Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) in Malaysia
Malaysia: Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) was 936,008 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Malaysia, 1974–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Malaysia is 936,008, measured in 2024.
That represents a change of down 2.2% on the previous year and up 4.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Malaysia peaked at 1.00 million in 2019 and was at its lowest, 55,624, in 1974.
Malaysia ranks 37th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 42 years of available data.
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 55,624 | — |
| 1980 | 170,955 | +207.3% |
| 1982 | 238,326 | +39.4% |
| 1983 | 259,711 | +9.0% |
| 1984 | 269,477 | +3.8% |
| 1985 | 293,801 | +9.0% |
| 1987 | 313,864 | +6.8% |
| 1988 | 298,097 | -5.0% |
| 1989 | 331,520 | +11.2% |
| 1990 | 328,813 | -0.8% |
| 1991 | 372,767 | +13.4% |
| 1992 | 383,715 | +2.9% |
| 1993 | 395,611 | +3.1% |
| 1994 | 599,391 | +51.5% |
| 1995 | 459,015 | -23.4% |
| 1996 | 410,217 | -10.6% |
| 1998 | 588,832 | +43.5% |
| 1999 | 571,564 | -2.9% |
| 2000 | 549,754 | -3.8% |
| 2001 | 557,868 | +1.5% |
| 2002 | 565,981 | +1.5% |
| 2003 | 602,844 | +6.5% |
| 2004 | 650,013 | +7.8% |
| 2005 | 668,291 | +2.8% |
| 2006 | 611,991 | -8.4% |
| 2007 | 654,150 | +6.9% |
| 2008 | 771,225 | +17.9% |
| 2009 | 786,177 | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 805,474 | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 833,121 | +3.4% |
| 2013 | 866,710 | +4.0% |
| 2014 | 894,079 | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 934,418 | +4.5% |
| 2016 | 943,022 | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 988,393 | +4.8% |
| 2018 | 999,557 | +1.1% |
| 2019 | 1.00 million | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 997,968 | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 912,564 | -8.6% |
| 2022 | 898,972 | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 957,086 | +6.5% |
| 2024 | 936,008 | -2.2% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 936,008 is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 160,388, 5.8× the median. (58 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 936,008 is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 36,952, 25.3× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) in Malaysia changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +207.3% | 55,624 | 170,955 |
| 1994 | +51.5% | 395,611 | 599,391 |
| 1998 | +43.5% | 410,217 | 588,832 |
| 1982 | +39.4% | 170,955 | 238,326 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 55,624 | 55,624 | 55,624 | 1 |
| 1980s | 271,969 | 170,955 | 331,520 | 8 |
| 1990s | 456,658 | 328,813 | 599,391 | 9 |
| 2000s | 641,829 | 549,754 | 786,177 | 10 |
| 2010s | 918,738 | 805,474 | 1.00 million | 9 |
| 2020s | 940,520 | 898,972 | 997,968 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
- 34 Madagascar 1.05 million compare
- 35 Iran 1.02 million compare
- 36 Kazakhstan 981,805 compare
- 38 Morocco 913,017 compare
- 39 South Korea 846,694 compare
- 40 Democratic Republic of Congo 837,832 compare
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Malaysia?
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Malaysia was 936,008 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 1.00 million in 2019.
- What is the lowest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 55,624 in 1974.
- How does Malaysia rank for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes?
- Malaysia ranks 37th out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 42 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release