School enrollment, preprimary in Malaysia
Malaysia: School enrollment, preprimary was 87.5% in 2021. ▲ Rising
School enrollment, preprimary in Malaysia, 1974–2021
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.
Analysis
In 2021, school enrollment, preprimary in Malaysia stood at 87.5%.
The figure is down 9.6% on the previous year and up 10.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school enrollment, preprimary in Malaysia peaked at 100.0% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 8.3%, in 1974.
That places Malaysia 64th out of 197 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 39 years of available data.
School enrollment, preprimary in Malaysia, year by year
| Year | % gross | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 8.3% | — |
| 1980 | 22.7% | +175.2% |
| 1982 | 30.5% | +34.4% |
| 1983 | 32.6% | +6.8% |
| 1984 | 33.1% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 35.2% | +6.3% |
| 1987 | 35.6% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 32.9% | -7.5% |
| 1989 | 35.8% | +8.6% |
| 1990 | 34.9% | -2.6% |
| 1991 | 38.9% | +11.5% |
| 1992 | 39.4% | +1.4% |
| 1993 | 40.1% | +1.7% |
| 1994 | 59.9% | +49.5% |
| 1995 | 45.2% | -24.6% |
| 1996 | 40.0% | -11.5% |
| 1998 | 56.5% | +41.3% |
| 1999 | 54.5% | -3.6% |
| 2000 | 52.0% | -4.5% |
| 2001 | 52.4% | +0.6% |
| 2002 | 52.7% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 55.7% | +5.7% |
| 2004 | 59.9% | +7.5% |
| 2005 | 61.9% | +3.4% |
| 2006 | 57.2% | -7.6% |
| 2007 | 62.0% | +8.5% |
| 2008 | 74.4% | +19.9% |
| 2009 | 76.9% | +3.4% |
| 2010 | 79.1% | +2.9% |
| 2012 | 84.7% | +7.0% |
| 2013 | 89.4% | +5.6% |
| 2014 | 93.0% | +4.0% |
| 2015 | 97.0% | +4.3% |
| 2016 | 96.9% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 100.0% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 99.2% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 98.1% | -1.2% |
| 2020 | 96.7% | -1.3% |
| 2021 | 87.5% | -9.6% |
Malaysia compared with similar countries
- Malaysia's 87.5% is above the median for upper middle income countries, which is 71.8%, 1.2× the median. (57 countries reporting)
- Malaysia's 87.5% is above the median for East Asia & Pacific, which is 74.4%, 1.2× the median. (31 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where School enrollment, preprimary in Malaysia 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1980 | +175.2% | 8.3% | 22.7% |
| 1994 | +49.5% | 40.1% | 59.9% |
| 1998 | +41.3% | 40.0% | 56.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 8.3% | 8.3% | 8.3% | 1 |
| 1980s | 32.3% | 22.7% | 35.8% | 8 |
| 1990s | 45.5% | 34.9% | 59.9% | 9 |
| 2000s | 60.5% | 52.0% | 76.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 93.1% | 79.1% | 100.0% | 9 |
| 2020s | 92.1% | 87.5% | 96.7% | 2 |
Countries ranked near Malaysia
More education data for Malaysia
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 217,105 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 0 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 475,967 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 460,041 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.64 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.06 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.2 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0859 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school enrollment, preprimary in Malaysia?
- School enrollment, preprimary in Malaysia was 87.5% in 2021, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest school enrollment, preprimary recorded in Malaysia?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2017.
- What is the lowest school enrollment, preprimary recorded in Malaysia?
- The lowest recorded value was 8.3% in 1974.
- How does Malaysia rank for school enrollment, preprimary?
- Malaysia ranks 64th out of 197 countries with data for 2021.
- Is school enrollment, preprimary rising or falling in Malaysia?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Malaysia data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of School enrollment, preprimary (% gross). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Gross enrollment ratio is the ratio of total enrollment, regardless of age, to the population of the age group that officially corresponds to the level of education shown. Preprimary education refers to programs at the initial stage of organized instruction, designed primarily to introduce very young children to a school-type environment and to provide a bridge between home and school.