As of the end of 2024, there are 257,378 children registered in kindergartens and other preschool organizations in the country. For comparison, in 2023 this figure was 233,946, in 2022 — 220,012, in 2021 — 199,813, in 2020 — 196,123, and in 2019 — 207,884. In 2018, the number of children was 197,152, and in 2017 — 187,078.
Among the total number of children in preschool institutions, 126,387 are girls. In 2023, the number of girls was 115,492, in 2022 — 108,486, in 2021 — 98,098, in 2020 — 96,168, in 2019 — 102,126, in 2018 — 96,323, and in 2017 — 90,954. In 2024, there are 130,991 boys, while in 2023 there were 118,454, in 2022 — 111,526, in 2021 — 101,517, in 2020 — 99,955, in 2019 — 105,758, in 2018 — 100,829, and in 2017 — 96,124. The majority of children attending kindergartens live in cities — 115,265, while there are 142,113 children in rural areas.
Regions
The leader in the number of children in preschool institutions remains the city of Bishkek, where 41,584 children are registered. This is significantly more than in 2023, when there were 34,990.
In second place is the Osh region with 51,625 children in kindergartens, while in 2023 this figure was 46,856. Of these, 25,523 are girls and 26,102 are boys. In urban settlements of the region, 2,792 children are registered, while in rural areas there are 48,833, highlighting the dominance of rural areas in the number of children in kindergartens.
In the Jalal-Abad region, the number of children in preschool institutions has increased to 46,316, compared to 41,698 in 2023. There are 17,458 children in cities and 28,858 in rural areas.
In the Chui region, as of the end of 2024, there are 28,048 children registered in preschool institutions, which is lower than the 2023 figure of 30,919. Of these, 8,613 live in cities, while 19,435 live in villages.
In the Batken region, the number of children in preschool organizations has risen to 24,022, compared to 22,099 in 2023. There are 8,915 children registered in cities and 15,107 in rural areas.
In the Issyk-Kul region, the number of children has reached 19,693, which is 1,590 more than in 2023 (18,103). Of these, 8,737 children live in cities, while 10,956 live in rural areas.
The Naryn region shows an increase in the number of children in preschool institutions to 13,815, compared to 12,380 in 2023. There are 2,999 children registered in urban settlements and 10,816 in rural areas.
In the Talas region, as of the end of 2024, there are 10,482 children in preschool institutions, which is more compared to 9,407 in 2023. There are 2,374 children registered in cities and 8,108 in rural areas.
It is worth noting the city of Osh, where 21,793 children are registered in preschool institutions, which is significantly more than 17,494 in 2023. Of these, 10,837 are girls and 10,956 are boys.
