Ireland vs United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education
Ireland
41.7%
in 2022
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
47.0%
in 2021
Ireland rank
6th
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank
3rd
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time
- Ireland
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
How they compare
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland currently reports 47.0% against 41.7% in Ireland, a difference of 5.3%.
That makes United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland's figure about 1.1 times Ireland's.
Across all 9 years both countries report, United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has been ahead every year.
Ireland ranks 6th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 3rd of 95 countries.
United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.0% | 33.9% | 4.8% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2010s | 29.9% | 39.2% | 9.2% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
| 2020s | 37.7% | 46.5% | 8.7% | United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education, Ireland or United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, at 47.0% against 41.7% in Ireland as of 2021.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Ireland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 5.3%, with United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland?
- 9 years are reported by both, from 2009 to 2021.
- How do Ireland and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Ireland ranks 6th and United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland ranks 3rd of 95 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release