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UIS · Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate
Pre-primary enrolment by country
What share of young children are enrolled in pre-primary education?
Moldova placed first of the 120 countries compared in 2024, at 99.85%, and Chad last, at 1.78%. In the middle country the figure was 65.93%.
Part ofEducation & Knowledge
Pre-primary enrolment · 2024
Context statistic
Highest of 120Moldova
99.85%012024 · position · derived
Who leads
The three countries at the highest end of 120 compared, the three at the other end, and the first on each continent.
1Photo: User:Zserghei derivative work: Jjtkk · Public domain, greyscale
2Photo: Dirk.heldmaier derivative work: Inkey · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
3Photo: Tobi 87 derivative work: Jjtkk · CC BY-SA 3.0, greyscale
Lowest in 2024
- 120
Chad1.78% - 119
Niger7.07% - 118
Burkina Faso7.54%
Positions out of 120. Where a country sits says how it compares with the others measured, and nothing about why.
02Every measured country
Pre-primary enrolment on a map
Each country is shaded by its value, in five groups holding the same number of countries. Hover a country for its value, or select it to open its profile. Below the map, each continent’s middle country.
Darker is a higher value — the better end.
- 1.78–33.85%
- 34.02–53.45%
- 55.82–73.59%
- 74.10–92.13%
- 92.56–99.85%
- No reading in 2024 (80 measured in an earlier edition)
- Europe
95.07%
the middle country, of 25 measured · 49 members
Moldova99.85%
Lithuania27.32%Highest and lowest reading in Europe.
- Americas
66.71%
the middle country, of 26 measured · 48 members
Grenada99.72%
Honduras28.32%Highest and lowest reading in Americas.
- Oceania
64.47%
the middle country, of 14 measured · 21 members
Nauru92.13%
Niue20.00%Highest and lowest reading in Oceania.
- Asia
54.88%
the middle country, of 32 measured · 52 members
Hong Kong99.12%
Syria10.92%Highest and lowest reading in Asia.
- Africa
30.42%
the middle country, of 23 measured · 55 members
Mauritius78.72%Chad1.78%Highest and lowest reading in Africa.
- Every region
21 sub-regions, highest middle country first
- Southern Europe
97.34%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 17 members
Andorra98.63%
Serbia65.81%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Europe.
- Northern Europe
95.02%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 13 members
Norway97.20%Lithuania27.32%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Europe.
- Western Europe
90.79%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 9 members
France99.42%
Switzerland73.59%Highest and lowest reading in Western Europe.
- Eastern Europe
87.92%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 10 members
Moldova99.85%
Ukraine80.22%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Europe.
- South America
74.90%
the middle country, of 6 measured · 12 members
Peru93.34%
Paraguay45.83%Highest and lowest reading in South America.
- Caribbean
68.77%
the middle country, of 13 measured · 24 members
Grenada99.72%
Bahamas31.18%Highest and lowest reading in Caribbean.
- South-eastern Asia
65.20%
the middle country, of 8 measured · 11 members
Vietnam93.52%
Cambodia36.51%Highest and lowest reading in South-eastern Asia.
- Central America
61.65%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 8 members
Costa Rica99.17%Honduras28.32%Highest and lowest reading in Central America.
- Southern Asia
53.45%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 9 members
Nepal62.31%
Bangladesh31.72%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Asia.
- Western Asia
51.44%
the middle country, of 12 measured · 19 members
Israel98.44%Syria10.92%Highest and lowest reading in Western Asia.
- Polynesia
41.61%
the middle country, of 5 measured · 7 members
Cook Islands86.10%Niue20.00%Highest and lowest reading in Polynesia.
- Eastern Africa
38.45%
the middle country, of 10 measured · 19 members
Mauritius78.72%
South Sudan8.77%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Africa.
- Western Africa
21.29%
the middle country, of 7 measured · 16 members
Gambia40.94%Niger7.07%Highest and lowest reading in Western Africa.
- Australia and New Zealand
2 of 2 measured — too few for a middle: Australia, New Zealand.
Australia85.80%
New Zealand83.84%Highest and lowest reading in Australia and New Zealand.
- Central Asia
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Turkmenistan.
Kazakhstan70.58%
Turkmenistan31.98%Highest and lowest reading in Central Asia.
- Eastern Asia
4 of 8 measured — too few for a middle: Hong Kong, Macau, Mongolia, South Korea.
Hong Kong99.12%
Macau88.31%Highest and lowest reading in Eastern Asia.
- Melanesia
3 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Fiji, Solomon Islands, Vanuatu.
