Kindergartens

Updated: 1 March 2024

Next update: Not yet determined

Share of all children aged 1-5 who attended kindergarten
Share of all children aged 1-5 who attended kindergarten
2023
93.8
%
Main figures - Kindergartens
Main figures - Kindergartens
2023Difference from last yearDifference last 5 years
Number of children in kindergarten266 916-1 814-11 662
Percentage of children 1-5 years93.80.42.1
Percentage of children 1-2 years88.60.95.2
Percentage of children 3-5 years97.20.00.1
Number of kindergartens5 314-106-474
Percentage of public kindergartens4912
Employees95 592-114-506
Percentage of directors and educational leaders with pre-school teacher education91.8-0.2-0.1
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • Number of kindergartens, employees and children, by county.
    Number of kindergartens, employees and children, by county.
    KindergartensPublic kindergartensPrivate kindergartensEmployees, totalChildren in kindergartensPercentage of children age 1-5 year in kindergarden
    20215 5252 6242 90195 201268 46593.4
    20225 4202 6182 80295 706268 73093.4
    20235 3142 5972 71795 592266 91693.8
    2023
    Viken (2020-2023)1 16646170522 35163 996.
    Oslo67530936611 81835 18392.7
    Innlandet3391921475 78015 52993.5
    Vestfold og Telemark (2020-2023)3701891816 94019 380.
    Agder3281202085 70715 15191.7
    Rogaland4352252109 53926 59493.2
    Vestland62432030411 89132 88095.8
    Møre og Romsdal2631391244 82713 22495.6
    Trøndelag - Trööndelage5212892328 58323 32596.0
    Nordland - Nordlánnda2971611363 98210 63694.4
    Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku (2020-2023)2941901044 14210 944.
    Svalbard2203274.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Children in kindergartens by age.
    Children in kindergartens by age.
    Total0 years1 year2 years3 years4 years5 years6 years
    2015283 6082 20141 89555 36359 77561 03662 972366
    2016282 6492 36643 01555 91058 30660 99961 708345
    2017281 6222 24543 30056 17758 55859 48261 530330
    2018278 5782 19642 15056 26458 43659 30359 836393
    2019275 8042 29541 92154 15358 41159 07859 580366
    2020272 2642 28542 31952 81056 00459 06659 390390
    2021268 4652 60842 45752 59054 50856 62359 309370
    2022268 7302 39246 50651 89354 66655 56157 367345
    2023266 9162 50243 34555 15153 66455 55756 355342
    Explanation of symbols
  • Children in kindergartens by hours of attendance per week and different age groups
    Children in kindergartens by hours of attendance per week and different age groups
    Total0-8 hours per week9-16 hours per week17-24 hours per week25-32 hours per week33-40 hours per week41 hours and over per weekPercentage in different age groups
    All age groups266 9167332591 6483 148261 821
    0 year2 502001035222 4354.8
    1 year43 345398447253642 24181.8
    2 year55 151195537468054 03294.9
    3 year53 664203326461552 75096.8
    4 year55 557163626360154 65097.3
    5 year56 355094123869055 37797.5
    6 year34200024336
    0-5 years266 5747332591 6463 144261 48579.8
    1-5 years264 0727332491 6113 122259 05093.8
    1-2 years98 4964181398461 21696 27388.6
    3-5 years165 5763151107651 906162 77797.2
    Explanation of symbols
  • Persons employed and man-years by employment position in kindergartens.
    Persons employed and man-years by employment position in kindergartens.
    20232022202120202019
    All positions
    Employees95 59295 70695 20195 90996 744
    Man-years78 22478 11577 44777 70078 055
    Directors
    Employees5 7305 7435 8515 9806 054
    Man-years4 6364 6484 7044 7394 786
    Educational leaders
    Employees31 17931 38731 32331 53831 694
    Man-years29 12229 27729 17929 37029 476
    Bilingual assistants
    Employees8557799271 0351 200
    Man-years332267286317358
    Other primary functions
    Employees40 14640 22539 82940 32540 873
    Man-years35 31635 23034 74835 02335 368
    Other educational personnel
    Employees9 4129 2608 9228 4878 315
    Man-years5 7905 6585 4435 1194 945
    Office staff
    Employees1 1651 1521 1661 2131 244
    Man-years355367379399411
    Other paid help
    Employees7 1137 1807 1897 3347 364
    Man-years2 6772 6842 7082 7352 711
    Explanation of symbols
  • Persons employed in kindergartens, by employment position and sex
    Persons employed in kindergartens, by employment position and sex
    20232022202120202019
    Total number of persons employed95 59295 70695 20195 90996 744
    Females83 53383 89983 52484 38885 230
    Males12 05911 80711 67711 52111 514
    Directors5 7305 7435 8515 9806 054
    Females5 1255 1615 2835 4185 539
    Males605582568562515
    Educational leaders31 17931 38731 32331 53831 694
    Females27 93728 19428 15428 46128 736
    Males3 2423 1933 1693 0772 958
    Other primary functions40 14640 22539 82940 32540 873
    Females35 93336 08835 80136 30636 743
    Males4 2134 1374 0284 0194 130
    Bilingual assistants8557799271 0351 200
    Females7937288619431 095
    Males62516692105
    Other educational personal9 4129 2608 9228 4878 315
    Females8 7148 5788 2867 9477 765
    Males698682636540550
    Office staff1 1651 1521 1661 2131 244
    Females9279519641 0001 026
    Males238201202213218
    Other paid help7 1137 1807 1897 3347 364
    Females4 1134 2194 1804 3154 326
    Males3 0002 9613 0093 0193 038
    Explanation of symbols
  • Persons employed in kindergartens, by position and qualifications
    Persons employed in kindergartens, by position and qualifications
    20232022202120202019
    Total number of persons employed95 59295 70695 20195 90996 744
    Directors5 7305 7435 8515 9806 054
    with pre-school teatcher education5 1085 1865 2555 3785 478
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children588527553562431
    with vocational training044612
    Educational leaders31 17931 38731 32331 53831 694
    with pre-school teatcher education27 77328 31528 43128 36527 984
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children9448229289051 002
    with vocational training1 037896647736973
    Other primary functions40 14640 22539 82940 32540 873
    with pre-school teatcher education316330297293
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children897944852874
    other college education1 1221 0791 1011 151
    skilled worker training18 52018 65418 64618 216
    other background19 29119 21818 93319 791
    Bilingual assistants8557799271 0351 200
    with pre-school teatcher education217178207203255
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children2111869
    with vocational training106108120135119
    Other educational personal9 4129 2608 9228 4878 315
    with pre-school teatcher education2 3992 4022 4312 2712 373
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children146140135138140
    with vocational training1 5121 4691 4531 3601 248
    Office staff1 1651 1521 1661 2131 244
    Other paid help7 1137 1807 1897 3347 364
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The purpose of the statistics is to provide information about the status of kindergartens and employees in kindergartens. Information reported by the kindergartens also forms background for state subsidies payments, as well as supervisions according to the Day Care Institutions Act and other regulations.

