Completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Ireland
Ireland: Completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) was 95.1% in 2025. ▲ Rising
Completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Ireland, 1981–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Ireland is 95.1%, measured in 2025. That is the highest value across all 45 years on record.
The figure is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Ireland peaked at 95.1% in 2025 and was at its lowest, 65.8%, in 1981.
That places Ireland 10th out of 164 countries with data for 2025, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 45 years of available data.
Completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1981 | 65.8% | — |
| 1982 | 66.8% | +1.6% |
| 1983 | 67.9% | +1.5% |
| 1984 | 68.8% | +1.4% |
| 1985 | 69.7% | +1.3% |
| 1986 | 70.7% | +1.4% |
| 1987 | 71.6% | +1.3% |
| 1988 | 72.7% | +1.6% |
| 1989 | 73.7% | +1.3% |
| 1990 | 75.0% | +1.7% |
| 1991 | 76.4% | +1.9% |
| 1992 | 77.7% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 78.9% | +1.6% |
| 1994 | 80.2% | +1.5% |
| 1995 | 81.5% | +1.7% |
| 1996 | 82.7% | +1.5% |
| 1997 | 84.0% | +1.5% |
| 1998 | 85.0% | +1.2% |
| 1999 | 85.7% | +0.8% |
| 2000 | 86.0% | +0.4% |
| 2001 | 86.2% | +0.3% |
| 2002 | 86.4% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 86.5% | +0.1% |
| 2004 | 86.4% | -0.1% |
| 2005 | 86.4% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 86.7% | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 87.0% | +0.5% |
| 2008 | 87.5% | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 88.0% | +0.6% |
| 2010 | 88.7% | +0.7% |
| 2011 | 89.4% | +0.8% |
| 2012 | 90.2% | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 90.8% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 91.4% | +0.6% |
| 2015 | 91.9% | +0.5% |
| 2016 | 92.3% | +0.4% |
| 2017 | 92.6% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 92.9% | +0.4% |
| 2019 | 93.3% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 93.6% | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 93.9% | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 94.2% | +0.4% |
| 2023 | 94.5% | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 94.8% | +0.3% |
| 2025 | 95.1% | +0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 69.8% | 65.8% | 73.7% | 9 |
| 1990s | 80.7% | 75.0% | 85.7% | 10 |
| 2000s | 86.7% | 86.0% | 88.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 91.3% | 88.7% | 93.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 94.4% | 93.6% | 95.1% | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 42,162 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre primary education 3 (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 18.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- Primary secondary enrollment completion rates, gaps filled 96.48 (2022)
- School enrollment, primary 96.5% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Ireland?
- Completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) in Ireland was 95.1% in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 95.1% in 2025.
- What is the lowest completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.8% in 1981.
- How does Ireland rank for completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data)?
- Ireland ranks 10th out of 164 countries with data for 2025.
- Is completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Completion rate, upper secondary education, both sexes (modelled data) (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 45 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release