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Early Childhood Development (ECD)
EDUCATION & SKILLS

Early Childhood Development (ECD)

Investing in the early years is one of the smartest things a country can do. Early childhood experiences have a profound impact on brain development – affecting learning, health, behavior, and ultimately, lifetime opportunities.
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Building Human Capital Where It Matters: Homes, Neighborhoods, and Workplaces
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Read More
https://www.worldbank.org/en/publication/human-capital-report
New evidence on how human capital is formed shows that homes, neighborhoods, and workplaces play a central role in shaping people's health, skills, knowledge, and experience.
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OUR APPROACH TO
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EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
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Context
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Strategy
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PROGRAMS & PROJECTS
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ON EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
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View All Projects
Read@Home Initiative
/content/worldbank/ext/en/topic/education/early-childhood-development/fragments/read-home-initiative1
Preschool and childcare
/content/worldbank/ext/en/topic/education/early-childhood-development/fragments/Pre-school-and-childcare
Nutrition
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RESULTS & IMPACT
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ON EARLY CHILDHOOD
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More Results
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all?displayconttype_exact=Results&lang_exact=English&qterm=early%20childhood%20development&srt=lnchdt
31M preschoolers worldwide
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From 2014 to 2024, 31 million children worldwide were enrolled in quality preschool education through the World Bank’s investments in early childhood.
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1.7M preschool enrollment increase
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​In Uzbekistan, preschool enrollment rose from 0.7 million to 2.44 million after the World Bank Group increased its investments in Early Childhood Education in Europe and Central Asia.
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14M mothers & children
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Early childhood interventions benefited 14 million mothers and children in Senegal between 2020 and 2024.
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results
Investments in Children’s Early Years: Creating Brighter Futures
https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2025/06/30/investments-in-children-s-early-years-creating-brighter-futures
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Shaping the Future: Building Foundational Skills through Early Childhood Education and Inclusive Learning in Europe and Central Asia
https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2025/04/15/building-foundational-skills-through-early-childhood-education-and-inclusive-learning-in-europe-and-central-asia
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Combining Childhood Education and Nutrition to Cultivate Bright Futures in Senegal
https://www.worldbank.org/en/results/2024/04/09/combining-childhood-education-and-nutrition-to-cultivate-bright-futures-in-senegal
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RESEARCH & PUBLICATIONS

More Research & Publications
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/search?spc.page=1&f.topic=Education::Early%20Childhood%20Development,equals
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Screen Time in Early Childhood Education: Balancing the Digital Scales
Screen Time in Early Childhood Education: Balancing the Digital Scales
By applying the evidence-based approaches described in this report, we can help ensure that young children experience the potential benefits of digital innovation while preserving human interactions, play experiences, and opportunities for discovery that lay the foundations for lifelong learning and development.
https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/educacion-america-latina-caribe/publication/el-tiempo-frente-a-la-pantalla-en-la-educacion-infantil
Read Full Report
https://www.worldbank.org/en/programs/educacion-america-latina-caribe/publication/el-tiempo-frente-a-la-pantalla-en-la-educacion-infantil
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GUIDANCE NOTE
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Designing and Building Environmentally Sustainable, Play-based Early Learning Spaces
Designing and Building Environmentally Sustainable, Play-based Early Learning Spaces
Practical guidance for designing and building early childhood physical learning environments (PLEs) that are conducive to quality early childhood care and education.
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/8d4b2abd-1807-4173-826e-07880b6da2e3
Read Full Report
https://openknowledge.worldbank.org/entities/publication/8d4b2abd-1807-4173-826e-07880b6da2e3
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MORE ON
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EARLY CHILHOOD DEVELOPMENT
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Strong Starts, Strong Futures: How Today's Investments in Children Build and Skill Tomorrow's Leaders
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/immersive-story/2025/11/18/strong-starts-strong-futures
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View all Immersive Stories
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all?lang_exact=English&displayconttype_exact=Immersive+Story&topic_exact=Education
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Every child counts: Measuring early childhood development in fragile contexts
https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/education/Every-child-counts-Measuring-early-childhood-development-in-fragile-contexts
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See all Blogs
https://blogs.worldbank.org/en/search?qterm=%22early%20childhood%20development%22
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From Vision to Impact: Preschool Enrollment Soars in Morocco
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2025/09/24/from-vision-to-impact-preschool-enrollment-soars-in-morocco
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See all Feature Stories
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/all?displayconttype_exact=Feature+Story&lang_exact=English&qterm=%22early%20childhood%20development%22
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OUR PARTNERS
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IN EARLY CHILDHOOD DEVELOPMENT
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Education & Skills

Education and skills training are the bridge between human potential and economic opportunity.

Learn More

EXPLORE EDUCATION & SKILLS FOCUS AREAS
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