Pre-Primary Gross Enrollment Rate by Country: Latest Data, Updated 2026
Country and economy values compare total enrollment in pre-primary education with the population of the official pre-primary age group. Each row uses the latest available observation in the World Bank-distributed UNESCO UIS series; source years vary and the published WDI range currently ends in 2022.
Enrollment Statistics
Snapshot calculations use the latest reported value for each country or economy.
Highest Recently Reported Pre-Primary Gross Enrollment Rates
The visual is limited to economies whose latest observation falls between 2018 and 2022. The complete source coverage appears in the country table.
Top 20 reported rates with 2018–2022 observations
Values above 100% can reflect enrollment outside the official age group.
Observation years are included in the labels because the ranking is not a single-year comparison.
Chart analysis
- Australia records 160.2% in 2020 within the recent-observation filter.
- The twentieth value is Mauritius at 102.0% in 2021.
- 24 economies with 2018–2022 latest observations report a rate above 100%.
- The chart does not rank program quality, attendance intensity, or learning outcomes.
Pre-Primary Gross Enrollment Rate by Country and Economy
Rows are ordered by the latest reported rate. The source year remains visible because country coverage is asynchronous.
| Rank | Country or economy | Code | Region | GER | Year | Source-year band |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Andorra | AND | Europe & Central Asia | 167.5% | 1983 | 2017 or earlier |
| 2 | Australia | AUS | East Asia & Pacific | 160.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 3 | Virgin Islands (U.S.) | VIR | Latin America & Caribbean | 140.0% | 1993 | 2017 or earlier |
| 4 | Grenada | GRD | Latin America & Caribbean | 130.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 5 | Liberia | LBR | Sub-Saharan Africa | 128.5% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 6 | Ghana | GHA | Sub-Saharan Africa | 116.1% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 7 | Guam | GUM | East Asia & Pacific | 114.3% | 1984 | 2017 or earlier |
| 8 | St. Vincent and the Grenadines | VCT | Latin America & Caribbean | 113.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 9 | Czechia | CZE | Europe & Central Asia | 113.5% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 10 | Malta | MLT | Middle East & North Africa | 112.5% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 11 | Belgium | BEL | Europe & Central Asia | 112.4% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 12 | Israel | ISR | Middle East & North Africa | 111.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 13 | Germany | DEU | Europe & Central Asia | 108.0% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 14 | France | FRA | Europe & Central Asia | 106.7% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 15 | United Kingdom | GBR | Europe & Central Asia | 105.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 16 | Gibraltar | GIB | Europe & Central Asia | 105.6% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 17 | Seychelles | SYC | Sub-Saharan Africa | 104.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 18 | Aruba | ABW | Latin America & Caribbean | 103.5% | 2015 | 2017 or earlier |
| 19 | Denmark | DNK | Europe & Central Asia | 103.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 20 | Switzerland | CHE | Europe & Central Asia | 102.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 21 | Austria | AUT | Europe & Central Asia | 102.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 22 | Vanuatu | VUT | East Asia & Pacific | 102.6% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 23 | Liechtenstein | LIE | Europe & Central Asia | 102.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 24 | Mauritius | MUS | Sub-Saharan Africa | 102.0% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 25 | Spain | ESP | Europe & Central Asia | 101.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 26 | Slovak Republic | SVK | Europe & Central Asia | 101.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 27 | Sweden | SWE | Europe & Central Asia | 100.4% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 28 | French Polynesia | PYF | East Asia & Pacific | 100.3% | 1996 | 2017 or earlier |
