China vs United States: Duration of pre-primary education
China
3 years
in 2025
United States
3 years
in 2025
China rank
27th
United States rank
27th
Duration of pre-primary education over time
- China
- United States
How they compare
China currently reports 3 years against 3 years in United States, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was China ahead.
China ranks 27th and United States ranks 27th of 223 countries.
China has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | China | United States | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4 years | 3 years | 1 years | China |
| 1980s | 4 years | 3 years | 1 years | China |
| 1990s | 3.8 years | 3 years | 0.8 years | China |
| 2000s | 3 years | 3 years | 0 years | — |
| 2010s | 3 years | 3 years | 0 years | — |
| 2020s | 3 years | 3 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher duration of pre-primary education, China or United States?
- China, at 3 years against 3 years in United States as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of pre-primary education between China and United States?
- 0 years, with China ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for China and United States?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do China and United States rank globally for duration of pre-primary education?
- China ranks 27th and United States ranks 27th of 223 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Duration of pre-primary education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Average number of years that a child is expected to spend in pre-primary education, defined by country's official educational regulations or laws.