A recent report by the European Commission, titled «Key Data on Early Childhood Education and Care in Europe – 2025», reveals that Greece has one of the lowest participation rates in early childhood education and care across the EU.
The report highlights significant disparities between member states, emphasizing Greece’s position alongside Romania, Slovakia, and Bulgaria at the bottom of the rankings.
For children under the age of three, ten EU countries and Norway have surpassed the 45% participation target, with Denmark and the Netherlands achieving the highest rates at 70%.
Meanwhile, Greece lags far behind, with participation for children aged three and older at just 68.8%, compared to over 96% in countries like Belgium, France, and Sweden.
The report underscores the critical role of early childhood education in shaping a child’s development and future prospects.
Despite this, Greece’s investment in the sector remains low, with less than 0.30% of its GDP allocated to early childhood education in 2021—well below the EU average.
Compounding the issue is a broader demographic trend across Europe: a sharp decline in the child population. Between 2013 and 2023, the proportion of children in the EU dropped by 8.1 percentage points.
Greece and Spain have experienced the steepest declines, with their populations of children aged 0–5 years falling by nearly 25 percentage points over the past decade.
Experts warn that Greece’s low participation rates and demographic challenges could have long-term social and economic implications.