| 29 | San Marino | SMR | Europe & Central Asia | 100.1% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 30 | Cuba | CUB | Latin America & Caribbean | 99.6% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 31 | Portugal | PRT | Europe & Central Asia | 99.4% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 32 | Uruguay | URY | Latin America & Caribbean | 97.1% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 33 | Belarus | BLR | Europe & Central Asia | 96.8% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 34 | Peru | PER | Latin America & Caribbean | 96.4% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 35 | Norway | NOR | Europe & Central Asia | 96.3% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 36 | Turks and Caicos Islands | TCA | Latin America & Caribbean | 96.2% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 37 | Singapore | SGP | East Asia & Pacific | 96.1% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 38 | Ireland | IRL | Europe & Central Asia | 95.4% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 39 | Georgia | GEO | Europe & Central Asia | 95.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 40 | Costa Rica | CRI | Latin America & Caribbean | 95.2% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 41 | Iceland | ISL | Europe & Central Asia | 95.1% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 42 | Romania | ROU | Europe & Central Asia | 94.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 43 | Latvia | LVA | Europe & Central Asia | 94.6% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 44 | Estonia | EST | Europe & Central Asia | 94.3% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 45 | United Arab Emirates | ARE | Middle East & North Africa | 94.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 46 | Curacao | CUW | Latin America & Caribbean | 94.0% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 47 | Slovenia | SVN | Europe & Central Asia | 94.0% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 48 | Poland | POL | Europe & Central Asia | 93.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 49 | Nepal | NPL | South Asia | 93.7% | 2022 | 2021–2022 |
| 50 | St. Kitts and Nevis | KNA | Latin America & Caribbean | 93.7% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 51 | Hong Kong SAR, China | HKG | East Asia & Pacific | 93.6% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 52 | Greece | GRC | Europe & Central Asia | 93.3% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 53 | Solomon Islands | SLB | East Asia & Pacific | 93.3% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 54 | China | CHN | East Asia & Pacific | 93.1% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 55 | Italy | ITA | Europe & Central Asia | 92.7% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 56 | Viet Nam | VNM | East Asia & Pacific | 92.4% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 57 | Jamaica | JAM | Latin America & Caribbean | 92.4% | 2011 | 2017 or earlier |
| 58 | Luxembourg | LUX | Europe & Central Asia | 92.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 59 | Netherlands | NLD | Europe & Central Asia | 92.0% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 60 | Korea, Rep. | KOR | East Asia & Pacific | 91.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 61 | New Zealand | NZL | East Asia & Pacific | 91.7% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 62 | Hungary | HUN | Europe & Central Asia | 90.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 63 | Moldova | MDA | Europe & Central Asia | 90.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 64 | Philippines | PHL | East Asia & Pacific | 90.2% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 65 | Cayman Islands | CYM | Latin America & Caribbean | 89.3% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 66 | Lithuania | LTU | Europe & Central Asia | 89.1% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 67 | Kiribati | KIR | East Asia & Pacific | 88.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 68 | Finland | FIN | Europe & Central Asia | 88.4% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 69 | British Virgin Islands | VGB | Latin America & Caribbean | 87.9% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 70 | Malaysia | MYS | East Asia & Pacific | 87.5% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 71 | Japan | JPN | East Asia & Pacific | 86.7% | 2015 | 2017 or earlier |
| 72 | Cyprus | CYP | Europe & Central Asia | 86.7% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 73 | Macao SAR, China | MAC | East Asia & Pacific | 86.4% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 74 | Russian Federation | RUS | Europe & Central Asia | 86.0% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 75 | Brazil | BRA | Latin America & Caribbean | 85.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 76 | Tuvalu | TUV | East Asia & Pacific | 85.9% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 77 | Colombia | COL | Latin America & Caribbean | 85.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 78 | Ukraine | UKR | Europe & Central Asia | 85.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 79 | Chile | CHL | Latin America & Caribbean | 84.5% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 80 | Bulgaria | BGR | Europe & Central Asia | 84.3% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 81 | Malawi | MWI | Sub-Saharan Africa | 83.6% | 2015 | 2017 or earlier |
