Eurostat reports on preschool education participation in the EU and Cyprus

According to data released by Eurostat on Monday, preschool participation for children aged three until the start of primary school reached 89.2% in Cyprus in 2024, up from 86.7% in 2023 and 68.5% in 2014. The percentage of female teachers in Cyprus preschool education was 98.8% in 2024, a slight decrease from 99.1% in 2023. Across the European Union, preschool participation reached 95.0% in 2024, compared to 91.2% in 2014, moving closer to the 2030 target of 96%. Member states with the highest participation rates include France at 100%, Belgium at 98.1%, and Lithuania and Hungary at 97.9% each. Romania, Slovakia, and the Czech Republic recorded the lowest participation rates at 76.5%, 81.8%, and 86.4% respectively. Regarding staff demographics, women accounted for 95.1% of the preschool teaching workforce across the EU in 2024. Romania recorded the highest proportion of female preschool teachers among member states at 99.7%.