GASTAT Report Reveals High Early Childhood Development Rates in Saudi Arabia
The General Authority for Statistics (GASTAT) has released its 2026 early childhood development report, in which the Early Childhood Development Index (ECDI2030) found that 85.3% of children aged 24 to 59 months are on track in health, learning, and psychosocial well-being, including 86.2% of females and 84.4% of males.
The ECDI2030 found that 89.6% of children aged 36 to 59 months live in a positive home environment that stimulates learning, including 91.0% of females and 88.3% of males.
The findings also showed that 72.9% of children under five played with two or more types of toys or play materials in the three days before the survey.
In education, participation in organized learning among five-year-old children reached 74.8%, including 77.1% of females and 72.6% of males.
Furthermore, 17.6% of children aged 36 to 59 months are enrolled in an early childhood education program, including 18.6% of females and 16.7% of males.
