Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Jamaica
Jamaica: Share of children who are not in pre-primary school was 0.6% in 2024. ◆ Volatile
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Jamaica, 1999–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Jamaica is 0.6%, measured in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 88.0% on the previous year and down 67.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Jamaica peaked at 14.5% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 0.1%, in 2020.
Jamaica ranks 166th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Jamaica, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 14.5% | — |
| 2001 | 7.2% | -50.3% |
| 2002 | 4.4% | -39.6% |
| 2003 | 3.2% | -27.3% |
| 2004 | 0.2% | -93.6% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | +852.7% |
| 2020 | 0.1% | -95.5% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | +2331.1% |
| 2022 | 3.2% | +51.8% |
| 2023 | 5.3% | +66.8% |
| 2024 | 0.6% | -88.0% |
Jamaica compared with similar countries
- Jamaica's 0.6% is below the median for upper middle income countries, which is 14.6%, 4% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
- Jamaica's 0.6% is below the median for Latin America & Caribbean, which is 6.5%, 10% of the median. (37 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 14.5% | 14.5% | 14.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 0.2% | 7.2% | 4 |
| 2010s | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1.9% | 1 |
| 2020s | 2.3% | 0.1% | 5.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Jamaica
More education data for Jamaica
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 11,043 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 4,597 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,983 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 51,265 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 177,095 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 211,097 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 8.14 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0744 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Jamaica?
- Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Jamaica was 0.6% in 2024, 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 Jamaica?
- The highest recorded value was 14.5% in 1999.
- What is the lowest share of children who are not in pre-primary school recorded in Jamaica?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.1% in 2020.
- How does Jamaica rank for share of children who are not in pre-primary school?
- Jamaica ranks 166th out of 179 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children who are not in pre-primary school rising or falling in Jamaica?
- Over the last ten years it is down 67.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Jamaica 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.