Kindergartens

Updated: 1 March 2023

Modified:

Next update: Not yet determined

Number of all children aged 1-5 attended kindergarten
Number of all children aged 1-5 attended kindergarten
2022
93.4
%
Main figures - Kindergartens
Main figures - Kindergartens
2022Difference from last yearDifference last 5 years
Number of children in kindergarten268 730265-12 892
Percentage of children 1-5 years93.40.02.1
Percentage of children 1-2 years87.70.75.2
Percentage of children 3-5 years97.2-0.20.1
Number of kindergartens5 420-105-456
Percentage of public kindergartens4812
Employees95 7065051 166
Percentage of directors and educational leaders with pre-school teacher education92.00.01.1
21 March 2023. One kindergarten has been added in Oslo.
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and figures 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
    20205 6202 6562 96495 909272 26492.8
    20215 5252 6242 90195 201268 46593.4
    20225 4202 6182 80295 706268 73093.4
    2022
    Viken1 19846573322 41264 21992.4
    Oslo67830537311 93835 41792.0
    Innlandet3481961525 76915 62694.1
    Vestfold og Telemark3741881866 91719 43193.6
    Agder3371212165 67615 17991.7
    Rogaland4352272089 58226 96192.6
    Vestland63832631211 77733 25695.2
    Møre og Romsdal2641401244 85913 37494.9
    Trøndelag - Trööndelage5382852538 60523 44495.7
    Nordland - Nordlánnda3051661393 97310 79094.5
    Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku3031971064 16710 94593.9
    Svalbard2203188.
    21 March 2023. One kindergarten has been added in Oslo.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Children in kindergartens by age.
    Children in kindergartens by age.
    Total0 years1 year2 years3 years4 years5 years6 years
    2014286 4142 14541 14556 70959 84062 42263 746407
    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
    21 March 2023. One kindergarten has been added in Oslo.
    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 groups268 7306653682 0003 902262 389
    0 year2 392111243312 3044.6
    1 year46 5061911856074145 07781.0
    2 year51 8930148044078650 57394.7
    3 year54 6661145937873053 48496.8
    4 year55 5611175431281054 36797.2
    5 year57 3672104526779956 24497.4
    6 year34500005340
    0-5 years268 3856653682 0003 897262 04979.7
    1-5 years265 9935643561 9573 866259 74593.4
    1-2 years98 3991231981 0001 52795 65087.7
    3-5 years167 5944411589572 339164 09597.2
    21 March 2023. One kindergarten has been added in Oslo.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Persons employed and man-years by employment position in kindergartens.
    Persons employed and man-years by employment position in kindergartens.
    20222021202020192018
    All positions
    Employees95 70695 20195 90996 74496 098
    Man-years78 11577 44777 70078 05577 101
    Directors
    Employees5 7435 8515 9806 0546 198
    Man-years4 6484 7044 7394 7864 783
    Educational leaders
    Employees31 38731 32331 53831 69431 249
    Man-years29 27729 17929 37029 47628 971
    Bilingual assistants
    Employees7799271 0351 2001 347
    Man-years267286317358399
    Other primary functions
    Employees40 22539 82940 32540 87340 675
    Man-years35 23034 74835 02335 36835 165
    Other educational personnel
    Employees9 2608 9228 4878 3157 698
    Man-years5 6585 4435 1194 9454 565
    Office staff
    Employees1 1521 1661 2131 2441 453
    Man-years367379399411459
    Other paid help
    Employees7 1807 1897 3347 3647 478
    Man-years2 6842 7082 7352 7112 760
    21 March 2023. One kindergarten has been added in Oslo.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Persons employed in kindergartens, by employment position and sex
    Persons employed in kindergartens, by employment position and sex
    20222021202020192018
    Total number of persons employed95 70695 20195 90996 74496 098
    Females83 89983 52484 38885 23084 773
    Males11 80711 67711 52111 51411 325
    Directors5 7435 8515 9806 0546 198
    Females5 1615 2835 4185 5395 674
    Males582568562515524
    Educational leaders31 38731 32331 53831 69431 249
    Females28 19428 15428 46128 73628 477
    Males3 1933 1693 0772 9582 772
    Other primary functions40 22539 82940 32540 87340 675
    Females36 08835 80136 30636 74336 632
    Males4 1374 0284 0194 1304 043
    Bilingual assistants7799271 0351 2001 347
    Females7288619431 0951 241
    Males516692105106
    Other educational personal9 2608 9228 4878 3157 698
    Females8 5788 2867 9477 7657 200
    Males682636540550498
    Office staff1 1521 1661 2131 2441 453
    Females9519641 0001 0261 206
    Males201202213218247
    Other paid help7 1807 1897 3347 3647 478
    Females4 2194 1804 3154 3264 343
    Males2 9613 0093 0193 0383 135
    21 March 2023. One kindergarten has been added in Oslo.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Persons employed in kindergartens, by position and qualifications
    Persons employed in kindergartens, by position and qualifications
    20222021202020192018
    Total number of persons employed95 70695 20195 90996 74496 098
    Directors5 7435 8515 9806 0546 198
    with pre-school teatcher education5 1865 2555 3785 4785 639
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children527553562431438
    with vocational training4461211
    Educational leaders31 38731 32331 53831 69431 249
    with pre-school teatcher education28 31528 43128 36527 98427 086
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children8229289051 002826
    with vocational training8966477369731 163
    Other primary functions40 22539 82940 32540 87340 675
    with pre-school teatcher education330297293264
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children944852874848
    other college education1 0791 1011 1511 163
    skilled worker training18 65418 64618 21617 576
    other background19 21818 93319 79121 022
    Bilingual assistants7799271 0351 2001 347
    with pre-school teatcher education178207203255307
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children1186910
    with vocational training108120135119113
    Other educational personal9 2608 9228 4878 3157 698
    with pre-school teatcher education2 4022 4312 2712 3732 255
    with other college education that gives qualifications for working with children140135138140118
    with vocational training1 4691 4531 3601 2481 061
    Office staff1 1521 1661 2131 2441 453
    Other paid help7 1807 1897 3347 3647 478
    21 March 2023. One kindergarten has been added in Oslo.
    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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