Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Australia
Australia: Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public was 47.5% in 2021. ▬ Flat
Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Australia, 2013–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2021, percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Australia stood at 47.5%. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and down 0.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Australia peaked at 48.4% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 47.5%, in 2021.
That places Australia 152nd out of 176 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the bottom quarter.
Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Australia, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 47.7% | — |
| 2014 | 47.8% | +0.1% |
| 2015 | 47.6% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 48.4% | +1.6% |
| 2018 | 48.1% | -0.6% |
| 2019 | 48.1% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 47.7% | -0.7% |
| 2021 | 47.5% | -0.5% |
Australia compared with similar countries
- Australia's 47.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 48.4%, 98% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
- Australia's 47.5% is below the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 48.0%, 99% of the median. (21 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 47.9% | 47.6% | 48.4% | 6 |
| 2020s | 47.6% | 47.5% | 47.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Australia
- 149 Puerto Rico 47.6% compare
- 150 China 47.6% compare
- 151 Philippines 47.5% compare
- 153 Montenegro 47.4% compare
- 154 Djibouti 47.2% compare
- 155 Malta 47.1% compare
More education data for Australia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 104,110 (1992)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 316,638 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 292,593 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.65 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.4362 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0835 units per person (2024)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Australia?
- Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Australia was 47.5% in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public recorded in Australia?
- The highest recorded value was 48.4% in 2017.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public recorded in Australia?
- The lowest recorded value was 47.5% in 2021.
- How does Australia rank for percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public?
- Australia ranks 152nd out of 176 countries with data for 2021.
- Is percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public rising or falling in Australia?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Australia data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public institutions, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release