Vanuatu60.53%
Solomon Islands33.54%Highest and lowest reading in Melanesia.
- Micronesia
4 of 7 measured — too few for a middle: Kiribati, Marshall Islands, Micronesia, Nauru.
Nauru92.13%
Micronesia21.74%Highest and lowest reading in Micronesia.
- Middle Africa
2 of 9 measured — too few for a middle: Cameroon, Chad.
Cameroon30.42%Chad1.78%Highest and lowest reading in Middle Africa.
- Northern Africa
3 of 6 measured — too few for a middle: Algeria, Egypt, Morocco.
Morocco70.46%
Egypt26.83%Highest and lowest reading in Northern Africa.
- Southern Africa
1 of 5 measured — too few for a middle: Namibia.
Namibia34.02%Highest and lowest reading in Southern Africa.
03The whole field at once
The spread
120 countries, one dot each, on one scale — further right is a higher value. Half the countries are above 65.93%; a quarter are above 88.02%, and a quarter below 39.50%. The bar in each row marks that continent’s middle country.
04All 200 ever measured
Every country
In order, highest value first. “=” marks a position shared with another country. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure; the position is derived here by ordering the published values. A NET rate, not a gross one: it counts only children of the official pre-primary age, so unlike a gross ratio it cannot exceed 100.
Showing 25 of 200 countries
Values for 2024. The change column compares 2024 with 2023 only; the sparkline covers the recent editions.
051999–2024 · 26 editions
Over time
Each point is one edition from 1999. Female and male rates are stored beside the headline figure.
- the middle country
- the middle half of countries
- each continent’s middle country
The same, year by year
| Year | Countries | Middle country | Middle half |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 120 | 65.93% | 39.50% – 88.02% |
| 2023 | 145 | 73.39% | 43.88% – 88.48% |
| 2022 | 137 | 67.98% | 40.94% – 86.38% |
| 2021 | 140 | 70.89% | 37.86% – 87.63% |
| 2020 | 146 | 71.98% | 42.78% – 87.53% |
| 2019 | 141 | 73.60% | 40.89% – 88.26% |
| 2018 | 139 | 72.68% | 35.00% – 87.22% |
| 2017 | 132 | 72.32% | 35.58% – 87.56% |
| 2016 | 136 | 68.65% | 39.14% – 84.66% |
| 2015 | 134 | 67.00% | 34.40% – 87.35% |
| 2014 | 130 | 69.51% | 38.71% – 87.11% |
| 2013 | 128 | 64.44% | 28.32% – 84.35% |
| 2012 | 116 | 64.59% | 31.51% – 82.00% |
| 2011 | 128 | 59.48% | 29.69% – 81.29% |
| 2010 | 115 | 60.24% | 25.62% – 79.90% |
| 2009 | 105 | 60.36% | 31.03% – 79.25% |
| 2008 | 104 | 59.61% | 32.45% – 80.05% |
| 2007 | 105 | 58.42% | 31.40% – 78.09% |
| 2006 | 99 | 54.15% | 29.13% – 77.16% |
| 2005 | 99 | 54.36% | 29.41% – 75.58% |
| 2004 | 95 | 55.30% | 27.45% – 75.02% |
| 2003 | 88 | 55.41% | 25.22% – 74.50% |
| 2002 | 92 | 55.53% | 29.37% – 76.87% |
| 2001 | 90 | 53.89% | 27.46% – 73.77% |
| 2000 | 71 | 38.85% | 11.80% – 59.83% |
| 1999 | 62 | 31.84% | 9.14% – 54.53% |
062023 → 2024
Who rose and fell
The biggest changes in value between the two newest editions. Places are shown second, because they also move when other countries do.
Improved most
before → after
Trinidad and Tobago21.50% → 72.03% · 132nd → 51st+50.52
Pakistan5.96% → 33.85% · 143rd → 97th+27.89- Grenada77.66% → 99.72% · 65th → 2nd+22.06
Puerto Rico30.57% → 42.73% · 123rd → 83rd+12.16
Albania81.20% → 92.56% · 57th → 24th+11.36
Declined most
before → after- Lithuania93.91% → 27.32% · 28th → 105th−66.60
- Niue69.00% → 20.00% · 79th → 114th−49.00
Maldives77.46% → 53.45% · 66th → 73rd−24.01
British Virgin Islands79.38% → 55.82% · 60th → 72nd−23.56
Curaçao85.88% → 65.03% · 40th → 63rd−20.85
110 countries were measured in both 2023 and 2024. The field changed from 145 to 120 countries, so a place can move for reasons that have nothing to do with the country itself.
