Publication - Research and analysis
Funded early learning and childcare - sustainable rates 2025-2026: data collection report
Sets out information provided by local authorities on the sustainable rates they have set for providers in the private, third and childminding sectors to deliver funded early learning and childcare (ELC) in line with guidance published for setting these sustainable rates.
Annex A
Hourly Rates Paid by Local Authorities
- Tables A1 and A2 set out the hourly rates paid by local authorities to funded providers (excluding childminders) for 2 year olds and 3-5 year olds in 2024-25 and 2025-26, as well as the percentage change between the two years.
- To provide consistency – and in line with the Funding Follows the Child guidance (i.e. meeting the costs of delivering an hour of ELC to one child) – the rates presented in Tables A1 and A2 do not include any top-ups for the delivery of the free meal commitment and/or for snacks (they are presented separately in Annex B).
- Tables A3 and A4 set out the hourly rates paid by local authorities to childminding providers for 2 year olds and 3-5 year olds in 2024-25 and 2025-26, as well as the percentage change between the two years.
- The 2025-26 guidance set out that all funded ELC providers in the private, and third sector, and all childminders delivering funded ELC, would receive a minimum uplift of 3.75% to the sustainable rate(s) they received in 2024-25.
- Where local authorities have provided the minimum 3.75% uplift in rates they have calculated this by increasing 2024-25 rates by 3.75% and then rounding to the nearest penny. As a result of this rounding effect, in some cases when calculating the percentage increase between 2024-25 and 2025-26 using the rates in tables A1 to A4, a percentage change of under 3.75% may be returned (although in the tables the change is shown as 3.75%).
- Where it is clear that local authorities have increased rates beyond the minimum 3.75% the percentage changes are presented to the nearest 1 decimal place.
Table A1: Rates paid to funded providers (excluding childminders) for an hour of Early Learning and Childcare for 3-5 year olds in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
| Local Authority | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City Council | £6.27 | £6.58 | 5% |
| Aberdeenshire Council | £6.85 | £7.11 | 3.8% |
| Angus Council[2] | £6.43 | £6.70 | 4.2% |
| Argyll and Bute Council[3] | £7.48 | £7.98 | 6.7% |
| City of Edinburgh Council | £6.49 | £6.77 | 4.3% |
| Clackmannanshire Council | £6.39 | £6.63 | 3.8% |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | £6.11 | £6.42 | 5.1% |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council[4] | £6.87 | £7.18 | 4.5% |
| Dundee City Council | £6.03 | £6.29 | 4.3% |
| East Ayrshire Council[5] | £6.23 | £6.75 | 8.3% |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | £6.34 | £6.58 | 3.8% |
| East Lothian Council | £6.65 | £7.00 | 5.3% |
| East Renfrewshire Council | £6.32 | £6.59 | 4.3% |
| Falkirk Council | £6.50 | £6.85 | 5.4% |
| Fife Council | £7.07 | £7.54 | 6.6% |
| Glasgow City Council | £6.46 | £6.70 | 3.75% |
| Highland Council | £6.39 | £6.72 | 5.2% |
| Inverclyde Council | £6.32 | £6.56 | 3.8% |
| Midlothian Council | £6.48 | £6.72 | 3.75% |
| Moray Council | £7.12 | £7.45 | 4.6% |
| North Ayrshire Council | £6.51 | £6.77 | 4% |
| North Lanarkshire Council | £6.46 | £6.70 | 3.75% |
| Orkney Islands Council | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Perth and Kinross Council[6] | £6.16 | £6.55 | 6.3% |
| Renfrewshire Council | £6.45 | £6.74 | 4.5% |
| Scottish Borders Council | £7.41 | £7.69 | 3.8% |
| Shetland Islands Council | £6.99 | £7.30 | 4.4% |
| South Ayrshire Council | £6.51 | £6.83 | 4.9% |
| South Lanarkshire Council | £6.33 | £6.57 | 3.8% |
| Stirling Council | £6.50 | £6.85 | 5.4% |
| West Dunbartonshire Council | £6.28 | £6.59 | 4.9% |
| West Lothian Council | £7.00 | £7.28 | 4% |
Table A2: Rates paid to funded providers (excluding childminders) for an hour of Early Learning and Childcare for eligible 2 year olds in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
| Local Authority | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City Council | £6.92 | £7.27 | 5% |
| Aberdeenshire Council | £7.77 | £8.06 | 3.75% |
| Angus Council | £8.30 | £8.66 | 4.3% |
| Argyll and Bute Council | £8.47 | £9.04 | 6.7% |
| City of Edinburgh Council | £6.97 | £7.27 | 4.3% |
| Clackmannanshire Council | £6.94 | £7.20 | 3.75% |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | £6.33 | £6.65 | 5.1% |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council | £8.10 | £8.47 | 4.6% |
| Dundee City Council | £6.37 | £6.64 | 4.2% |
