👼 Childcare Coverage (%) in Georgia

Childcare Coverage Rate in Georgia

Only 8% of children under 3 in Georgia attend a formal care facility. This is one of the lowest rates in all of Europe and stands in stark contrast to the EU's Barcelona target, which sets a minimum coverage rate of 33% for this age group. For the 3–6 age group, the picture looks somewhat better: here the coverage rate sits at approximately 68% (UNESCO/Geostat). The low under-3 rate has profound implications for maternal workforce participation and early childhood development.

Why the Under-3 Rate Is So Low

The reasons are multifaceted. First: tradition. In Georgian society, it remains the norm for grandparents or mothers to care for young children at home until age three. A 2023 Geostat survey found that 62% of parents surveyed considered formal care for children under 2 as "not necessary" or "not desirable." Second: supply. There are simply too few nursery places — approximately 4,500 nationwide for roughly 120,000 children under 3. Most municipal kindergartens in Georgia only accept children from age 2 or 3.

Third: cost and availability of private nurseries. In Tbilisi, approximately 80–100 private nursery facilities accept children from 6 months old. Monthly costs: 600–1,500 GEL (210–525 USD). Outside Tbilisi and Batumi, private nurseries virtually do not exist. In Kutaisi, the city administration opened its first two municipal nursery groups for under-2s in 2024 — a pilot project with 40 places against an estimated demand of over 2,000.

Regional Care Landscape

The gap between Tbilisi and the rest of the country is massive. In the capital, approximately 80% of 3- to 6-year-olds attend kindergarten; in some rural communities, only 30–40%. In the regions of Mtskheta-Mtianeti, Racha-Lechkhumi, and Upper Svaneti, there are villages without a single care facility. The Georgian Foundation for Strategic and International Studies (GFSIS) documented in 2024 that in 127 municipalities across Georgia (out of 69 total municipalities), not a single childcare place for under-3s exists.

In Batumi, the coverage rate for 3- to 6-year-olds stands at approximately 72%, boosted by the tourism boom and the associated municipal revenues. Adjara has invested 15 million GEL annually in early childhood education since 2021 — disproportionate to its population share.

Comparison with English-Speaking Countries

The United States has formal childcare enrollment for under-3s at approximately 30%, though with extreme variation by state and income level. The United Kingdom achieves around 35%, with funded places available from age 2 for disadvantaged families and universally from age 3. Canada sits at roughly 27%, with significant provincial variation (Quebec leading with its subsidized $8.70/day program). Australia reaches about 40% for under-3s in formal care. Georgia's 8% falls behind not only these countries but also behind nearly all post-Soviet states such as Estonia (30%), Latvia (28%), or Armenia (15%).

Impact on Women's Employment

The low coverage rate has direct consequences for the labor market. According to Geostat, only 47% of Georgian women of working age are employed (men: 65%). The largest gap exists among mothers with children under 3: here the employment rate falls below 30%. The World Bank calculated in a 2024 Georgia report that doubling the under-3 coverage rate could increase GDP by 0.3–0.5 percentage points through additional female workforce participation.

Investments and Outlook

The Asian Development Bank (ADB) financed the construction of over 40 kindergarten buildings in Tbilisi through the "Livable Cities Investment Program" from 2019 to 2023, including 8 with nursery groups. The EU approved a 20-million-EUR program for early childhood education in Georgia in 2024 under the Eastern Partnership framework, focusing on rural regions. UNICEF Georgia has been piloting mobile care units (mobile kindergartens) in remote communities in Tusheti and Pshavi since 2023 — an innovative concept that, if successful, is to be expanded to other regions.

The government set a target in its 2025–2030 strategic plan to raise the under-3 coverage rate to 20%. Given the required expansion of an estimated 15,000 additional places and limited fiscal capacity, this target appears ambitious.

With just 8% under-3 coverage, Georgia is among the lowest-ranked countries in Europe. The supply is concentrated in Tbilisi, while rural regions are massively underserved. For relocating families with young children, this means: either organize private care in Tbilisi or rely on family networks.

This article was created on April 19, 2026