Early Childhood Education Enrollment Rates by Country (2026)

Pre-primary participation rate measures the percentage of children in the official pre-primary age group who are enrolled in pre-primary education programs. This indicator reflects the extent to which countries are providing early childhood education opportunities and the level of access families have to pre-primary services. Understanding pre-primary participation rates is essential for assessing educational equity, identifying gaps in early childhood education provision, and monitoring progress toward universal early childhood education.

What Pre-primary Participation Means

Pre-primary participation refers to enrollment in organized learning programs designed for children before they enter primary school, typically ages 3-5 years. Pre-primary education includes both public and private programs, formal and informal settings, and full-time and part-time arrangements. High participation rates indicate that most children in the pre-primary age group have access to early childhood education, while low rates suggest limited availability or accessibility of pre-primary services.

Pre-primary participation is distinct from pre-primary enrollment rates, which measure the percentage of children actually enrolled in pre-primary programs. Participation rates reflect the broader availability and uptake of pre-primary education across a country's population. Countries with high participation rates typically have well-developed early childhood education systems with widespread access to quality programs.

Early Childhood Education Enrollment Rates by Country (2026)

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#	Country	Pre-primary Participation Rate 2026 Estimate (%) (%)
1	France FR	100%
2	United Arab Emirates AE	100%
3	Peru PE	99.99%
4	Portugal PT	99.93%
5	Cyprus CY	99.91%
6	Poland PL	99.91%
7	Greece GR	99.53%
8	Mexico MX	99.48%
9	Croatia HR	99.32%
10	Aruba AW	99.21%
11	Hong Kong HK	99.2%
12	Luxembourg LU	99.19%
13	Türkiye TR	99.18%
14	Switzerland CH	99.17%
15	Sweden SE	99.09%
16	Japan JP	98.86%
17	United Kingdom GB	98.59%
18	Moldova MD	98.58%
19	Spain ES	98.53%
20	Mongolia MN	98.44%
21	Turks and Caicos Islands TC	98.36%
22	Netherlands NL	98.33%
23	Belgium BE	98.31%
24	Liechtenstein LI	98.31%
25	Germany DE	98.13%
26	Dominica DM	98.03%
27	Lithuania LT	98.01%
28	Austria AT	97.73%
29	Costa Rica CR	97.68%
30	San Marino SM	97.67%
31	Belarus BY	97.62%
32	Latvia LV	97.62%
33	Colombia CO	97.56%
34	Norway NO	97.42%
35	Curaçao CW	97.36%
36	Cuba CU	97.06%
37	Israel IL	96.96%
38	Iceland IS	96.91%
39	Finland FI	96.45%
40	Denmark DK	96.32%
41	India IN	95.61%
42	Slovenia SI	95.37%
43	Italy IT	95.2%
44	Singapore SG	95.2%
45	Tuvalu TV	94.94%
46	Andorra AD	94.87%
47	South Korea KR	94.77%
48	Jamaica JM	94.69%
49	Bulgaria BG	94.49%
50	Vietnam VN	94.43%
51	Albania AL	94.42%
52	Nauru NR	94.16%
53	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines VC	94.11%
54	Antigua and Barbuda AG	94.08%
55	Argentina AR	94.03%
56	Hungary HU	93.92%
57	Ecuador EC	93.7%
58	Czech Republic CZ	93.57%
59	Malta MT	93.49%