| East Ayrshire Council | £6.38 | £7.07 | 10.8% |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | £7.63 | £7.92 | 3.8% |
| East Lothian Council | £8.12 | £8.42 | 3.75% |
| East Renfrewshire Council | £6.32 | £7.46 | 18.0% |
| Falkirk Council | £7.05 | £7.41 | 5.1% |
| Fife Council | £7.07 | £8.29 | 17.3% |
| Glasgow City Council | £7.65 | £7.94 | 3.8% |
| Highland Council | £7.24 | £7.62 | 5.2% |
| Inverclyde Council | £6.32 | £6.56 | 3.8% |
| Midlothian Council | £6.99 | £7.26 | 3.9% |
| Moray Council | £8.55 | £8.94 | 4.6% |
| North Ayrshire Council | £6.81 | £7.08 | 4% |
| North Lanarkshire Council | £6.76 | £7.01 | 3.75% |
| Orkney Islands Council | N/A | N/A | N/A |
| Perth and Kinross Council | £6.39 | £6.79 | 6.3% |
| Renfrewshire Council | £8.50 | £8.88 | 4.5% |
| Scottish Borders Council | £7.80 | £8.09 | 3.75% |
| Shetland Islands Council | £9.08 | £9.49 | 4.5% |
| South Ayrshire Council | £6.81 | £7.15 | 5% |
| South Lanarkshire Council | £7.03 | £7.29 | 3.75% |
| Stirling Council | £7.05 | £7.40 | 5% |
| West Dunbartonshire Council | £6.43 | £6.74 | 4.8% |
| West Lothian Council | £7.00 | £7.28 | 4% |
Table A3: Rates paid to childminders for an hour of Early Learning and Childcare for 3-5 year olds in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
| Local Authority | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City Council | £6.17 | £6.48 | 5% |
| Aberdeenshire Council | £6.85 | £7.11 | 3.8% |
| Angus Council | £6.21 | £6.44 | 3.75% |
| Argyll and Bute Council | £7.48 | £7.98 | 6.7% |
| City of Edinburgh Council | £6.49 | £6.77 | 4.3% |
| Clackmannanshire Council | £5.83 | £6.05 | 3.8% |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | £6.11 | £6.42 | 5.1% |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council | £6.87 | £7.18 | 4.5% |
| Dundee City Council | £6.03 | £6.29 | 4.3% |
| East Ayrshire Council | £6.23 | £6.75 | 8.3% |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | £6.34 | £6.58 | 3.8% |
| East Lothian Council | £6.65 | £7.00 | 5.3% |
| East Renfrewshire Council | £6.32 | £6.59 | 4.3% |
| Falkirk Council | £5.92 | £6.19 | 4.6% |
| Fife Council | £7.07 | £7.54 | 6.6% |
| Glasgow City Council | £6.46 | £6.70 | 3.75% |
| Highland Council | £6.39 | £6.72 | 5.2% |
| Inverclyde Council | £6.32 | £6.56 | 3.8% |
| Midlothian Council | £6.48 | £6.72 | 3.75% |
| Moray Council | £7.12 | £7.45 | 4.6% |
| North Ayrshire Council | £6.51 | £6.77 | 4% |
| North Lanarkshire Council | £6.46 | £6.70 | 3.75% |
| Orkney Islands Council | £5.92 | £6.14 | 3.75% |
| Perth and Kinross Council | £6.16 | £6.55 | 6.3% |
| Renfrewshire Council | £6.45 | £6.74 | 4.5% |
| Scottish Borders Council | £7.41 | £7.69 | 3.8% |
| Shetland Islands Council | £6.99 | £7.30 | 4.4% |
| South Ayrshire Council | £6.51 | £6.83 | 4.9% |
| South Lanarkshire Council | £6.33 | £6.57 | 3.8% |
| Stirling Council | £5.57 | £6.25 | 12.2% |
| West Dunbartonshire Council | £6.28 | £6.59 | 4.9% |
| West Lothian Council | £6.46 | £6.71 | 3.9% |
Table A4: Rates paid to childminders for an hour of Early Learning and Childcare for 2 year olds in 2024-25 and 2025-26.
| Local Authority | 2024-25 | 2025-26 | % change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aberdeen City Council | £6.49 | £6.81 | 5% |
| Aberdeenshire Council | £7.77 | £8.06 | 3.75% |
| Angus Council | £6.21 | £6.44 | 3.75% |
| Argyll and Bute Council | £8.47 | £9.04 | 6.7% |
| City of Edinburgh Council | £6.97 | £7.27 | 4.3% |
| Clackmannanshire Council | £5.83 | £6.05 | 3.8% |
| Comhairle nan Eilean Siar | £6.33 | £6.65 | 5.1% |
| Dumfries and Galloway Council | £8.10 | £8.47 | 4.6% |
| Dundee City Council | £6.37 | £6.64 | 4.2% |
| East Ayrshire Council | £6.38 | £7.07 | 10.8% |
| East Dunbartonshire Council | £7.63 | £7.92 | 3.8% |
| East Lothian Council | £8.12 | £8.42 | 3.75% |
| East Renfrewshire Council | £6.32 | £7.46 | 18% |
| Falkirk Council | £5.92 | £6.19 | 4.6% |
| Fife Council | £7.07 | £8.29 | 17.3% |
| Glasgow City Council | £7.65 | £7.94 | 3.8% |
| Highland Council | £7.24 | £7.62 | 5.2% |
| Inverclyde Council | £6.32 | £6.56 | 3.8% |
| Midlothian Council | £6.99 | £7.26 | 3.9% |
| Moray Council | £8.55 | £8.94 | 4.6% |
| North Ayrshire Council | £6.81 | £7.08 | 4% |
| North Lanarkshire Council | £6.76 | £7.01 | 3.75% |
| Orkney Islands Council | £6.45 | £6.70 | 3.9% |
| Perth and Kinross Council | £6.39 | £6.79 | 6.3% |
| Renfrewshire Council | £8.50 | £8.88 | 4.5% |
| Scottish Borders Council | £7.80 | £8.09 | 3.75% |
| Shetland Islands Council | £9.08 | £9.49 | 4.5% |
| South Ayrshire Council | £6.81 | £7.15 | 5% |
| South Lanarkshire Council | £7.03 | £7.29 | 3.75% |
| Stirling Council | £5.57 | £6.25 | 12.2% |
| West Dunbartonshire Council | £6.43 | £6.74 | 4.8% |
| West Lothian Council | £6.46 | £6.71 | 3.9% |
Contact
Email: elc@gov.scot