Nicosia:The participation rate in early childhood education in Cyprus for children aged three years up to the start of compulsory primary education was recorded at 89.2% in 2024, as highlighted by recent data from Eurostat.

According to Cyprus News Agency, this figure places Cyprus below the EU average participation rate of 94.4% and the European target of 96% by the year 2030.

The data further reveals that nearly half of the children in EU regions for which data are available already reside in areas that have met the 96% participation target. Specifically, out of 198 NUTS 2 regions with accessible data, 99 have achieved or surpassed the 96% participation level. These regions are primarily situated in Belgium, Denmark, Germany, Spain, France, Lithuania, Hungary, Poland, Portugal, and Sweden. Additionally, Luxembourg has also met the 96% participation rate.