High rates of formal childcare participation in the EU

In 2023, 21.1% of children aged between 3 years and the minimum compulsory school age received formal childcare or education for 24 hours per week or less, while 68.0% received it for at least 25 hours per week.  

Considering the at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) situation, 16.8% of AROPE children aged between 3 years and the minimum compulsory school age did not participate in any formal childcare or education, compared with 9.0% of non-AROPE children. They were also less likely to receive formal childcare or education for 25 hours or more (58.7%) compared with non-AROPE children (71.0%). At the same time, AROPE children had a higher likelihood (24.5%) of attending formal childcare and education from 1 to 24 hours than those not at risk of poverty or social exclusion (20.0%).

Source dataset: ilc_Caindform25b

For more information

• Statistics Explained article on living conditions in Europe – childcare arrangements 
• Thematic section on income and living conditions 
• Database on income and living conditions 

Methodological notes 

Following the Council Recommendation of 8 December 2022 on early childhood education and care: the Barcelona targets for 2030 (2022/C 484/01), Eurostat defined in 2023 a new indicator for measuring ’children in formal childcare or education by age group and duration’, setting the threshold for the number of hours in formal childcare or education at 25 hours per week, and breaking the indicator down by the at risk of poverty or social exclusion (AROPE) status (ilc_caindform25) and by income quintile (ilc_caindform25q). Furthermore, an additional indicator is available showing the share of children in formal childcare or education out of the population of children in their respective AROPE situation (ilc_caindform25b). In addition, together with the 3 age groups already available in the former indicator (ilc_caindformal), an additional age group has been added for children aged 1 or 2 years old. 

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