Ireland vs New Zealand: Share of the population with tertiary education

Ireland
50.3%
in 2020
New Zealand
39.8%
in 2020
Ireland rank
7th
New Zealand rank
9th

Share of the population with tertiary education over time

  • Ireland
  • New Zealand
0204060187019452020

How they compare

Ireland currently reports 50.3% against 39.8% in New Zealand, a difference of 10.5%.

That makes Ireland's figure about 1.3 times New Zealand's.

The two have swapped places 1 time across 31 shared years of data; in 1870 it was New Zealand ahead.

Ireland ranks 7th and New Zealand ranks 9th of 111 countries.

Across the 16 decades both report, Ireland averaged higher in 2 and New Zealand in 13.

Head to head by decade

Decade Ireland New Zealand Difference Ahead
1870s 0.1% 0.1% 0.0%
1880s 0.1% 0.2% 0.1% New Zealand
1890s 0.1% 0.4% 0.3% New Zealand
1900s 0.2% 0.7% 0.5% New Zealand
1910s 0.3% 0.8% 0.5% New Zealand
1920s 0.7% 1.5% 0.8% New Zealand
1930s 1.4% 2.3% 0.8% New Zealand
1940s 2.6% 3.1% 0.5% New Zealand
1950s 3.9% 4.3% 0.5% New Zealand
1960s 4.7% 5.2% 0.5% New Zealand
1970s 6.0% 17.4% 11.4% New Zealand
1980s 11.1% 32.7% 21.7% New Zealand
1990s 19.2% 41.7% 22.5% New Zealand
2000s 32.0% 42.9% 10.9% New Zealand
2010s 49.6% 40.0% 9.6% Ireland
2020s 50.3% 39.8% 10.5% Ireland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher share of the population with tertiary education, Ireland or New Zealand?
Ireland, at 50.3% against 39.8% in New Zealand as of 2020.
What is the difference in share of the population with tertiary education between Ireland and New Zealand?
10.5%, with Ireland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and New Zealand?
31 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
How do Ireland and New Zealand rank globally for share of the population with tertiary education?
Ireland ranks 7th and New Zealand ranks 9th of 111 countries.
Where does this data come from?
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with tertiary education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Ireland vs New Zealand: Share of the population with tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 08 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/share-of-the-population-with-completed-tertiary-education/ireland/new-zealand/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of the population with tertiary education
Unit
%
Source
Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
111 places, 3,441 data points, 1870–2020
Last refreshed

Percentage of the population aged 25 to 65 years who have either completed or partially completed tertiary education.