According to the Day Care Institutions Act, a kindergarten is defined as an approved educational establishment organized for children below the age of compulsory education. The Ministry of Education and Research determines regulations and guidelines for kindergartens, while municipalities issue the approvals.

A family day-care centre is a type of kindergarten that organizes its activities in a private home, based on the premise that a kindergarten teacher is employed as an educational supervisor. The kindergarten teacher should either be attached to an ordinary kindergarten or the municipal administration. The regulation on family day-care centres states that at least half of the children in a family day-care institution group must be other than the home's own children.

Open kindergartens do not have a set group of children. They are open to children accompanied by parents for playing and social gathering. The estimated number of children attending open kindergartens refers to the number of children who can visit the kindergarten at the same time. From 1999 and onwards, the number of children in open kindergartens is not included in the total number of children in kindergartens. Hence the number of children is not directly comparable before and after the change.

Man-year refers to a full-time employee (37.5 hours per week) for a year.

Children in kindergartens refers to the total number of children who have a place regardless of weekly attendance.

Age of children is given as of year-end.

Attendance refers to agreed attendance not actual attendance.

Coverage is the percentage of children in kindergarten relative to the total number of children in the corresponding cohorts.

Linguistic and cultural minorities are children with ethnic languages and cultural backgrounds other than Norwegian, Sami, Swedish, Danish or English.

Part-time attendance in kindergartens : Children with agreed attendance hours within the categories of 0-8 hours, 9-16 hours, 17-24 hours or 25-32 hours per week.

Full-time attendance in kindergartens : Children with agreed attendance hours within the categories of 33-40 hours or 41 hours or more per week.

Public kindergartens : Kindergartens owned by the municipal, county municipal or state authorities.

Private kindergartens : Privately owned kindergartens, including privately owned kindergartens receiving subsidies from the municipality.

