Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Ireland

Ireland: Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes was 122,893 number in 2018. ▼ Falling

Latest (2018)
122,893 number
Change on year
up 9.1%
World rank
107th
of 199 countries
All-time high
147,908 number
in 1986
All-time low
71,098 number
in 2015
Years of data
34
1971–2018

Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Ireland, 1971–2018

050.0k100.0k150.0k1971199420181971: 131.5k number1972: 134.0k number1973: 135.2k number1974: 136.0k number1975: 131.7k number1976: 135.8k number1977: 141.4k number1978: 141.5k number1979: 139.3k number1980: 137.1k number1981: 137.5k number1982: 139.8k number1983: 142.5k number1984: 146.6k number1985: 147.7k number1986: 147.9k number1987: 145.6k number1988: 142.0k number1989: 135.9k number1990: 130.0k number1991: 127.5k number1992: 126.2k number1993: 123.7k number1994: 118.2k number1995: 114.4k number1996: 116.0k number1997: 115.6k number2012: 72.3k number2013: 78.1k number2014: 78.1k number2015: 71.1k number2016: 82.2k number2017: 112.6k number2018: 122.9k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Ireland stood at 122,893 number.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.1% on the previous year and up 69.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 147,908 number in 1986 and was at its lowest, 71,098 number, in 2015.

That places Ireland 107th out of 199 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 34 years of available data.

Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number) in Ireland, 1971 to 2018.
Year number Change
1971 131,500 number
1972 134,000 number +1.9%
1973 135,200 number +0.9%
1974 135,951 number +0.6%
1975 131,731 number -3.1%
1976 135,783 number +3.1%
1977 141,392 number +4.1%
1978 141,454 number +0.0%
1979 139,278 number -1.5%
1980 137,133 number -1.5%
1981 137,533 number +0.3%
1982 139,846 number +1.7%
1983 142,501 number +1.9%
1984 146,581 number +2.9%
1985 147,686 number +0.8%
1986 147,908 number +0.2%
1987 145,576 number -1.6%
1988 142,018 number -2.4%
1989 135,923 number -4.3%
1990 129,983 number -4.4%
1991 127,512 number -1.9%
1992 126,168 number -1.1%
1993 123,711 number -1.9%
1994 118,205 number -4.5%
1995 114,363 number -3.3%
1996 116,004 number +1.4%
1997 115,569 number -0.4%
2012 72,347 number -37.4%
2013 78,056 number +7.9%
2014 78,056 number +0.0%
2015 71,098 number -8.9%
2016 82,245 number +15.7%
2017 112,646 number +37.0%
2018 122,893 number +9.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 136,254 number 131,500 number 141,454 number 9
1980s 142,270 number 135,923 number 147,908 number 10
1990s 121,439 number 114,363 number 129,983 number 8
2010s 88,192 number 71,098 number 122,893 number 7

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 104 Mali 131,114 number compare
  2. 105 Sierra Leone 127,168 number compare
  3. 106 Gambia 125,781 number compare
  4. 108 Burundi 120,163 number compare
  5. 109 New Zealand 114,707 number compare
  6. 110 Croatia 114,526 number compare

See the full ranking of 244 places →

More education data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Ireland?
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Ireland was 122,893 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 147,908 number in 1986.
What is the lowest enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 71,098 number in 2015.
How does Ireland rank for enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes?
Ireland ranks 107th out of 199 countries with data for 2018.
Is enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 69.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-pre-primary-education-both-sexes-number/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
244 places, 8,121 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of students enrolled in public and private pre-primary education institutions (ISCED 0.2) regardless of age. Within ISCED 0, early childhood educational development programmes are targeted at children aged 0 to 2 years; and pre-primary education programmes are targeted at children aged 3 years until the age to start ISCED 1.