School enrollment, preprimary in United States

United States: School enrollment, preprimary was 72.4% in 2020. ▲ Rising

Latest (2020)
72.4%
Change on year
up 0.3%
World rank
91st
of 197 countries
All-time high
72.9%
in 2017
All-time low
37.7%
in 1972
Years of data
30
1971–2020

School enrollment, preprimary in United States, 1971–2020

0204060801971199520201971: 37.9 % gross1972: 37.7 % gross1974: 42.8 % gross1976: 51.8 % gross1977: 50.6 % gross1978: 48.3 % gross1979: 48.2 % gross1980: 48.6 % gross1981: 52.4 % gross1982: 52.7 % gross1983: 54.6 % gross1984: 56.6 % gross1985: 57.3 % gross1986: 61.2 % gross1987: 62 % gross1988: 61.7 % gross1989: 60.5 % gross1990: 61 % gross1991: 65.1 % gross1995: 69.6 % gross1996: 71.1 % gross2005: 70.5 % gross2013: 71.5 % gross2014: 64.8 % gross2015: 72 % gross2016: 71.9 % gross2017: 72.9 % gross2018: 72.1 % gross2019: 72.2 % gross2020: 72.4 % gross

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % gross.

Analysis

United States recorded 72.4% for school enrollment, preprimary in 2020.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 1.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school enrollment, preprimary in United States peaked at 72.9% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 37.7%, in 1972.

United States ranks 91st of 197 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 45.3% 37.7% 51.8% 7
1980s 56.8% 48.6% 62.0% 10
1990s 66.7% 61.0% 71.1% 4
2000s 70.5% 70.5% 70.5% 1
2010s 71.1% 64.8% 72.9% 7
2020s 72.4% 72.4% 72.4% 1

Countries ranked near United States

  1. 88 Kazakhstan 74.1% compare
  2. 89 Montenegro 72.9% compare
  3. 90 Iran 72.5% compare
  4. 92 Sri Lanka 71.8% compare
  5. 93 Croatia 70.9% compare
  6. 94 Mexico 70.6% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for United States

All data for United States →

Frequently asked questions

What is school enrollment, preprimary in United States?
School enrollment, preprimary in United States was 72.4% in 2020, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest school enrollment, preprimary recorded in United States?
The highest recorded value was 72.9% in 2017.
What is the lowest school enrollment, preprimary recorded in United States?
The lowest recorded value was 37.7% in 1972.
How does United States rank for school enrollment, preprimary?
United States ranks 91st out of 197 countries with data for 2020.
Is school enrollment, preprimary rising or falling in United States?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this United States 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

CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data).

About this data

Indicator
School enrollment, preprimary (% gross)
Unit
% gross
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
242 places, 8,291 data points, 1970–2022
Last refreshed

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.