Official entrance age to pre-primary education (Official UNESCO) in North Korea
North Korea: Official entrance age to pre-primary education (Official UNESCO) was 5 years in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
5 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
3rd
of 223 countries
All-time high
5 years
in 1998
All-time low
4 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Official entrance age to pre-primary education in North Korea, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
In 2025, official entrance age to pre-primary education in North Korea stood at 5 years. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, official entrance age to pre-primary education in North Korea peaked at 5 years in 1998 and was at its lowest, 4 years, in 1970.
North Korea ranks 3rd of 223 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Official entrance age to pre-primary education (Official UNESCO) in North Korea, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4 years | — |
| 1971 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 4 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 5 years | +25.0% |
| 1999 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 5 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 5 years | +0.0% |
North Korea compared with similar countries
- North Korea's 5 years is above the median for low income countries, which is 3 years, 1.7× the median. (25 countries reporting)
- North Korea's 5 years is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 3 years, 1.7× the median. (36 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 4 years | 4 years | 4 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 4.2 years | 4 years | 5 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 5 years | 5 years | 5 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near North Korea
- 1 Afghanistan 6 years compare
- 1 Tanzania 6 years compare
- 3 Algeria 5 years compare
- 3 Guam 5 years compare
- 3 Indonesia 5 years compare
- 3 Iran 5 years compare
- 3 Liechtenstein 5 years compare
- 3 Marshall Islands 5 years compare
- 3 Namibia 5 years compare
- 3 Nigeria 5 years compare
- 3 Philippines 5 years compare
- 3 United States Virgin Islands 5 years compare
More education data for North Korea
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of primary education (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,021 tertiary education (2022)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is official entrance age to pre-primary education in North Korea?
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education in North Korea was 5 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest official entrance age to pre-primary education recorded in North Korea?
- The highest recorded value was 5 years in 1998.
- What is the lowest official entrance age to pre-primary education recorded in North Korea?
- The lowest recorded value was 4 years in 1970.
- How does North Korea rank for official entrance age to pre-primary education?
- North Korea ranks 3rd out of 223 countries with data for 2025.
- Is official entrance age to pre-primary education rising or falling in North Korea?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this North Korea data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Official entrance age to pre-primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Official entry age at which children are expected to start pre-primary education according to national legislation or policies.