60	Dominican Republic DO	93.47%
61	Canada CA	93.22%
62	Ireland IE	93.12%
63	Indonesia ID	92.94%
64	Namibia NA	92.8%
65	Estonia EE	92.72%
66	Monaco MC	92.39%
67	Slovakia SK	92.32%
68	Australia AU	92.17%
69	Kenya KE	92.12%
70	Mauritius MU	92.1%
71	Chile CL	91.75%
72	Saint Lucia LC	91.73%
73	Marshall Islands MH	91.61%
74	Thailand TH	90.81%
75	Palau PW	90.55%
76	Brazil BR	90.04%
77	Fiji FJ	89.52%
78	Puerto Rico PR	89.02%
79	Uruguay UY	88.84%
80	Bangladesh BD	88.4%
81	Macau MO	88.18%
82	Morocco MA	87.54%
83	Gibraltar GI	87.41%
84	Lebanon LB	87.17%
85	Bolivia BO	87.1%
86	Ghana GH	87.06%
87	United States US	86.51%
88	Serbia RS	86.21%
89	Seychelles SC	86.08%
90	Malaysia MY	85.43%
91	Venezuela VE	85.39%
92	Nicaragua NI	85.13%
93	El Salvador SV	84.6%
94	Cape Verde CV	84.44%
95	Guatemala GT	84.22%
96	Montenegro ME	84.17%
97	New Zealand NZ	84.1%
98	Azerbaijan AZ	83.49%
99	Cook Islands CK	83.35%
100	Russia RU	83.35%
101	British Virgin Islands VG	82.84%
102	Uzbekistan UZ	81.57%
103	Maldives MV	81.4%
104	Romania RO	80.76%
105	Vanuatu VU	80.62%
106	Suriname SR	80.57%
107	Rwanda RW	80.35%
108	Nepal NP	80.02%
109	South Africa ZA	78.78%
110	Barbados BB	78.17%
111	Guyana GY	77.98%
112	Tonga TO	77.71%
113	Qatar QA	76.61%
114	Philippines PH	76.54%
115	Benin BJ	76.53%
116	Belize BZ	76.52%
117	Ukraine UA	76.04%
118	Haiti HT	76.02%
119	Algeria DZ	75.94%
120	Paraguay PY	74.97%
121	Grenada GD	74.96%
122	Kyrgyzstan KG	74.91%
123	Kazakhstan KZ	74.09%
124	Brunei BN	73.92%
125	Panama PA	73.2%
126	Oman OM	72.63%
127	Cambodia KH	72.15%
128	Bahrain BH	70.19%
129	Jordan JO	69.38%
130	Palestine PS	68.65%
131	Tanzania TZ	67.97%
132	Togo TG	66.48%
133	Bermuda BM	66.43%
134	Sri Lanka LK	65.95%
135	Laos LA	65.94%
136	Madagascar MG	65.9%
137	Papua New Guinea PG	65.31%
138	Liberia LR	65.2%
139	Saudi Arabia SA	64.35%
140	Sierra Leone SL	62.82%
141	Gambia GM	62.69%
142	Ethiopia ET	62.59%
143	Iran IR	59.82%
144	Honduras HN	59.12%
145	Timor-Leste TL	58.92%
146	Nigeria NG	57.25%
147	Zimbabwe ZW	56.5%
148	Botswana BW	55.89%
149	Sao Tome and Principe ST	54.82%
150	Micronesia FM	54.75%
151	Solomon Islands SB	53.64%
152	Gabon GA	53.53%
153	North Macedonia MK	52.37%
154	Angola AO	51.54%
155	Pakistan PK	50.91%
156	Georgia GE	47.58%
157	Bahamas BS	47.25%
158	Guinea GN	46.87%
159	Tokelau TK	46.67%
160	Zambia ZM	46.61%
161	Syria SY	46.51%
162	Kuwait KW	44.32%
163	Burundi BI	43.95%
164	Bhutan BT	42.07%
165	Tunisia TN	41.13%
166	Cameroon CM	41.03%
167	Comoros KM	40.69%
168	Sudan SD	37.96%
169	Egypt EG	37.85%
170	Eritrea ER	37.79%
171	Bosnia and Herzegovina BA	37.49%
172	Turkmenistan TM	35.38%
173	Uganda UG	34.42%
174	Equatorial Guinea GQ	33.56%
175	Trinidad and Tobago TT	33.46%
176	Armenia AM	31.98%
177	Lesotho LS	30.51%
178	Samoa WS	29.81%
179	Mali ML	29.04%
180	Guinea-Bissau GW	27.38%
181	Senegal SN	25.39%
182	Niue NU	25%
183	Ivory Coast CI	20.62%
184	Niger NE	20.02%
185	Eswatini SZ	18.68%
186	Chad TD	18.34%
187	Iraq IQ	17.37%
188	Burkina Faso BF	16.03%
189	Myanmar MM	12.06%
190	Tajikistan TJ	11.44%
191	South Sudan SS	9.45%
192	Central African Republic CF	5.83%
193	Congo CG	4.03%
194	Yemen YE	3.41%

