Children out of school in Ireland

Ireland: Children out of school was 1.8% in 2022. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2022)
1.8%
Change on year
up 112.2%
World rank
127th
of 196 countries
All-time high
1.8%
in 2022
All-time low
0.0%
in 2016
Years of data
22
2001–2022

Children out of school in Ireland, 2001–2022

00.511.522001201120222001: 0.183 % of primary school age2002: 0.22 % of primary school age2003: 0.019 % of primary school age2004: 0.092 % of primary school age2005: 0.259 % of primary school age2006: 0.117 % of primary school age2007: 0.175 % of primary school age2008: 0.074 % of primary school age2009: 0.026 % of primary school age2010: 0.2 % of primary school age2011: 0.126 % of primary school age2012: 0.058 % of primary school age2013: 0.073 % of primary school age2014: 0.037 % of primary school age2015: 0.049 % of primary school age2016: 0.012 % of primary school age2017: 0.082 % of primary school age2018: 0.098 % of primary school age2019: 0.294 % of primary school age2020: 0.113 % of primary school age2021: 0.854 % of primary school age2022: 1.8 % of primary school age

Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of primary school age.

Analysis

Ireland recorded 1.8% for children out of school in 2022. That is the highest value across all 22 years on record.

The figure is up 112.2% on the previous year and up 3,031.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, children out of school in Ireland peaked at 1.8% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2016.

That places Ireland 127th out of 196 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Children out of school in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Children out of school (% of primary school age) in Ireland, 2001 to 2022.
Year % of primary school age Change
2001 0.2%
2002 0.2% +20.1%
2003 0.0% -91.3%
2004 0.1% +383.4%
2005 0.3% +181.2%
2006 0.1% -54.6%
2007 0.2% +49.2%
2008 0.1% -57.5%
2009 0.0% -64.6%
2010 0.2% +659.0%
2011 0.1% -37.3%
2012 0.1% -53.9%
2013 0.1% +25.6%
2014 0.0% -48.6%
2015 0.0% +30.7%
2016 0.0% -76.2%
2017 0.1% +604.3%
2018 0.1% +19.1%
2019 0.3% +201.1%
2020 0.1% -61.6%
2021 0.9% +655.8%
2022 1.8% +112.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.1% 0.0% 0.3% 9
2010s 0.1% 0.0% 0.3% 10
2020s 0.9% 0.1% 1.8% 3

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 124 Italy 2.1% compare
  2. 125 Jordan 1.9% compare
  3. 126 Iceland 1.8% compare
  4. 128 Croatia 1.8% compare
  5. 129 Samoa 1.8% compare
  6. 130 Finland 1.8% compare

See the full ranking of 201 places →

More education data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is children out of school in Ireland?
Children out of school in Ireland was 1.8% in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest children out of school recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 1.8% in 2022.
What is the lowest children out of school recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2016.
How does Ireland rank for children out of school?
Ireland ranks 127th out of 196 countries with data for 2022.
Is children out of school rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 3,031.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Children out of school (% of primary school age). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Children out of school in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/children-out-of-school-percent-of-primary-school-age/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Children out of school (% of primary school age)
Unit
% of primary school age
Source
Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
201 places, 4,722 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

Children out of school are the percentage of primary-school-age children who are not enrolled in primary or secondary school. Children in the official primary age group that are in preprimary education should be considered out of school.