| 82 | Pakistan | PAK | Middle East & North Africa | 82.6% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 83 | Mongolia | MNG | East Asia & Pacific | 80.1% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 84 | Algeria | DZA | Middle East & North Africa | 79.1% | 2011 | 2017 or earlier |
| 85 | Bolivia | BOL | Latin America & Caribbean | 78.5% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 86 | Suriname | SUR | Latin America & Caribbean | 78.2% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 87 | Sint Maarten (Dutch part) | SXM | Latin America & Caribbean | 78.1% | 2014 | 2017 or earlier |
| 88 | St. Lucia | LCA | Latin America & Caribbean | 78.0% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 89 | Tanzania | TZA | Sub-Saharan Africa | 77.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 90 | Argentina | ARG | Latin America & Caribbean | 76.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 91 | Maldives | MDV | South Asia | 76.1% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 92 | Barbados | BRB | Latin America & Caribbean | 75.1% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 93 | Cabo Verde | CPV | Sub-Saharan Africa | 74.7% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 94 | Thailand | THA | East Asia & Pacific | 74.4% | 2022 | 2021–2022 |
| 95 | Zimbabwe | ZWE | Sub-Saharan Africa | 74.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 96 | Kazakhstan | KAZ | Europe & Central Asia | 74.1% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 97 | Montenegro | MNE | Europe & Central Asia | 72.9% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 98 | Iran, Islamic Rep. | IRN | Middle East & North Africa | 72.5% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 99 | United States | USA | North America | 72.4% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 100 | Sri Lanka | LKA | South Asia | 71.8% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 101 | Croatia | HRV | Europe & Central Asia | 70.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 102 | Mexico | MEX | Latin America & Caribbean | 70.6% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 103 | Palau | PLW | East Asia & Pacific | 70.5% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 104 | Antigua and Barbuda | ATG | Latin America & Caribbean | 70.3% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 105 | Venezuela, RB | VEN | Latin America & Caribbean | 69.5% | 2017 | 2017 or earlier |
| 106 | Albania | ALB | Europe & Central Asia | 69.2% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 107 | Nicaragua | NIC | Latin America & Caribbean | 69.0% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 108 | Bermuda | BMU | North America | 68.8% | 2015 | 2017 or earlier |
| 109 | American Samoa | ASM | East Asia & Pacific | 68.4% | 1992 | 2017 or earlier |
| 110 | Marshall Islands | MHL | East Asia & Pacific | 67.8% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 111 | Dominica | DMA | Latin America & Caribbean | 66.0% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 112 | El Salvador | SLV | Latin America & Caribbean | 65.3% | 2014 | 2017 or earlier |
| 113 | Kenya | KEN | Sub-Saharan Africa | 65.1% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 114 | Trinidad and Tobago | TTO | Latin America & Caribbean | 64.5% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 115 | Serbia | SRB | Europe & Central Asia | 63.8% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 116 | Brunei Darussalam | BRN | East Asia & Pacific | 63.5% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 117 | Indonesia | IDN | East Asia & Pacific | 62.3% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 118 | Guyana | GUY | Latin America & Caribbean | 62.3% | 2014 | 2017 or earlier |
| 119 | Kuwait | KWT | Middle East & North Africa | 60.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 120 | Morocco | MAR | Middle East & North Africa | 59.9% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 121 | Ecuador | ECU | Latin America & Caribbean | 55.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 122 | Lebanon | LBN | Middle East & North Africa | 54.3% | 1985 | 2017 or earlier |