Global Patterns in Pre-primary Participation

Pre-primary participation rates vary dramatically across countries, reflecting significant differences in early childhood education policy, investment, and accessibility. Developed countries typically show very high participation rates, with many countries reporting rates above 90%, indicating near-universal access to pre-primary education. Some countries like France, Cyprus, and Peru report participation rates exceeding 99%, demonstrating comprehensive early childhood education systems.

Developing countries show much greater variation in participation rates. Some middle-income countries have achieved high participation rates through targeted investments in early childhood education, while many low-income countries report participation rates below 50%, indicating limited access to pre-primary programs. Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia show lower average participation rates, reflecting challenges in funding, infrastructure, and teacher availability for early childhood education.

Regional Disparities in Pre-primary Participation

Regional patterns reveal that countries with higher GDP per capita, stronger education systems, and greater gender equality typically have higher pre-primary participation rates. Countries with compulsory pre-primary education policies also tend to show higher participation rates, as legal requirements ensure broader access and enrollment. Urban areas typically show higher participation rates than rural areas, reflecting differences in program availability and accessibility.

European countries show particularly high participation rates, with most countries exceeding 90%. Latin American countries show mixed patterns, with some countries achieving high participation rates while others remain below 50%. Asian countries show significant variation, from very high rates in developed nations to low rates in least-developed countries.

Importance of Pre-primary Education Access

Pre-primary education provides critical benefits for child development and long-term educational outcomes. Children who participate in quality pre-primary programs show better school readiness, higher academic achievement, improved social-emotional development, and greater lifetime earnings. Pre-primary education also promotes equity by providing disadvantaged children with early learning opportunities that help narrow achievement gaps.

Beyond individual benefits, pre-primary education generates significant social and economic returns. Research shows that every dollar invested in quality early childhood education returns $7-12 to society through higher earnings, reduced social costs, and improved health outcomes. Pre-primary education also supports parental employment, particularly for mothers, contributing to economic growth and household income.

Early Childhood Education Enrollment Rates by Country (2026)