07Across every edition
Pre-primary enrolment in records
The extremes of the statistic. A record reached by more than one country names none of them.
Highest reading on record
99.96%
Net enrolment rate, pre-primary (%)
Lowest reading on record
0.32%
Net enrolment rate, pre-primary (%)
Biggest improvement between editions
+62.46
3.33% → 65.79%
Biggest decline between editions
−66.60
93.91% → 27.32%
Most improved since first measured
+57.97
2.57% → 60.54%
At the top most often
7 of 26
editions, alone at the first-listed end
08By sex
Inside the number
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) also publishes separate female and male readings. The gap between them, where both exist.
Of the 120 countries with both readings, the female reading is higher in 76, the male reading in 44. The widest gaps each way:
09The measure
About pre-primary enrolment
This is the share of pre-primary-age children actually enrolled in pre-primary education. Early childhood is the stage most strongly linked to later outcomes and the one least covered by every other education measure here, which all start at primary.
What the number is: Net enrolment rate, pre-primary (%).
10Where it fits
Connections
Its part in the Country Index, the statistics whose values line up most closely with it across countries, and others on the same subject.
In the Country Index
Context, with no vote
This statistic is published in full under Education & Knowledge, but does not help decide any Country Index standing.
Moves with
Where pre-primary enrolment is higher, these tend to be higher too.
- Learning-Adjusted Years of SchoolWorld Bank Group · 99 countries in commonρ 0.75
- Human Capital IndexWorld Bank Group · 99 countries in commonρ 0.75
- Inequality-adjusted Human Development IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 96 countries in commonρ 0.73
Moves against
Where pre-primary enrolment is higher, these tend to be lower.
- Gender Inequality IndexUNDP Human Development Report Office · 97 countries in commonρ −0.75
- Crude Birth RateUN DESA Population Division · 120 countries in commonρ −0.69
- Coefficient of Human InequalityUNDP Human Development Report Office · 96 countries in commonρ −0.68
Rank correlation (ρ, from −1 to 1) across countries, on each statistic’s newest edition, out of 144 statistics sharing at least 80 countries with this one. Two statistics that move together do not cause each other.
11Keep reading
Explore further
The subject
12Questions
Pre-primary enrolment: questions and answers
Which country has the highest pre-primary enrolment?
Moldova, at 99.85%, among the 120 countries compared in 2024.
Which country has the lowest pre-primary enrolment?
Chad, at 1.78%, among the 120 countries compared in 2024.
How many countries does the Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate cover?
120 in 2024, and 200 at least once across all editions. The number measured varies from 62 to 146 between editions.
What is the world average pre-primary enrolment?
This site does not calculate a world average, which would depend on how countries are weighted. In the middle country of the 120 compared in 2024, the figure was 65.93%.
Is this UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)’s own ranking?
No. UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) publishes the values but ranks nobody; the position on this page is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values, and equal values share a position.
How often is the Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate published?
This site holds 26 editions, describing 1999 to 2024.
Where does the data come from, and can I download it?
From UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS), under CC BY-SA 4.0. From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Editions reporting fewer than 50 countries are not written, which drops 1997, 1998 and the 2025 stub. Every edition is on this site’s Datasets pages as a full table, and downloads as a CSV file with every value unrounded.
13Method
Sources, method and citation
Source
Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate — UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS)
From the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Editions reporting fewer than 50 countries are not written, which drops 1997, 1998 and the 2025 stub.
Newest edition
Report year 2024Data year 2024
Cite the source as: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. UIS Data Browser. Montreal: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Licence: CC BY-SA 4.0, checked 2026-09-05.
How this page reads the numbers
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) ranks nobody on this measure. The position is derived by Nations Inquiry by ordering the published values; equal values share a position.
- Which end is better follows the publisher’s own reading of the measure.
- A country is named at an end only when it holds that value alone. Where several share it, the page says how many and names none first.
- Values are stored exactly as published and trimmed only for display. “The middle country” is the median of the countries measured, not a world average.
The file itself, column by column — where it came from, what each column holds, and every edition as a CSV — is on its dataset page.
Photographs
The countries at the top of this statistic, from their profiles: Wikimedia Commons, shown in greyscale, each used under the licence named.
- Moldova — User:Zserghei derivative work: Jjtkk, Public domain
- Grenada — Dirk.heldmaier derivative work: Inkey, CC BY-SA 3.0
- France — Tobi 87 derivative work: Jjtkk, CC BY-SA 3.0
Cite this page
Nations Inquiry (2026). Pre-primary enrolment by country: Pre-Primary Net Enrolment Rate, data from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS). https://nationsinquiry.com/statistics/pre-primary-enrolment