Over 85% of young children in Saudi Arabia on track developmentally
A government statistics report shows most children aged two to five are meeting developmental milestones in health, learning and wellbeing.
At a glance
- 85.3% of children aged 24–59 months are developmentally on track in health, learning and psychosocial wellbeing
- 89.6% of children aged 36–59 months live in positive, learning-stimulating home environments
- 74.8% of five-year-olds participated in organized learning before primary school entry
- 56% of children under five have no access to children's books
According to the General Authority for Statistics, 85.3 percent of children aged 24 to 59 months in Saudi Arabia are developmentally on track across health, learning and psychosocial wellbeing, with girls at 86.2 percent and boys at 84.4 percent.
The Early Childhood Development and Child Well-Being Statistics 2026 report also found that 89.6 percent of children in the older age bracket lived in learning-stimulating home environments. Nearly 75 percent of five-year-olds participated in organized learning before primary school entry, though only 17.6 percent were enrolled in early childhood education programmes during the 2025–2026 school year.
Why it matters
The report provides baseline data on early childhood development and educational access in Saudi Arabia, informing policy discussions on education and child welfare.
Original reporting
This brief was written with AI assistance from the reports listed above and checked against our editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