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#	Country	Pre-primary Participation Rate 2024 (%) (%)	Pre-primary Participation Rate 2026 Estimate (%) (%)
1	France	100%	100%
2	United Arab Emirates	100%	100%
3	Peru	99.99%	99.99%
4	Portugal	99.93%	99.93%
5	Cyprus	99.91%	99.91%
6	Poland	99.91%	99.91%
7	Greece	99.53%	99.53%
8	Mexico	99.48%	99.48%
9	Croatia	99.32%	99.32%
10	Aruba	99.21%	99.21%
11	Hong Kong	99.2%	99.2%
12	Luxembourg	99.19%	99.19%
13	Türkiye	99.18%	99.18%
14	Switzerland	99.17%	99.17%
15	Sweden	99.09%	99.09%
16	Japan	98.86%	98.86%
17	United Kingdom	98.59%	98.59%
18	Moldova	98.58%	98.58%
19	Spain	98.53%	98.53%
20	Mongolia	98.44%	98.44%
21	Turks and Caicos Islands	98.36%	98.36%
22	Netherlands	98.33%	98.33%
23	Belgium	98.31%	98.31%
24	Liechtenstein	98.31%	98.31%
25	Germany	98.13%	98.13%
26	Dominica	98.03%	98.03%
27	Lithuania	98.01%	98.01%
28	Austria	97.73%	97.73%
29	Costa Rica	97.68%	97.68%
30	San Marino	97.67%	97.67%
31	Belarus	97.62%	97.62%
32	Latvia	97.62%	97.62%
33	Colombia	97.56%	97.56%
34	Norway	97.42%	97.42%
35	Curaçao	97.36%	97.36%
36	Cuba	97.06%	97.06%
37	Israel	96.96%	96.96%
38	Iceland	96.91%	96.91%
39	Finland	96.45%	96.45%
40	Denmark	96.32%	96.32%
41	India	95.61%	95.61%
42	Slovenia	95.37%	95.37%
43	Italy	95.2%	95.2%
44	Singapore	95.2%	95.2%
45	Tuvalu	94.94%	94.94%
46	Andorra	94.87%	94.87%
47	South Korea	94.77%	94.77%
48	Jamaica	94.69%	94.69%
49	Bulgaria	94.49%	94.49%
50	Vietnam	94.43%	94.43%
51	Albania	94.42%	94.42%
52	Nauru	94.16%	94.16%
53	Saint Vincent and the Grenadines	94.11%	94.11%
54	Antigua and Barbuda	94.08%	94.08%
55	Argentina	94.03%	94.03%
56	Hungary	93.92%	93.92%
57	Ecuador	93.7%	93.7%
58	Czech Republic	93.57%	93.57%
59	Malta	93.49%	93.49%
60	Dominican Republic	93.47%	93.47%
61	Canada	93.22%	93.22%
62	Ireland	93.12%	93.12%
63	Indonesia	92.94%	92.94%
64	Namibia	92.8%	92.8%
65	Estonia	92.72%	92.72%
66	Monaco	92.39%	92.39%
67	Slovakia	92.32%	92.32%
68	Australia	92.17%	92.17%
69	Kenya	92.12%	92.12%
70	Mauritius	92.1%	92.1%
71	Chile	91.75%	91.75%
72	Saint Lucia	91.73%	91.73%
73	Marshall Islands	91.61%	91.61%
74	Thailand	90.81%	90.81%
75	Palau	90.55%	90.55%
76	Brazil	90.04%	90.04%
77	Fiji	89.52%	89.52%
78	Puerto Rico	89.02%	89.02%
79	Uruguay	88.84%	88.84%
80	Bangladesh	88.4%	88.4%
81	Macau	88.18%	88.18%
82	Morocco	87.54%	87.54%
83	Gibraltar	87.41%	87.41%
84	Lebanon	87.17%	87.17%
85	Bolivia	87.1%	87.1%
86	Ghana	87.06%	87.06%
87	United States	86.51%	86.51%
88	Serbia	86.21%	86.21%
89	Seychelles	86.08%	86.08%
90	Malaysia	85.43%	85.43%
91	Venezuela	85.39%	85.39%
92	Nicaragua	85.13%	85.13%
93	El Salvador	84.6%	84.6%
94	Cape Verde	84.44%	84.44%
95	Guatemala	84.22%	84.22%
96	Montenegro	84.17%	84.17%
97	New Zealand	84.1%	84.1%
98	Azerbaijan	83.49%	83.49%
99	Cook Islands	83.35%	83.35%
100	Russia	83.35%	83.35%
101	British Virgin Islands	82.84%	82.84%
102	Uzbekistan	81.57%	81.57%
103	Maldives	81.4%	81.4%
104	Romania	80.76%	80.76%
105	Vanuatu	80.62%	80.62%
106	Suriname	80.57%	80.57%
107	Rwanda	80.35%	80.35%
108	Nepal	80.02%	80.02%
109	South Africa	78.78%	78.78%
110	Barbados	78.17%	78.17%
111	Guyana	77.98%	77.98%
112	Tonga	77.71%	77.71%
113	Qatar	76.61%	76.61%
114	Philippines	76.54%	76.54%
115	Benin	76.53%	76.53%
116	Belize	76.52%	76.52%
117	Ukraine	76.04%	76.04%
118	Haiti	76.02%	76.02%
119	Algeria	75.94%	75.94%
120	Paraguay	74.97%	74.97%
121	Grenada	74.96%	74.96%
122	Kyrgyzstan	74.91%	74.91%
123	Kazakhstan	74.09%	74.09%
124	Brunei	73.92%	73.92%
125	Panama	73.2%	73.2%
126	Oman	72.63%	72.63%
127	Cambodia	72.15%	72.15%
128	Bahrain	70.19%	70.19%
129	Jordan	69.38%	69.38%
