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
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Iran, 2003–2020
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.
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Iran, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2003 | 65.3% | — |
| 2013 | 65.1% | -0.3% |
| 2014 | 62.6% | -3.8% |
| 2015 | 53.3% | -14.9% |
| 2016 | 51.1% | -4.1% |
| 2019 | 38.2% | -25.2% |
| 2020 | 40.2% | +5.1% |
Iran compared with similar countries
- Iran's 40.2% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.6%, 2.8× the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Iran's 40.2% is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 30.2%, 1.3× the median. (18 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | 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
More education data for Iran
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 406,399 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 108,066 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 519,698 (2020)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 505,053 (2020)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.62 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 9.09 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 3.31 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1003 units per person (2023)
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
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.