Hong Kong SAR, China: School enrollment, preprimary (% gross)

Key figures

Over five years it is down 14.67 percentage points from 108.32% in 2015. Since 1971 it is up 42.02 percentage points from 51.63% in 1971. The World Bank has no value for 14 of the years in between; the chart leaves those gaps open rather than joining across them.

What the numbers say

In 2020, Hong Kong SAR, China's school enrollment, preprimary (% gross) fell 7.58 percentage points on 2019 (from 101.23% to 93.65%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1974 to 2019), the average change was +0.42 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.06 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 6.7 percentage points in 1985 and the biggest yearly fall was 7.58 percentage points in 2020. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2012 to 2020 the straight-line trend is downward, about 2.06 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 80% of the movement over 9 observed years.

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

How it compares

In 2020, Hong Kong SAR, China had the 32nd highest value of the 72 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 Hong Kong SAR, China in the 2020 ranking

• United Arab Emirates — 29th of 72: 94.21%
• Slovenia — 30th of 72: 93.97%
• Poland — 31st of 72: 93.87%
• Greece — 33rd of 72: 93.28%
• Italy — 34th of 72: 92.66%
• Luxembourg — 35th of 72: 92.2%

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 36 values

School enrollment, preprimary (% gross) in nearby economies

• Australia — 160.21% (2020)
• Brunei Darussalam — 63.48% (2020)
• Cambodia — 33.57% (2021)
• China — 93.07% (2021)
• Fiji — 31.34% (2021)
• Indonesia — 62.34% (2018)
• Japan — 86.7% (2015)
• Korea, Rep. — 91.78% (2020)
• Lao PDR — 49.32% (2021)
• Macao SAR, China — 86.41% (2021)
• Malaysia

More education data for Hong Kong SAR, China

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 329,780 (2024)
• Primary education, teachers — 28,284 (2024)
• Pupil-teacher ratio, primary — 13.35 (2018)
• School enrollment, primary, private (% of total primary) — 20.6% (2024)
• Secondary education, general pupils — 341,591 (2018)

Reading data like this

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Questions people ask

What is Hong Kong SAR, China's school enrollment, preprimary (% gross)?

93.65% in 2020, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1971?

It is up 42.02 percentage points from 51.63% in 1971. The highest value was 115% in 2012 and the lowest 51.63% in 1971.

How does Hong Kong SAR, China rank?

32nd highest of 72 economies with data for 2020.

Is the latest change in school enrollment, preprimary (% gross) unusual for Hong Kong SAR, China?

In 2020, Hong Kong SAR, China's school enrollment, preprimary (% gross) fell 7.58 percentage points on 2019 (from 101.23% to 93.65%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1974 to 2019), the average change was +0.42 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.06 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 2.6 standard deviations below that average, so it was unusually large compared with the rest of the record.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRE.ENRR, 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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