022 (from 385,798 to 388,714). Across the 22 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2022), the average change was +0.8% and a typical year strayed about 4.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.0 standard deviations below 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, 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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