Preschool Education in New Zealand - Market Size, Industry Analysis, Trends and Forecasts (2024-2029)

Child's Play: Rising Incomes and Government Funding Have Aided Revenue Growth

Educating children between three and five years-old is at the heart of preschool education. The Ministry of Education's (Te Tahuhu o Te Matauranga) 20 Hours ECE scheme is key to the preschool services on offer, as it reduces the cost barrier to early childhood education and raises demand. The New Zealand tradition of sending preschoolers to their local kindergarten continues to lose ground, as more working parents have been opting for all-day care that comes with a more educational component. Parents are finding that offered by rival licensed early childhood centres. The number of kids enrolled in these education and care centres has trended upwards to exceed 130,000 in the last five years, while the number of children attending kindergartens is below 30,000. Similarly, the number of children attending playcentres is under 10,000. This displays the key threat centres are posing to kindergartens.

Industry participants primarily provide accredited pre-primary school education. Preschool programs are educational in nature and designed to introduce children to ideas, attitudes and behaviour required in a school environment. The programs are usually directed at children between three and five years of age. Preschools that also provide child minding or day nursery services are not included in the industry.

This report covers the scope, size, disposition and growth of the industry including the key sensitivities and success factors. Also included are five year industry forecasts, growth rates and an analysis of the industry key players and their market shares.