It Pays Off to Invest in Early Childhood Education

Countries across Europe and Central Asia have invested in early childhood education (ECE), a smart way to eliminate extreme poverty. This has led to an impressive increase in preschool enrollment among children between the ages of 3 and 7.

The World Bank Group boosted its investments in ECE, from $50 million in 2013 to $314 million in 2024, championing quality and access, and emphasizing equity in 12 countries, including Uzbekistan and Serbia.

In 2018, one in two Serbian children had access to preschool education, while enrollment was only 27% in Uzbekistan. Serbia built new ECE facilities to increase access and repurposed existing infrastructure in disadvantaged areas. In Uzbekistan, they introduced an affordable half-day kindergarten model and doubled infrastructure utilization. Consequently, the Promoting Early Childhood Development project in Uzbekistan contributed to the coverage of children receiving preschool education from 27% in 2019 to 75% in 2025. The Inclusive Early Childhood Education and Care project in Serbia increased the national preschool enrollment rate for children aged 3 to 5.5 years, from 52% in 2018 to 74% in 2024, with 64,000 more children attending preschool.