| 123 | Qatar | QAT | Middle East & North Africa | 54.0% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 124 | Bahrain | BHR | Middle East & North Africa | 52.6% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 125 | Bhutan | BTN | South Asia | 51.9% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 126 | India | IND | South Asia | 51.7% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 127 | Paraguay | PRY | Latin America & Caribbean | 51.1% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 128 | Sao Tome and Principe | STP | Sub-Saharan Africa | 50.3% | 2016 | 2017 or earlier |
| 129 | Guatemala | GTM | Latin America & Caribbean | 49.8% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 130 | West Bank and Gaza | PSE | Middle East & North Africa | 49.5% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 131 | Lao PDR | LAO | East Asia & Pacific | 49.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 132 | Canada | CAN | North America | 48.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 133 | Tonga | TON | East Asia & Pacific | 48.3% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 134 | Sudan | SDN | Sub-Saharan Africa | 47.4% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 135 | Azerbaijan | AZE | Europe & Central Asia | 46.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 136 | Papua New Guinea | PNG | East Asia & Pacific | 45.8% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 137 | Tunisia | TUN | Middle East & North Africa | 44.6% | 2016 | 2017 or earlier |
| 138 | Uzbekistan | UZB | Europe & Central Asia | 44.0% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 139 | Equatorial Guinea | GNQ | Sub-Saharan Africa | 43.4% | 2015 | 2017 or earlier |
| 140 | Gabon | GAB | Sub-Saharan Africa | 43.0% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 141 | Gambia, The | GMB | Sub-Saharan Africa | 41.9% | 2022 | 2021–2022 |
| 142 | Samoa | WSM | East Asia & Pacific | 41.4% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 143 | Madagascar | MDG | Sub-Saharan Africa | 40.1% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 144 | Turkiye | TUR | Europe & Central Asia | 39.7% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 145 | Bahamas, The | BHS | Latin America & Caribbean | 39.7% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 146 | Angola | AGO | Sub-Saharan Africa | 39.6% | 2016 | 2017 or earlier |
| 147 | Kyrgyz Republic | KGZ | Europe & Central Asia | 38.5% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 148 | Puerto Rico (US) | PRI | Latin America & Caribbean | 37.5% | 2016 | 2017 or earlier |
| 149 | Namibia | NAM | Sub-Saharan Africa | 36.5% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 150 | Bangladesh | BGD | South Asia | 36.4% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 151 | Turkmenistan | TKM | Europe & Central Asia | 35.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 152 | Cameroon | CMR | Sub-Saharan Africa | 35.6% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 153 | Belize | BLZ | Latin America & Caribbean | 34.2% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 154 | Honduras | HND | Latin America & Caribbean | 33.8% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 155 | Cambodia | KHM | East Asia & Pacific | 33.6% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 156 | Dominican Republic | DOM | Latin America & Caribbean | 33.4% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 157 | Lesotho | LSO | Sub-Saharan Africa | 33.0% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 158 | Naoero | NRU | East Asia & Pacific | 32.2% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 159 | Fiji | FJI | East Asia & Pacific | 31.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 160 | North Macedonia | MKD | Europe & Central Asia | 31.0% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 161 | Ethiopia | ETH | Sub-Saharan Africa | 30.1% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 162 | Eswatini | SWZ | Sub-Saharan Africa | 30.0% | 2014 | 2017 or earlier |
| 163 | Egypt, Arab Rep. | EGY | Middle East & North Africa | 29.3% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 164 | Togo | TGO | Sub-Saharan Africa | 29.2% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 165 | Armenia | ARM | Europe & Central Asia | 28.8% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 166 | Rwanda | RWA | Sub-Saharan Africa | 28.2% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 167 | Timor-Leste | TLS | East Asia & Pacific | 27.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 168 | Oman | OMN | Middle East & North Africa | 27.4% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 169 | Panama | PAN | Latin America & Caribbean | 27.0% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 170 | Jordan | JOR | Middle East & North Africa | 26.6% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 171 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | BIH | Europe & Central Asia | 25.5% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 172 | Sierra Leone | SLE | Sub-Saharan Africa | 25.0% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 173 | Eritrea | ERI | Sub-Saharan Africa | 23.9% | 2019 | 2018–2020 |
