Educational attainment rate, completed lower … native NPIA lower in Ireland
Ireland: Educational attainment rate, completed lower … native NPIA lower was 1.1 NPIA in 2020. ▬ Flat
Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Ireland, 2012–2020
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in NPIA.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Ireland is 1.1 NPIA, measured in 2020. That is the lowest value across all 9 years on record.
That represents a change of down 0.9% on the previous year and down 3.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Ireland peaked at 1.14 NPIA in 2012 and was at its lowest, 1.1 NPIA, in 2020.
That places Ireland 3rd out of 34 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the top 10%.
Educational attainment rate, completed lower … native NPIA lower in Ireland, year by year
| Year | NPIA | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 1.14 NPIA | — |
| 2013 | 1.13 NPIA | -0.7% |
| 2014 | 1.13 NPIA | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 1.13 NPIA | -0.3% |
| 2016 | 1.13 NPIA | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 1.11 NPIA | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 1.12 NPIA | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 1.11 NPIA | -0.6% |
| 2020 | 1.1 NPIA | -0.9% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 1.1 NPIA is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.9997 NPIA, 1.1× the median. (29 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 1.1 NPIA is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.9981 NPIA, 1.1× the median. (30 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 1.12 NPIA | 1.11 NPIA | 1.14 NPIA | 8 |
| 2020s | 1.1 NPIA | 1.1 NPIA | 1.1 NPIA | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 99.47 (2022)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 98.19 (2022)
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 32,531 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1,942 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,745 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 49,975 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 456,625 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 548,873 (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.49 % change on previous year (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Ireland?
- Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Ireland was 1.1 NPIA in 2020, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 1.14 NPIA in 2012.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.1 NPIA in 2020.
- How does Ireland rank for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or?
- Ireland ranks 3rd out of 34 countries with data for 2020.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 3.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, adjusted native parity index (NPIA). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 9 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release