Ireland vs Sweden: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education
Ireland
57.0%
in 2023
Sweden
54.4%
in 2023
Ireland rank
5th
Sweden rank
8th
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time
- Ireland
- Sweden
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 57.0% against 54.4% in Sweden, a difference of 2.6%.
The two have swapped places 3 times across 24 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Sweden ahead.
Ireland ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 8th of 101 countries.
Sweden has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 20.6% | 33.2% | 12.6% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 32.7% | 38.2% | 5.6% | Sweden |
| 2010s | 43.2% | 46.2% | 3.0% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 53.3% | 53.3% | 0.1% | Sweden |
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 Sweden?
- Ireland, at 57.0% against 54.4% in Sweden as of 2023.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Ireland and Sweden?
- 2.6%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Sweden?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2023.
- How do Ireland and Sweden rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Ireland ranks 5th and Sweden ranks 8th of 101 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, urban, female (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release