Netherlands vs South Africa: Official entrance age to pre-primary education
Netherlands
3 years
in 2025
South Africa
3 years
in 2025
Netherlands rank
58th
South Africa rank
58th
Official entrance age to pre-primary education over time
- Netherlands
- South Africa
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 3 years against 3 years in South Africa, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 56 shared years of data; in 1970 it was South Africa ahead.
Netherlands ranks 58th and South Africa ranks 58th of 223 countries.
Across the 6 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 2 and South Africa in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | South Africa | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4 years | 5 years | 1 years | South Africa |
| 1980s | 4 years | 5 years | 1 years | South Africa |
| 1990s | 4 years | 5 years | 1 years | South Africa |
| 2000s | 4 years | 3 years | 1 years | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 3.1 years | 3 years | 0.1 years | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 3 years | 3 years | 0 years | — |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher official entrance age to pre-primary education, Netherlands or South Africa?
- Netherlands, at 3 years against 3 years in South Africa as of 2025.
- What is the difference in official entrance age to pre-primary education between Netherlands and South Africa?
- 0 years, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and South Africa?
- 56 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2025.
- How do Netherlands and South Africa rank globally for official entrance age to pre-primary education?
- Netherlands ranks 58th and South Africa ranks 58th of 223 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Official entrance age to pre-primary education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Official entry age at which children are expected to start pre-primary education according to national legislation or policies.