Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes was 1.62 million in 2023. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, 1976–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2023, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland stood at 1.62 million.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 28.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland peaked at 1.83 million in 2016 and was at its lowest, 571,545, in 1976.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 24th of 214 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1976 | 571,545 | — |
| 1983 | 603,000 | +5.5% |
| 1984 | 649,000 | +7.6% |
| 1985 | 671,000 | +3.4% |
| 1986 | 665,000 | -0.9% |
| 1987 | 675,000 | +1.5% |
| 1988 | 695,000 | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 716,000 | +3.0% |
| 1990 | 763,000 | +6.6% |
| 1991 | 792,700 | +3.9% |
| 1992 | 810,600 | +2.3% |
| 1998 | 1.15 million | +42.1% |
| 1999 | 1.16 million | +0.3% |
| 2000 | 1.18 million | +2.4% |
| 2001 | 1.19 million | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 1.18 million | -0.6% |
| 2003 | 1.08 million | -8.2% |
| 2004 | 822,407 | -24.1% |
| 2005 | 977,448 | +18.9% |
| 2006 | 989,596 | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 1.00 million | +1.5% |
| 2008 | 1.11 million | +10.3% |
| 2009 | 1.12 million | +1.2% |
| 2010 | 1.18 million | +4.8% |
| 2011 | 1.25 million | +6.2% |
| 2012 | 1.28 million | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 1.26 million | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 1.43 million | +13.6% |
| 2015 | 1.67 million | +16.6% |
| 2016 | 1.83 million | +9.8% |
| 2017 | 1.76 million | -3.7% |
| 2018 | 1.76 million | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 1.73 million | -2.0% |
| 2020 | 1.73 million | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 1.64 million | -5.0% |
| 2022 | 1.64 million | -0.3% |
| 2023 | 1.62 million | -0.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 571,545 | 571,545 | 571,545 | 1 |
| 1980s | 667,714 | 603,000 | 716,000 | 7 |
| 1990s | 934,638 | 763,000 | 1.16 million | 5 |
| 2000s | 1.07 million | 822,407 | 1.19 million | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.51 million | 1.18 million | 1.83 million | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.66 million | 1.62 million | 1.73 million | 4 |
Countries ranked near United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
More education data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 388,714 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2012)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 830,495 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 790,556 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.40 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.86 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.0111 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.071 units per person (2023)
All data for United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland →
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland was 1.62 million in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.83 million in 2016.
- What is the lowest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 571,545 in 1976.
- How does United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 24th out of 214 countries with data for 2023.
- Is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes rising or falling in United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 28.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland 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.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release