Romania ranks last in the OECD for enrolling 2-year-old children in nursery, with a rate of just 12%

Romania ranks last among the countries analyzed by the OECD in terms of enrolling 2-year-olds in early education and care programs. Only 12% of Romanian children of this age attend daycare, according to the “Education at a Glance 2026” report, published on Tuesday.

The data refer to 2024 and show that Romania has the lowest participation rate in programs combining education and care among OECD countries for which information is available. However, the percentage represents an increase of nearly six percentage points compared with 2015.

The situation is better among children aged three to the starting age for primary education. In 2024, 76% of children in Romania were enrolled in some form of early education and care, but the percentage remains below the OECD average of 90%.

The report emphasizes that participation in early education is widespread among children over the age of three in OECD countries. In Romania, limited access to daycare keeps the country at the bottom of the ranking, even though the data indicate an improvement compared with the last decade.