Viet Nam: Primary education, teachers

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Viet Nam's primary education, teachers rose 0.4% on 2023 (from 379,191 to 380,535).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +1.2% and a typical year strayed about 2.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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 5.9% in 1977 and the biggest yearly fall was 7% in 1979. 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 2,148 a year. A straight line explains 70% 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, Viet Nam had the 7th highest value of the 108 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 Viet Nam in the 2024 ranking

• Egypt, Arab Rep. — 4th of 108: 483,053
• Pakistan — 5th of 108: 445,877
• Bangladesh — 6th of 108: 383,624
• Venezuela, RB — 8th of 108: 352,723
• Ethiopia — 9th of 108: 338,716
• Germany — 10th of 108: 283,851

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 46 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 Viet Nam

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 5 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 8.88 million (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (% gross) — 106.33% (2024)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) — 92.45% (2021)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 20.28 (2018)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 7.88 million (2018)
• School enrollment, tertiary (% gross) — 37.59% (2024)

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 Viet Nam's primary education, teachers?

380,535 in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1976?

It is up 85.63% from 204,998 in 1976 (1.3% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 397,098 in 2017 and the lowest 204,104 in 1981.

How does Viet Nam rank?

7th highest of 108 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in primary education, teachers unusual for Viet Nam?

In 2024, Viet Nam's primary education, teachers rose 0.4% on 2023 (from 379,191 to 380,535). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +1.2% and a typical year strayed about 2.1% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 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.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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