Newsroom
Participation in early childhood education in Cyprus climbed to 89.2 per cent in 2024, according to new figures released by Eurostat on Monday.
The latest rate marks an increase from 86.7 per cent in 2023 and a sharp rise compared with 68.5 per cent a decade earlier in 2014.
The data covers children between the age of three and the compulsory starting age for primary school.
Cyprus still remained below the European Union average, which reached 95 per cent in 2024. Across the bloc, participation in pre-primary education has steadily grown from 91.2 per cent in 2014.
According to Eurostat, the EU is getting closer to the European Education Area’s 2030 goal of having at least 96 per cent of children enrolled in early childhood education and care programmes.
Among member states, France recorded the highest participation rate at 100 per cent, followed by Belgium with 98.1 per cent. Lithuania and Hungary both registered 97.9 per cent.
The lowest levels were reported in Romania at 76.5 per cent, followed by Slovakia with 81.8 per cent and Czechia at 86.4 per cent.
Figures on staffing in pre-primary education also showed women continued to make up nearly all teachers in Cyprus. Female educators accounted for 98.8 per cent of the workforce in 2024, slightly lower than the 99.1 per cent recorded a year earlier.
Across the EU, women held 95.1 per cent of pre-primary teaching posts in 2024, compared with 95.3 per cent in 2023.
