South Africa vs Sweden: Duration of pre-primary education
South Africa
4 years
in 2025
Sweden
4 years
in 2025
South Africa rank
1st
Sweden rank
1st
Duration of pre-primary education over time
- South Africa
- Sweden
How they compare
South Africa currently reports 4 years against 4 years in Sweden, a difference of 0 years.
Across all 56 years both countries report, Sweden has been ahead every year.
South Africa ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 1st of 223 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 6 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | South Africa | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 1 years | 4 years | 3 years | Sweden |
| 1980s | 1 years | 4 years | 3 years | Sweden |
| 1990s | 1.3 years | 4 years | 2.7 years | Sweden |
| 2000s | 4 years | 4 years | 0 years | — |
| 2010s | 4 years | 4 years | 0 years | — |
| 2020s | 4 years | 4 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher duration of pre-primary education, South Africa or Sweden?
- South Africa, at 4 years against 4 years in Sweden as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of pre-primary education between South Africa and Sweden?
- 0 years, with South Africa ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for South Africa and Sweden?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do South Africa and Sweden rank globally for duration of pre-primary education?
- South Africa ranks 1st and Sweden ranks 1st 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.