Non-municipal kindergartens: County municipal, state or privately owned kindergartens.

Name: Kindergartens
Topic: Education

Not yet determined

Division for Education and Culture Statistics

The statistics are published on national, county and municipal level.

Annual reports as of 15 December. Final figures are published in March. In addition, KOSTRA preliminary figures are published 15 March and final figures are published 15 June.

Some data are delivered to OECD, UNESCO and Eurostat.

All statistics about kindergartens at Statistics Norway is stored in a proper, standardized manner in consultation with the Data Inspectorate. Primary data and information on sample units are stored temporarily in the programming language SAS, and stored permanently as text-files.

Kindergarten statistics were first collected in 1963, and have been developed since then. The purpose of the statistics is to provide information about the status of kindergartens and employees in kindergartens. Information reported by the kindergartens also forms background for state subsidies payments, and supervisions according to the Day Care Institutions Act and other regulations.

Important users of the kindergarten statistics are the Ministry of Education and Research, municipal authorities, county governors, researchers and media.

No external users have access to the statistics and analyses before they are published and accessible simultaneously for all users on www.ssb.no at 08.00 am. Prior to this, a minimum of three months' advance notice is given in the Statistics Release Calendar. This is one of Statistics Norway’s key principles for ensuring that all users are treated equally.

The statistics are relevant to other statistics produced by Statistics Norway i.e. KOSTRA,national accounts, account statistics for private kindergartens, and others. Comparable statistics can be found at the website of the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (UDIR)

The information is collected by the Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training (UDIR) under the authority of the Day Care Institutions Act, section 48. Statistics Norway uses the reports to produce official statistics under the authority of the Statistics Act of 21 June 2019 No. 32 relating to official statistics and Statistics Norway § 10.

Not relevant.

The statistics include all approved kindergartens of any form of ownership; municipal, county, state and private owned kindergartens. Information about children in kindergarten, institutions, persons employed and man-years worked is some of the data that is collected.

Some of the information that is collected is age, attendance per week in ordinary kindergartens, family day-care centres and number of children attending open kindergartens. The statistics also include the number of children relative to the number of employees/man-years and the percentage of children in kindergarten relative to the total number of children in the corresponding cohorts.

Furthermore, data regarding the number of children that are given priority because of handicap, the number of children that are allocated extra resources and the number of children who receive training in their mother tongue is collected.

Employees and man-years are distributed by category of employment position, education and ownership. Employees are also distributed by gender.

The statistics are based on data that is compiled electronically through BASIL by the forms "Annual reports for kindergartens as of 15 December".

All approved kindergartens under the Day Care Institutions Act that receive subsidies are in the sample.

The web solution presently in use for the data collection is called BASIL (BArnehage-Statistikk-InnrapporteringsLøsning) and is owned by the Ministry of Education and Research. Username and password is sent to every kindergarten 1 December and the Annual reports for kindergartens are reported by 15 December, with a response deadline of four weeks.

The electronic forms have several checks active during the registration process. The information is also controlled and edited by the corresponding county governors and by Statistics Norway before data are aggregated and published. The controls are based on coherence between data and comparison to prior years.

Not relevant

The statistics are not published on institutional level.

The compulsory schooling in Norway was extended from 9 to 10 years in 1997, which meant that 6-year-olds were enrolled in primary schools instead of kindergartens. This shift means that some time series like percentage of children attending kindergartens will have a break .

The categories of levels of attendance hours were changed from 1999. This was done because of the introduction of cash benefits for parents with small children 1-3 years old that are not attending kindergarten full-time. The former five categories were substituted by six new categories. The definition of full-time attendance in kindergarten was changed from 32 week-hours and more to 33 week-hours and more.

Children in open kindergartens were reported separately from 1999. Earlier they were reported among children in other types of kindergartens. While the statistics prior to 1999 included children in open kindergartens, the shift that was made in 1999 has enabled Statistics Norway to separate between:

  • The number of children in ordinary kindergartens (excluding children in open kindergartens, thus not directly comparable to earlier figures of total number of children in kindergartens)
  • The number of children with an offer of admission in kindergartens (including children in open kindergartens, thus directly comparable to earlier figures of total number of children in kindergartens)

Due to changes in the collection of educational background that were introduced in 2016, the figures are not directly comparable with previous years.

Errors may occur during completion of the forms in the kindergartens or by the municipal authorities. Most errors are discovered and corrected by manual or automatic controls, some errors may still occur.

This is a fullscale collection, and the response rate is equal to 100 per cent.

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