| 174 | Nigeria | NGA | Sub-Saharan Africa | 23.5% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 175 | Benin | BEN | Sub-Saharan Africa | 23.1% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 176 | Comoros | COM | Sub-Saharan Africa | 21.8% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 177 | Botswana | BWA | Sub-Saharan Africa | 21.4% | 2015 | 2017 or earlier |
| 178 | Guinea | GIN | Sub-Saharan Africa | 19.7% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 179 | Saudi Arabia | SAU | Middle East & North Africa | 18.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 180 | Senegal | SEN | Sub-Saharan Africa | 17.6% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 181 | South Africa | ZAF | Sub-Saharan Africa | 17.5% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 182 | Burundi | BDI | Sub-Saharan Africa | 16.5% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 183 | Uganda | UGA | Sub-Saharan Africa | 14.4% | 2017 | 2017 or earlier |
| 184 | Congo, Rep. | COG | Sub-Saharan Africa | 14.3% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 185 | Guinea-Bissau | GNB | Sub-Saharan Africa | 13.2% | 2014 | 2017 or earlier |
| 186 | Mozambique | MOZ | Sub-Saharan Africa | 11.6% | 1986 | 2017 or earlier |
| 187 | Djibouti | DJI | Middle East & North Africa | 11.6% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 188 | South Sudan | SSD | Sub-Saharan Africa | 11.6% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 189 | Cote d'Ivoire | CIV | Sub-Saharan Africa | 10.7% | 2022 | 2021–2022 |
| 190 | Mauritania | MRT | Sub-Saharan Africa | 10.5% | 2015 | 2017 or earlier |
| 191 | Tajikistan | TJK | Europe & Central Asia | 9.9% | 2017 | 2017 or earlier |
| 192 | Libya | LBY | Middle East & North Africa | 9.8% | 2006 | 2017 or earlier |
| 193 | Zambia | ZMB | Sub-Saharan Africa | 8.7% | 2017 | 2017 or earlier |
| 194 | Myanmar | MMR | East Asia & Pacific | 8.5% | 2018 | 2018–2020 |
| 195 | Mali | MLI | Sub-Saharan Africa | 7.6% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 196 | Niger | NER | Sub-Saharan Africa | 7.0% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 197 | Congo, Dem. Rep. | COD | Sub-Saharan Africa | 6.9% | 2020 | 2018–2020 |
| 198 | Burkina Faso | BFA | Sub-Saharan Africa | 6.5% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 199 | Micronesia, Fed. Sts. | FSM | East Asia & Pacific | 5.9% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 200 | Haiti | HTI | Latin America & Caribbean | 5.6% | 1985 | 2017 or earlier |
| 201 | Syrian Arab Republic | SYR | Middle East & North Africa | 5.5% | 2013 | 2017 or earlier |
| 202 | Iraq | IRQ | Middle East & North Africa | 3.8% | 2011 | 2017 or earlier |
| 203 | Central African Republic | CAF | Sub-Saharan Africa | 2.9% | 2017 | 2017 or earlier |
| 204 | Yemen, Rep. | YEM | Middle East & North Africa | 1.6% | 2016 | 2017 or earlier |
| 205 | Chad | TCD | Sub-Saharan Africa | 1.3% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 206 | Somalia, Fed. Rep. | SOM | Sub-Saharan Africa | 1.1% | 2021 | 2021–2022 |
| 207 | Afghanistan | AFG | Middle East & North Africa | 1.1% | 2011 | 2017 or earlier |
Table analysis
- The table contains 207 countries and economies with a reported value.
- The unweighted median is 70.3%; the mean is 64.0%.
- 71 rows use 2021–2022 observations, 100 use 2018–2020, and 36 use 2017 or earlier.
- 29 latest observations exceed 100%.
- The unrestricted highest value is Andorra at 167.5%, but the source year is 1983.
- The lowest value is Afghanistan at 1.1%, reported for 2011.
- Large source-year differences can matter more than small rank differences.
Long-Run Enrollment Trend by Income Group
World Bank aggregate series at selected five-year points. The latest common point with published values is 2020.
Gross pre-primary enrollment, 2000–2020
World and World Bank income-group aggregates, percent.
The aggregate chart uses common anchor years and should not be compared directly with the latest-observation rank.
Trend analysis
- The world aggregate rises from 33.0% in 2000 to 60.9% in 2020, a change of 27.9 percentage points.
- Lower-middle-income economies record the largest displayed change: 38.1 percentage points.
