World Needs 50 Million More Teachers as UNESCO Calls for Better Pay and Job Support

In 75% of countries participating in the OECD’s TALIS 2024 survey, fewer than 40% of teachers felt their profession was valued by society.

The world has 107 million teachers, and reaching universal access to pre-primary, primary and secondary education will require another 50 million by 2030, according to new UNESCO data. That means roughly one additional teacher for every two currently working, a recruitment challenge made more demanding by the need to replace educators who leave the profession.

Released on World Teachers' Day, 5 October 2026, the fact sheet from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics and the International Task Force on Teachers for Education 2030 examines teachers' pay, working conditions, support and professional standing. Its findings connect the global staffing shortage with a question that reaches into every classroom: whether teaching offers people the respect, resources and working conditions needed to build a lasting career.

Feeling respected can influence whether teachers stay

In 75% of countries participating in the OECD's TALIS 2024 survey, fewer than 40% of teachers felt their profession was valued by society. Teachers who felt valued were over 10% less likely to consider leaving within five years, highlighting a relationship between professional recognition and the willingness to remain in teaching.

Replacing departing staff accounts for 58% of the teachers needed by 2030, meaning much of the recruitment effort will fill existing gaps rather than expand the workforce. Attrition rates are highest in pre-primary education at 7.2%, followed by secondary education at 5.4% and primary education at 4.7%, placing pressure on the systems responsible for children's earliest learning and their progress through school.

Pay and workload reveal the pressures behind the shortage

Pre-primary and primary teachers earn slightly less than other professionals with comparable qualifications, and the pay gap extends across education systems in a substantial share of countries. In two out of five of the 68 countries analysed, teacher salaries fall below those of similarly qualified professionals at every education level, raising questions about how competitive teaching is as a career.

Classroom teaching represents only part of the working week, with teachers spending an average of 19 hours delivering lessons and around 60 hours working in total. Preparation, marking and administrative duties account for much of the additional time, including unpaid work that can be less visible to the public. Primary education has the highest global pupil-to-trained-teacher ratio of any level, at 28 pupils for each trained teacher, adding another measure of the demands facing schools.

Better support means giving teachers a voice in change

The fact sheet recommends involving teachers in policymaking, establishing professional standards and clear career paths, and offering competitive salaries with targeted incentives for schools that struggle to recruit. Safer, more supportive schools and reductions in unnecessary workload form part of the proposed response, connecting recruitment with the conditions that help qualified staff remain in their jobs.

UNESCO supports countries in strengthening teacher policies and providing quality training that responds to learners' needs, with particular attention to Africa, inclusion, gender sensitivity and digital technologies. UNESCO and the International Labour Organization have launched a joint revision of the 1966 Recommendation concerning the Status of Teachers, guided by an Independent Expert Group through mid-2027, to update an international framework adopted 60 years ago.

That anniversary shaped the World Teachers' Day celebration at UNESCO Headquarters in Paris, where ministers, teachers and education experts gathered under the theme "Standing with teachers: 60 years of protecting the profession, advancing its status and shaping our futures." Co-convened by UNESCO, the ILO, UNICEF and Education International, the event reinforced their shared message that every learner deserves a teacher who is prepared, supported and empowered, with societies' treatment of teachers reflecting the value they place on future generations.