Statizoid

Theoretical duration of early childhood education (years) by country

Number of grades (years) in early childhood education.

Countries reporting
204
Highest
7 years
Estonia
Lowest
1 years
Philippines
Median
3 years
Years covered
51
1970–2020
Data points
4,300

What the numbers show

Theoretical duration of early childhood education (years) is currently reported for 204 countries. The highest value is 7 years in Estonia; the lowest is 1 years in Philippines.

The median across all reporting countries is 3 years, and the mean is 3.94 years.

The gap between the highest and lowest reporting country is a factor of about 7.

Over the past decade 61 countries rose and 13 fell. The largest increase was in Ireland (up 400.0%), and the largest decrease in Turks and Caicos Islands (down 60.0%).

Theoretical duration of early childhood education: full country ranking

#Country LatestYear 10-year changeTrend
1 Estonia 7 years 2020 unchanged rising
1 Guatemala 7 years 2019 up 250.0% volatile
1 Lithuania 7 years 2020 up 16.7% rising
1 El Salvador 7 years 2019 unchanged rising
1 South Africa 7 years 2019 up 133.3% rising
6 United Arab Emirates 6 years 2019 up 200.0% volatile
6 Argentina 6 years 2019 unchanged flat
6 Austria 6 years 2020 unchanged flat
6 Belgium 6 years 2020 up 100.0% rising
6 Chile 6 years 2019 up 200.0% rising
6 Colombia 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Costa Rica 6 years 2019 unchanged flat
6 Cuba 6 years 2019 unchanged flat
6 Cyprus 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Germany 6 years 2020 up 100.0% rising
6 Denmark 6 years 2020 up 50.0% rising
6 Spain 6 years 2020 up 100.0% rising
6 Finland 6 years 2020 up 50.0% rising
6 Equatorial Guinea 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Greece 6 years 2020 up 200.0% volatile
6 Croatia 6 years 2019 up 50.0% rising
6 Haiti 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Indonesia 6 years 2019 unchanged flat
6 Iceland 6 years 2020 up 100.0% rising
6 Israel 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Jamaica 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Kyrgyzstan 6 years 2020 up 50.0% rising
6 Cambodia 6 years 2019 unchanged rising
6 Laos 6 years 2019 unchanged rising
6 Latvia 6 years 2020 unchanged flat
6 Moldova 6 years 2019 up 50.0% rising
6 Mexico 6 years 2019 up 200.0% volatile
6 Mauritania 6 years 2019 unchanged rising
6 Nicaragua 6 years 2019 unchanged rising
6 Oman 6 years 2019 up 200.0% volatile
6 Panama 6 years 2019 up 200.0% volatile
6 Peru 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Puerto Rico 6 years 2019 up 200.0% volatile
6 Qatar 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Romania 6 years 2020 up 50.0% rising
6 Rwanda 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Singapore 6 years 2019 unchanged flat
6 San Marino 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Serbia 6 years 2019 up 50.0% rising
6 Sweden 6 years 2020 unchanged flat
6 Sint Maarten (Dutch part) 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Uruguay 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Vietnam 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
6 Yemen 6 years 2019 up 100.0% rising
50 Angola 5 years 2019 up 25.0% falling
50 Albania 5 years 2019 up 66.7% rising
50 Antigua and Barbuda 5 years 2019 up 25.0% rising
50 Azerbaijan 5 years 2020 unchanged flat
50 Bahrain 5 years 2019 unchanged rising
50 Bosnia and Herzegovina 5 years 2019 up 25.0% rising
50 Brazil 5 years 2019 down 16.7% rising
50 Barbados 5 years 2019 up 150.0% rising
50 Dominica 5 years 2019 up 150.0% rising
50 Ghana 5 years 2019 unchanged flat
50 Guinea 5 years 2019 up 66.7% rising
50 Gambia 5 years 2020 unchanged flat
50 Grenada 5 years 2019 up 150.0% rising
50 Hungary 5 years 2020 up 25.0% rising
50 Ireland 5 years 2020 up 400.0% volatile
50 Japan 5 years 2019 down 16.7% falling
50 Kazakhstan 5 years 2020 up 25.0% rising
50 South Korea 5 years 2019 up 400.0% volatile
50 Morocco 5 years 2019 up 150.0% rising
50 North Macedonia 5 years 2019 up 66.7% rising
50 Myanmar 5 years 2019 unchanged flat
50 Montenegro 5 years 2019 down 16.7% falling
50 Namibia 5 years 2019 unchanged flat
50 Nigeria 5 years 2019 unchanged flat
50 Norway 5 years 2020 up 66.7% rising
50 New Zealand 5 years 2019 up 25.0% rising
50 Paraguay 5 years 2019 unchanged flat
50 Russia 5 years 2020 unchanged flat
50 Slovenia 5 years 2020 unchanged falling
50 Thailand 5 years 2019 unchanged flat
50 Turkmenistan 5 years 2019 up 25.0% rising
50 Turkey 5 years 2019 unchanged flat
50 Ukraine 5 years 2019 up 66.7% rising
50 Venezuela 5 years 2019 unchanged flat
50 British Virgin Islands 5 years 2019 unchanged rising
85 Australia 4 years 2019 unchanged rising
85 Bulgaria 4 years 2019 unchanged flat
85 Belarus 4 years 2019 down 20.0% falling
85 Cayman Islands 4 years 2019 down 42.9% falling
85 United Kingdom 4 years 2020 up 100.0% rising
85 Gibraltar 4 years 2019 up 300.0% volatile
85 Saint Kitts and Nevis 4 years 2019 unchanged rising
85 Saint Lucia 4 years 2019 unchanged rising
85 Mongolia 4 years 2019 down 42.9% falling
85 Papua New Guinea 4 years 2019 up 300.0% volatile
85 Poland 4 years 2020 unchanged flat
85 North Korea 4 years 2019 unchanged flat
85 Saudi Arabia 4 years 2019 up 33.3% rising
85 Tajikistan 4 years 2019 unchanged flat
85 Uzbekistan 4 years 2020 unchanged flat
85 Zambia 4 years 2019 unchanged falling
101 Andorra 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Armenia 3 years 2020 down 25.0% falling
101 Burkina Faso 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Bangladesh 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Brunei 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Botswana 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Central African Republic 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Canada 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 China 3 years 2019 unchanged falling