- Upper-middle-income economies rise by 32.4 points, while low-income economies rise by 11.8 points.
- The 2020 range extends from 20.1% for low-income economies to 83.8% for high-income economies.
Decade and Five-Year Anchor Values
Percent gross enrollment. Changes are page-level calculations from unrounded source values.
| Group | 2000 | 2005 | 2010 | 2015 | 2020 | Change 2000–2020 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| World | 33.0% | 37.6% | 46.2% | 56.0% | 60.9% | +27.9 pp |
| High income | 71.7% | 77.8% | 77.2% | 81.8% | 83.8% | +12.1 pp |
| Upper middle income | 45.5% | 45.2% | 56.5% | 70.4% | 77.9% | +32.4 pp |
| Lower middle income | 20.4% | 30.2% | 42.5% | 52.7% | 58.5% | +38.1 pp |
| Low income | 8.3% | 9.6% | 11.5% | 17.4% | 20.1% | +11.8 pp |
Table analysis
- All five displayed aggregates report a higher value in 2020 than in 2000.
- The same reference years are used for every group.
- Gross ratios may exceed age-appropriate participation because enrollment includes learners of any age.
Regional Distribution of Latest Reported Rates
Regional values are unweighted medians calculated from each economy’s latest observation, not official regional aggregates.
Median latest rate by World Bank region
Page-level calculation using economies with available source data.
Medians reduce the influence of a small number of very high gross ratios, but source-year variation remains.
Chart analysis
- Europe & Central Asia has the highest median at 93.6%.
- Sub-Saharan Africa has the lowest median at 24.4%.
- The gap between those medians is 69.1 percentage points.
- The medians mix different observation years and are descriptive summaries.
| Region | Economies | Median | Mean | Minimum | Maximum | 2020+ observations | Latest year |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Europe & Central Asia | 52 | 93.6% | 84.7% | 9.9% | 167.5% | 48 | 2021 |
| East Asia & Pacific | 34 | 83.0% | 72.5% | 5.9% | 160.2% | 26 | 2022 |
| Latin America & Caribbean | 41 | 78.0% | 74.5% | 5.6% | 140.0% | 29 | 2021 |
| North America | 3 | 68.8% | 63.4% | 48.9% | 72.4% | 2 | 2020 |
| South Asia | 6 | 61.9% | 63.6% | 36.4% | 93.7% | 6 | 2022 |
| Middle East & North Africa | 23 | 49.5% | 46.2% | 1.1% | 112.5% | 13 | 2021 |
| Sub-Saharan Africa | 48 | 24.4% | 35.3% | 1.1% | 128.5% | 24 | 2022 |
Table analysis
- Regional coverage ranges from 3 economies in North America to 52 in Europe and Central Asia.
- Minimum-to-maximum spreads are wide in several regions.
- The 2020+ column shows how much of each regional calculation relies on relatively recent observations.
Female and Male Pre-Primary Enrollment
Female and male rates use the same year as the total country value.
Largest absolute female–male gaps among 2018–2022 observations
The gap is female minus male.
A gross enrollment gap does not measure attendance, completion, learning, or the share of official-age children enrolled.
Enrollment analysis
- Uruguay: female rate is higher by 12.4 percentage points in 2020.
- Nepal: male rate is higher by 11.0 percentage points in 2022.
- Liberia: female rate is higher by 10.7 percentage points in 2020.
- Pakistan: male rate is higher by 10.4 percentage points in 2019.
- Tuvalu: male rate is higher by 9.4 percentage points in 2021.
