Children in preschools in Sweden 2013-2023

Attendance in preschool in Sweden is optional. The preschool system is administered on a municipal level, but private preschools also exist in some municipalities. The preschool is available for children aged one year up to the fall semester when they turn six years. The number of children in preschool in Sweden increased from 2012 to 2019, before decreasing slightly since. In 2023, more than 500,000 children attended preschool in Sweden, which is a share of 86.6 percent of all children from one to five years.

Number of preschools

Though the number of children attending preschool in Sweden increased over most of the period, the number of preschools followed a different pattern. In 2023, there were less than 9,200 preschools in Sweden.  

Four-year old children were the largest group

In 2023, preschool attendance was highest  among children who were five years old followed by the four-year-old children. That year, nearly 115,000 children aged five years attended preschools in Sweden.