Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) in Saudi Arabia
Saudi Arabia: Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) was 430,399 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia, 1979–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia stood at 430,399.
The figure is down 11.5% on the previous year and up 84.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia peaked at 486,157 in 2022 and was at its lowest, 22,744, in 1979.
Saudi Arabia ranks 62nd of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 19 years of available data.
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) in Saudi Arabia, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1979 | 22,744 | — |
| 2005 | 176,231 | +674.8% |
| 2007 | 179,347 | +1.8% |
| 2008 | 182,288 | +1.6% |
| 2009 | 185,681 | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 190,462 | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 209,508 | +10.0% |
| 2012 | 241,831 | +15.4% |
| 2013 | 179,921 | -25.6% |
| 2014 | 233,388 | +29.7% |
| 2015 | 287,579 | +23.2% |
| 2016 | 293,466 | +2.0% |
| 2017 | 322,553 | +9.9% |
| 2018 | 317,743 | -1.5% |
| 2019 | 345,400 | +8.7% |
| 2020 | 393,732 | +14.0% |
| 2021 | 274,052 | -30.4% |
| 2022 | 486,157 | +77.4% |
| 2024 | 430,399 | -11.5% |
Saudi Arabia compared with similar countries
- Saudi Arabia's 430,399 is above the median for high income countries, which is 96,852, 4.4× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Saudi Arabia's 430,399 is above the median for Middle East, North Africa, Afghanistan & Pakistan, which is 163,861, 2.6× the median. (23 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) (pre-primary) in Saudi Arabia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2005 | +674.8% | 22,744 | 176,231 |
| 2022 | +77.4% | 274,052 | 486,157 |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 22,744 | 22,744 | 22,744 | 1 |
| 2000s | 180,887 | 176,231 | 185,681 | 4 |
| 2010s | 262,185 | 179,921 | 345,400 | 10 |
| 2020s | 396,085 | 274,052 | 486,157 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Saudi Arabia
More education data for Saudi Arabia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 242,375 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 26,900 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 215,559 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 214,840 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.36 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.45 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.53 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0976 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia?
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Saudi Arabia was 430,399 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The highest recorded value was 486,157 in 2022.
- What is the lowest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Saudi Arabia?
- The lowest recorded value was 22,744 in 1979.
- How does Saudi Arabia rank for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes?
- Saudi Arabia ranks 62nd out of 214 countries with data for 2024.
- Is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Saudi Arabia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 84.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Saudi Arabia 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 — 19 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release