- The selection uses the largest absolute gaps and is not a global gender-parity average.
| Country or economy | Year | Female | Male | F–M gap | Absolute gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Uruguay | 2020 | 103.5% | 91.1% | +12.4 pp | 12.4 pp |
| Nepal | 2022 | 88.1% | 99.1% | -11.0 pp | 11.0 pp |
| Liberia | 2020 | 133.9% | 123.2% | +10.7 pp | 10.7 pp |
| Pakistan | 2019 | 77.2% | 87.6% | -10.4 pp | 10.4 pp |
| Tuvalu | 2021 | 81.1% | 90.5% | -9.4 pp | 9.4 pp |
| St. Kitts and Nevis | 2021 | 89.3% | 98.1% | -8.9 pp | 8.9 pp |
| Kiribati | 2020 | 93.0% | 85.0% | +8.0 pp | 8.0 pp |
| Gibraltar | 2021 | 109.6% | 101.9% | +7.7 pp | 7.7 pp |
| Turks and Caicos Islands | 2021 | 100.0% | 92.5% | +7.5 pp | 7.5 pp |
| Antigua and Barbuda | 2018 | 74.0% | 66.6% | +7.4 pp | 7.4 pp |
| Australia | 2020 | 156.9% | 163.3% | -6.4 pp | 6.4 pp |
| Indonesia | 2018 | 59.1% | 65.4% | -6.3 pp | 6.3 pp |
Table analysis
- Positive gaps indicate a higher female gross ratio; negative gaps indicate a higher male gross ratio.
- All selected rows use 2018–2022 observations and same-year sex data.
- Ratios above 100% can affect both sexes.
Interpreting the Pre-Primary Gross Enrollment Ratio
The indicator measures enrollment volume relative to an official-age population denominator.
Why a rate can exceed 100%
The numerator includes all learners enrolled in pre-primary education, regardless of age. Under-age and over-age enrollment can push the ratio above 100%.
Gross is not net enrollment
A net enrollment rate restricts the numerator to children in the official age group. Gross and net rates answer different questions and should not be merged.
Source year changes rank meaning
A high value from an older year is not a direct same-year comparison with a lower value from 2021 or 2022. The country table keeps the year visible for every row.
Program duration affects comparison
Official pre-primary age ranges and program duration differ across education systems. Similar ratios can represent different numbers of years and different enrollment structures.
Population revisions can alter ratios
UIS population-based indicators use demographic denominators that can be revised. The February 2026 UIS refresh applies updated population inputs and a hybrid population-data policy.
What the indicator does not measure
The ratio does not directly measure attendance regularity, hours of provision, teacher qualifications, classroom conditions, learning, or child-development outcomes.
Gross enrollment ratio = total enrollment in pre-primary education ÷ population of the official pre-primary age group × 100. A result of 112% means total enrollment equals 112% of the official-age population; it does not mean that 112% of eligible children are enrolled.
Source and Methodology
World Bank World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRE.ENRR, sourced from the UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Published range shown by WDI: 1970–2022.
UNESCO UIS Data Browser, February 2026 education data release. The current release contains refreshed national submissions, revised series, and updated demographic inputs.
Countries and economies in the World Bank country metadata with at least one non-missing value. Regional and income aggregates are excluded from the main country table.
Percent. Total pre-primary enrollment of all ages divided by the population of the official pre-primary age group.
The latest non-missing observation in the downloaded WDI series is selected separately for each economy. No value is carried forward to 2026.
Female and male rates are displayed only when both are available for the same year as the economy’s total rate. The gap equals female minus male in percentage points.
Regional medians, means, ranges, and coverage counts are page-level calculations from the latest economy observations. They are not official UIS regional aggregates.
World and income-group trend values are official WDI aggregate series at 2000, 2005, 2010, 2015, and 2020. Change columns are page-level percentage-point calculations.
Displayed values use one decimal place. Ranking and calculations use the underlying unrounded values.
Missing observations are shown as “Not reported” and are not treated as zero.
Official sources: World Bank WDI pre-primary gross enrollment indicator; UNESCO UIS Data Browser; UIS Bulk Data Download Service; UIS February 2026 education data-release background document.
The rank orders latest available gross ratios, not synchronized 2026 observations. Source years vary, gross ratios can exceed 100%, and the indicator should not be interpreted as a direct measure of age-appropriate enrollment, education quality, attendance, or learning outcomes.
