Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland
Ireland: Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes was 130,140 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland, 2012–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2022, enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland stood at 130,140.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 14.7% on the previous year and up 79.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 172,954 in 2018 and was at its lowest, 71,098, in 2015.
That places Ireland 102nd out of 180 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 11 years of available data.
Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2012 | 72,347 | — |
| 2013 | 78,056 | +7.9% |
| 2014 | 78,056 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 71,098 | -8.9% |
| 2016 | 82,245 | +15.7% |
| 2017 | 127,461 | +55.0% |
| 2018 | 172,954 | +35.7% |
| 2019 | 171,439 | -0.9% |
| 2020 | 154,893 | -9.7% |
| 2021 | 113,460 | -26.7% |
| 2022 | 130,140 | +14.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 106,707 | 71,098 | 172,954 | 8 |
| 2020s | 132,831 | 113,460 | 154,893 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 99 Hong Kong, China 138,294 compare
- 100 Costa Rica 132,176 compare
- 101 Lithuania 132,071 compare
- 103 Republic of Moldova 129,592 compare
- 104 Burundi 125,667 compare
- 105 Jamaica 120,121 compare
More education data for Ireland
- 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)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1053 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland?
- Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland was 130,140 in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 172,954 in 2018.
- What is the lowest enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 71,098 in 2015.
- How does Ireland rank for enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes?
- Ireland ranks 102nd out of 180 countries with data for 2022.
- Is enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 79.9%. 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 Enrolment in early childhood education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 11 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release