Official entrance age to early childhood educational development (years) by country
February 2026 Data Release
Countries reporting
52
Highest
3 years
Nauru
Lowest
0 years
South Africa
Median
1 years
Years covered
54
1972–2025
Data points
1,868
What the numbers show
Official entrance age to early childhood educational development (years) is currently reported for 52 countries. The highest value is 3 years in Nauru; the lowest is 0 years in South Africa.
The median across all reporting countries is 1 years, and the mean is 1.01 years.
Over the past decade 1 countries rose and 2 fell. The largest increase was in Sao Tome and Principe (up 100.0%), and the largest decrease in Bosnia and Herzegovina (down 100.0%).
Official entrance age to early … entrance educational development: full country ranking
| # | Country | Latest | Year | 10-year change | Trend |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Nauru | 3 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 1 | North Korea | 3 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Marshall Islands | 2 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | United Arab Emirates | 2 years | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 3 | Mauritius | 2 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 3 | Belarus | 2 years | 2025 | unchanged | rising |
| 3 | Sao Tome and Principe | 2 years | 2010 | up 100.0% | rising |
| 3 | Gambia | 2 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 3 | Saudi Arabia | 2 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Senegal | 1 years | 2003 | — | falling |
| 10 | North Macedonia | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Montenegro | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Nigeria | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Pakistan | 1 years | 2013 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Paraguay | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Russia | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Rwanda | 1 years | 2021 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Niue | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Serbia | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Slovenia | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Sweden | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Thailand | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Turkmenistan | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Ukraine | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Venezuela | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Aruba | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Morocco | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Albania | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Azerbaijan | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Cayman Islands | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Finland | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Ghana | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | falling |
| 10 | Gibraltar | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Equatorial Guinea | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Hong Kong | 1 years | 2005 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Kazakhstan | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Kyrgyzstan | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Saint Kitts and Nevis | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Saint Lucia | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Latvia | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 10 | Moldova | 1 years | 2025 | unchanged | flat |
| 42 | Japan | 0.5 years | 2012 | unchanged | flat |
| 43 | Cambodia | 0 years | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 43 | Guatemala | 0 years | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 43 | New Zealand | 0 years | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 43 | Namibia | 0 years | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 43 | Lithuania | 0 years | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 43 | Canada | 0 years | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 43 | Bosnia and Herzegovina | 0 years | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 43 | Bahrain | 0 years | 2025 | down 100.0% | volatile |
| 43 | British Virgin Islands | 0 years | 2025 | — | volatile |
| 43 | South Africa | 0 years | 2025 | — | volatile |
About this data
February 2026 Data Release