Slower growth in number of new day-care places

The number of children in day-care facilities in Norway increased by 4,200 from 1995 to 1996. This is 1,300 fewer places compared to 1994-95. The statistics show a steady decline in growth since 1992.

At the end of 1996 more than 226,000 children had a place in a day-care facility or were enrolled in an educational programme for six-year-olds. This is 9,300 more than in 1995. The increase included 4,200 places in day-care facilities and 5,100 places in educational programmes for six-year-olds.

The overall coverage rate (children with educational programmes as a per cent of all children under seven years of age) was 53 per cent on a nationwide basis at the end of 1996, an increase of two per cent from 1995. Top counties were Sogn og Fjordane, Finnmark and Oslo, with over 60 per cent, while Østfold, Rogaland and Aust-Agder had the lowest coverage, with 47 per cent.

On a national basis, 65 per cent of the day-care places were full-time places, i.e. the children are by agreement in day care 31 or more hours per week. Oslo and Finnmark had the highest percentage of full-day places, with respectively 91 and 89 per cent. Oppland with 32 per cent and Vest-Agder with 42 per cent had the lowest percentage of full-day places.

New Statistics

Day-care facilities and educational programmes for six-year-olds, 1996. Final figures.
Statistics are issued annually in the Weekly Bulletin of Statistics and Official Statistics of Norway (NOS) Day-care facilities and educational programmes for six-year-olds. More information: Mona Paulsrud, tel. +47 62 88 52 73, e-mail: mpa@ssb.no or Thorstein Ouren, tel. +47 62 88 52 71, e-mail: tou@ssb.no.

Weekly Bulletin issue no. 27, 1997