Bulgaria: School enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2020, Bulgaria's school enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross) rose 1.53 percentage points on 2019 (from 82.32% to 83.85%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was +0.35 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.02 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 4.94 percentage points in 1996 and the biggest yearly fall was 9.29 percentage points in 1992. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2011 to 2020 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 11% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2020, Bulgaria had the 44th highest value of the 69 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Bulgaria in the 2020 ranking

• Colombia — 41st of 69: 86.67%
• Cyprus — 42nd of 69: 85.52%
• Ukraine — 43rd of 69: 85.14%
• Chile — 45th of 69: 83.75%
• Bolivia — 46th of 69: 79.06%
• St. Lucia — 47th of 69: 78.85%

What this measures

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.

Limitations: Enrollment indicators are based on annual school surveys, but do not necessarily reflect actual attendance or dropout rates during the year. Also, the length of education differs across countries and can influence enrollment rates, although the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) tries to minimize the difference. For example, a shorter duration for primary education tends to increase the rate; a longer one to decrease it (in part because older children are more at risk of dropping out). Moreover, age at enrollment may be inaccurately estimated or misstated, especially in communities where registration of births is not strictly enforced.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a weighted average.

All 50 values

School enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross) in nearby economies

• Albania — 69.21% (2021)
• Austria — 102.61% (2020)
• Azerbaijan — 46.22% (2021)
• Belarus — 93.82% (2021)
• Belgium — 113.2% (2020)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 24.67% (2021)
• Croatia — 70.81% (2020)
• Cyprus — 85.52% (2020)
• Czechia — 112% (2020)
• Denmark — 101.89% (2020)

More education data for Bulgaria

• Primary school starting age (years) — 7 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 4 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 11 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 8 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 234,521 (2024)
• Secondary education, pupils — 485,226 (2024)
• Persistence to last grade of primary, total (% of cohort) — 99.81% (2023)
• Tertiary education, academic staff (% female) — 52.32% (2024)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 0.99 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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Questions people ask

What is Bulgaria's school enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross)?

83.85% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 16.78 percentage points from 67.07% in 1971. The highest value was 86.6% in 2006 and the lowest 57.47% in 1994.

How does Bulgaria rank?

44th highest of 69 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in school enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross) unusual for Bulgaria?

In 2020, Bulgaria's school enrollment, preprimary, female (% gross) rose 1.53 percentage points on 2019 (from 82.32% to 83.85%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1990 to 2019), the average change was +0.35 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.02 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.4 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRE.ENRR.FE, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://uis.unesco.org/bdds, publisher: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS) Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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