Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Iran

Iran: Share of children who are not in pre-primary school was 40.2% in 2020. ▼ Falling

Latest (2020)
40.2%
Change on year
up 5.1%
World rank
38th
of 179 countries
All-time high
65.3%
in 2003
All-time low
38.2%
in 2019
Years of data
7
2003–2020

Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Iran, 2003–2020

02040602003201120202003: 65.3 %2013: 65.1 %2014: 62.6 %2015: 53.3 %2016: 51.1 %2019: 38.2 %2020: 40.2 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Iran recorded 40.2% for share of children who are not in pre-primary school in 2020.

The figure is up 5.1% on the previous year and down 38.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Iran peaked at 65.3% in 2003 and was at its lowest, 38.2%, in 2019.

That places Iran 38th out of 179 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top quarter.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 65.3% 65.3% 65.3% 1
2010s 54.1% 38.2% 65.1% 5
2020s 40.2% 40.2% 40.2% 1

Countries ranked near Iran

  1. 35 Zimbabwe 43.5% compare
  2. 36 East Timor 41.1% compare
  3. 37 Honduras 40.9% compare
  4. 39 Ethiopia 37.4% compare
  5. 40 Gambia 37.3% compare
  6. 41 Sierra Leone 37.2% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More education data for Iran

All data for Iran →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Iran?
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Iran was 40.2% in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children who are not in pre-primary school recorded in Iran?
The highest recorded value was 65.3% in 2003.
What is the lowest share of children who are not in pre-primary school recorded in Iran?
The lowest recorded value was 38.2% in 2019.
How does Iran rank for share of children who are not in pre-primary school?
Iran ranks 38th out of 179 countries with data for 2020.
Is share of children who are not in pre-primary school rising or falling in Iran?
Over the last ten years it is down 38.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Iran data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who are not in pre-primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
179 places, 2,923 data points, 1998–2025
Last refreshed

Children one year before the official primary entry age (typically age 5) not enrolled in pre-primary education, expressed as a percentage of all children in that age group.