Educational attainment rate … both immigrant short-cycle tertiary in Ireland
Ireland: Educational attainment rate … both immigrant short-cycle tertiary was 63.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Ireland, 2012–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 63.0% for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and up 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Ireland peaked at 63.1% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 49.4%, in 2012.
That places Ireland 1st out of 32 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 12 years of available data.
Educational attainment rate … both immigrant short-cycle tertiary in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 49.4% | — |
| 2013 | 51.1% | +3.6% |
| 2014 | 49.4% | -3.3% |
| 2015 | 51.0% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 52.9% | +3.8% |
| 2017 | 55.0% | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 54.6% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 54.1% | -0.8% |
| 2020 | 56.2% | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 59.4% | +5.6% |
| 2022 | 63.1% | +6.2% |
| 2023 | 63.0% | -0.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 63.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 35.9%, 1.8× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 63.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 35.4%, 1.8× the median. (29 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 52.2% | 49.4% | 55.0% | 8 |
| 2020s | 60.4% | 56.2% | 63.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 2 Romania 58.5%
- 3 Luxembourg 54.3% compare
- 4 Poland 49.3% compare
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 short-cycle tertiary education in Ireland?
- Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Ireland was 63.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 63.1% in 2022.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 49.4% in 2012.
- How does Ireland rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Ireland ranks 1st out of 32 countries with data for 2023.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 23.1%. 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 Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, immigrant background, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release