As the number of teachers grows to meet rising demands globally, it is critical that conditions for teachers to collaborate improve in tandem. Collaboration is a vital aspect of the teaching profession and must be reinforced throughout the entire duration of one’s career, ranging from initial training to continuous professional development. 

The new fact sheet published by the Teacher Task Force and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) for the 2025 World Teachers’ Day, utilizes new data to address opportunities for advancement in continuous professional development (CPD) and collaboration among teachers. 

How has the number of teachers in the workforce expanded globally in recent years? 

One of the greatest challenges associated with the teaching profession is the global shortage of teachers: approximately 44 million primary and secondary teachers are needed to ensure equitable education for all (Teacher Task Force & UNESCO, 2024). While we are still far away from reaching this goal, there has been positive expansion in the number of teachers worldwide. 

The pre-primary level has experienced a nearly three-fold increase in the quantity of teachers, rising from 55 million in 2000 to 138 million in 2024. Secondary teachers have seen the greatest absolute growth from 25.4 million to 41.8 million, and the tertiary teacher workforce has more than doubled from 7 million to 14.5 million.  

While it is encouraging to see such significant expansion, these numbers do not necessarily close the gap between teachers and students in classrooms. Student enrolment levels have often outpaced the growth of teachers, and the increase in the number of teachers does not necessarily equate to more teachers with comprehensive training and qualifications. 

How have trends in teacher qualification and training shifted in various regions? 

Although the global share of qualified teachers remains high (about 90%), the proportion of trained teachers has in fact declined slightly across all education levels. Qualified teachers refer to those who hold the highest level of academic qualification required for teaching, whereas trained teachers are those who have completed pedagogical preparation. Many regions need a renewed investment in teacher development to reverse the erosion in training and qualifications. 

• Sub-Saharan Africa: Pre-primary education saw a modest increase in trained teachers from 55% to 58%, but both primary and secondary levels experienced sharp declines in qualified and trained teachers. 
• Northern Africa and Western Asia: The qualified and trained teacher rates significantly decreased from 93% to 81% of qualified primary teachers and 94% to 79% of trained primary teachers. 
• Latin America and the Caribbean: An equally concerning decline in teacher qualifications occurred at the primary level (78% to 75%), as well as a notable drop in training across primary and secondary levels. 
• Europe and Northern America: Consistently high levels of qualified teachers have been maintained at the primary level (93% to 94%), but there has been slight stagnation at the secondary level and a notable decline in the share of trained teachers across all levels. 
• Eastern and South-Eastern Asia: Steady gains have allowed for the region to hold some of the world’s highest levels of qualified teachers (95% to 98%) and steady gains in trained teachers. 
• Central and Southern Asia: The past two decades have shown consistent progress in strengthening the teacher workforce at the foundational level with increases across the board. 

What patterns have emerged in the gender composition of the teaching workforce, and what implications does that have on communities? 

Based on data from the gender composition of the teaching workforce, two patterns have emerged. First, women tend to dominate the teaching force across the world. Second, the proportion of female teachers declines from pre-primary to secondary levels of education. At the primary level, about 8 or 9 out of every 10 qualified teachers are women (except in sub-Saharan Africa); however, this declines at the secondary level, where only 56% to 74% of teachers are women. 

This has considerable implications for the role models that students encounter, the livelihoods of teachers in communities, and the perspectives that are included in classrooms, schools, curricula, and policies.  

What percentage of countries mandate continuous professional development for teachers? 

According to UIS data, 83% of primary school teachers reported receiving in-service training in the last 12 months, yet this high number does not necessarily reflect the type or quality of CPD. Only 14% of low-income countries require CPD, compared to 73% of high-income countries, highlighting a policy and capacity gap that may contribute to uneven access to opportunities for collaboration. 

With CPD comes the need to further incorporate collaboration among teachers through initiatives such as team teaching, joint activities across classes, classroom observation with feedback, and collaborative professional learning. These opportunities are effective in engaging different forms of CPD yet are not as widely implemented.  

Moving forward, it would be advantageous to establish new indicators on the teaching profession, extending beyond measuring teacher training and qualifications to include teachers’ status, career pathways, profession development, working conditions, and voice and participation in decision-making. Such measures will present a crucial path forward in supporting teacher collaboration on a global scale and making informed decisions about how to advance the work, impact, and experiences of teachers.  

How do these trends affect the inherently collaborative nature of teaching practices? 

Teacher collaboration is the cornerstone of professional growth and quality education, yet a decrease in the number of trained and qualified teachers in combination with a lack of CPD among low- and lower-middle-income countries stifles opportunities for teachers to collectively work together.  

Results from the Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) found that only 40% of secondary teachers receive induction and 22% are assigned mentors, both of which are essential aspects collaboration. Without proper induction or mentorship, teachers are less supported by their professional network, therefore potentially less motivated and committed to connect with other colleagues or even stay in the teaching profession. Collaborative practices enhance teachers’ working conditions overall, so it is essential that greater efforts are made to advocate for this. 

Read more:  

• New fact sheet published by the Teacher Task Force and the UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) 
• Event page of the 2025 World Teachers’ Day