130	Palestine	68.65%	68.65%
131	Tanzania	67.97%	67.97%
132	Togo	66.48%	66.48%
133	Bermuda	66.43%	66.43%
134	Sri Lanka	65.95%	65.95%
135	Laos	65.94%	65.94%
136	Madagascar	65.9%	65.9%
137	Papua New Guinea	65.31%	65.31%
138	Liberia	65.2%	65.2%
139	Saudi Arabia	64.35%	64.35%
140	Sierra Leone	62.82%	62.82%
141	Gambia	62.69%	62.69%
142	Ethiopia	62.59%	62.59%
143	Iran	59.82%	59.82%
144	Honduras	59.12%	59.12%
145	Timor-Leste	58.92%	58.92%
146	Nigeria	57.25%	57.25%
147	Zimbabwe	56.5%	56.5%
148	Botswana	55.89%	55.89%
149	Sao Tome and Principe	54.82%	54.82%
150	Micronesia	54.75%	54.75%
151	Solomon Islands	53.64%	53.64%
152	Gabon	53.53%	53.53%
153	North Macedonia	52.37%	52.37%
154	Angola	51.54%	51.54%
155	Pakistan	50.91%	50.91%
156	Georgia	47.58%	47.58%
157	Bahamas	47.25%	47.25%
158	Guinea	46.87%	46.87%
159	Tokelau	46.67%	46.67%
160	Zambia	46.61%	46.61%
161	Syria	46.51%	46.51%
162	Kuwait	44.32%	44.32%
163	Burundi	43.95%	43.95%
164	Bhutan	42.07%	42.07%
165	Tunisia	41.13%	41.13%
166	Cameroon	41.03%	41.03%
167	Comoros	40.69%	40.69%
168	Sudan	37.96%	37.96%
169	Egypt	37.85%	37.85%
170	Eritrea	37.79%	37.79%
171	Bosnia and Herzegovina	37.49%	37.49%
172	Turkmenistan	35.38%	35.38%
173	Uganda	34.42%	34.42%
174	Equatorial Guinea	33.56%	33.56%
175	Trinidad and Tobago	33.46%	33.46%
176	Armenia	31.98%	31.98%
177	Lesotho	30.51%	30.51%
178	Samoa	29.81%	29.81%
179	Mali	29.04%	29.04%
180	Guinea-Bissau	27.38%	27.38%
181	Senegal	25.39%	25.39%
182	Niue	25%	25%
183	Ivory Coast	20.62%	20.62%
184	Niger	20.02%	20.02%
185	Eswatini	18.68%	18.68%
186	Chad	18.34%	18.34%
187	Iraq	17.37%	17.37%
188	Burkina Faso	16.03%	16.03%
189	Myanmar	12.06%	12.06%
190	Tajikistan	11.44%	11.44%
191	South Sudan	9.45%	9.45%
192	Central African Republic	5.83%	5.83%
193	Congo	4.03%	4.03%
194	Yemen	3.41%	3.41%

2026 Projections and Methodology

Projections for 2026 show that pre-primary participation rates are expected to remain relatively stable from 2024 levels, with most countries maintaining their current participation rates. This suggests that without significant policy changes or increased investment in early childhood education, current disparities in pre-primary access will persist.

The 2026 estimates are calculated using linear regression analysis based on historical trends from 2018-2024. This statistical method identifies the rate of change over recent years and projects that trend forward to 2026. The methodology examines each country's historical pre-primary participation trajectory and applies the observed trend to estimate 2026 values. All projections are constrained to the 0-100% range to ensure realistic estimates. This approach assumes that current trends will continue, which may not hold if significant policy changes or external shocks occur.

Methodology and Data Sources

This analysis uses UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) data on pre-primary participation rates, defined as the percentage of children in the official pre-primary age group enrolled in pre-primary education. The data reflects 2024 actual rates (the most recent available), with 2026 projections calculated using linear regression analysis based on historical trends from 2018-2024.

Using modelled estimates ensures methodological consistency across all countries included in this analysis, though it is important to note that these are statistical estimates rather than direct observations. This approach allows for meaningful comparisons between countries with different data collection practices and pre-primary education systems.