101 Cote d'Ivoire 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Democratic Republic of Congo 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Congo 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Comoros 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Cape Verde 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Czechia 3 years 2020 unchanged flat
101 Dominican Republic 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Ecuador 3 years 2019 unchanged rising
101 Ethiopia 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Fiji 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 France 3 years 2020 unchanged flat
101 Micronesia (country) 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Gabon 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Georgia 3 years 2020 unchanged flat
101 Guinea-Bissau 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Guyana 3 years 2019 up 50.0% rising
101 Hong Kong 3 years 2019 unchanged falling
101 Honduras 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 India 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Italy 3 years 2020 unchanged flat
101 Kenya 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Kiribati 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Lebanon 3 years 2020 unchanged flat
101 Liberia 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Lesotho 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Luxembourg 3 years 2020 unchanged flat
101 Macao 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Monaco 3 years 2020 unchanged flat
101 Madagascar 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Maldives 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Mali 3 years 2019 down 25.0% falling
101 Mozambique 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Mauritius 3 years 2019 up 50.0% rising
101 Malawi 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Niger 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Netherlands 3 years 2020 up 50.0% rising
101 Nauru 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Palau 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Portugal 3 years 2020 unchanged flat
101 Senegal 3 years 2019 unchanged falling
101 Solomon Islands 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Sierra Leone 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Somalia 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 South Sudan 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Sao Tome and Principe 3 years 2019 down 40.0% falling
101 Slovakia 3 years 2020 unchanged flat
101 Eswatini 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Syria 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Chad 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Togo 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 East Timor 3 years 2019 up 50.0% rising
101 Tunisia 3 years 2019 unchanged rising
101 Tuvalu 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
101 Uganda 3 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Aruba 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Burundi 2 years 2019 unchanged falling
164 Benin 2 years 2019 down 50.0% falling
164 Bahamas 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Belize 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Bolivia 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Bhutan 2 years 2020 unchanged flat
164 Switzerland 2 years 2020 unchanged flat
164 Cameroon 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Curacao 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Djibouti 2 years 2020 unchanged flat
164 Egypt 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Eritrea 2 years 2019 down 50.0% falling
164 Iraq 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Jordan 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Kuwait 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Libya 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Liechtenstein 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Sri Lanka 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Marshall Islands 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Malta 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Malaysia 2 years 2020 unchanged flat
164 Nepal 2 years 2019 unchanged falling
164 Pakistan 2 years 2019 down 50.0% falling
164 Palestine 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Sudan 2 years 2020 unchanged flat
164 Suriname 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Seychelles 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Turks and Caicos Islands 2 years 2019 down 60.0% falling
164 Tonga 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Trinidad and Tobago 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Tanzania 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Vanuatu 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Samoa 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
164 Zimbabwe 2 years 2019 unchanged flat
200 Afghanistan 1 years 2019 unchanged flat
200 Bermuda 1 years 2019 unchanged flat
200 Algeria 1 years 2020 unchanged falling
200 Iran 1 years 2019 unchanged flat
200 Philippines 1 years 2019 unchanged flat

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Theoretical duration of early childhood education by country. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 28 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/theoretical-duration-of-early-childhood-education-years/

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About this data

Indicator
Theoretical duration of early childhood education (years)
Unit
years
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
204 places, 4,300 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Number of grades (years) in early childhood education.