Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ireland
Ireland: Enrolment in primary education, both sexes was 548,873 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
548,873
Change on year
down 1.5%
World rank
108th
of 218 countries
All-time high
570,381
in 2020
All-time low
358,830
in 1997
Years of data
52
1971–2022
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ireland, 1971–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2022, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ireland stood at 548,873.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 570,381 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 358,830, in 1997.
Ireland ranks 108th of 218 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 399,700 | — |
| 1972 | 399,560 | -0.0% |
| 1973 | 403,700 | +1.0% |
| 1974 | 399,894 | -0.9% |
| 1975 | 402,219 | +0.6% |
| 1976 | 404,818 | +0.6% |
| 1977 | 406,432 | +0.4% |
| 1978 | 410,402 | +1.0% |
| 1979 | 414,624 | +1.0% |
| 1980 | 418,247 | +0.9% |
| 1981 | 419,998 | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 420,871 | +0.2% |
| 1983 | 421,539 | +0.2% |
| 1984 | 420,444 | -0.3% |
| 1985 | 420,665 | +0.1% |
| 1986 | 420,236 | -0.1% |
| 1987 | 422,150 | +0.5% |
| 1988 | 423,402 | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 423,662 | +0.1% |
| 1990 | 422,396 | -0.3% |
| 1991 | 416,747 | -1.3% |
| 1992 | 408,567 | -2.0% |
| 1993 | 402,226 | -1.6% |
| 1994 | 391,998 | -2.5% |
| 1995 | 380,983 | -2.8% |
| 1996 | 367,689 | -3.5% |
| 1997 | 358,830 | -2.4% |
| 1998 | 465,186 | +29.6% |
| 1999 | 456,564 | -1.9% |
| 2000 | 449,638 | -1.5% |
| 2001 | 443,617 | -1.3% |
| 2002 | 445,947 | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 447,618 | +0.4% |
| 2004 | 450,413 | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 454,060 | +0.8% |
| 2006 | 461,588 | +1.7% |
| 2007 | 475,836 | +3.1% |
| 2008 | 486,921 | +2.3% |
| 2009 | 498,838 | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 506,400 | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 511,466 | +1.0% |
| 2012 | 518,223 | +1.3% |
| 2013 | 527,768 | +1.8% |
| 2014 | 536,471 | +1.6% |
| 2015 | 544,856 | +1.6% |
| 2016 | 553,585 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 559,151 | +1.0% |
| 2018 | 564,304 | +0.9% |
| 2019 | 568,495 | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 570,381 | +0.3% |
| 2021 | 557,157 | -2.3% |
| 2022 | 548,873 | -1.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 404,594 | 399,560 | 414,624 | 9 |
| 1980s | 421,121 | 418,247 | 423,662 | 10 |
| 1990s | 407,119 | 358,830 | 465,186 | 10 |
| 2000s | 461,448 | 443,617 | 498,838 | 10 |
| 2010s | 539,072 | 506,400 | 568,495 | 10 |
| 2020s | 558,804 | 548,873 | 570,381 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 223,493 (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.54 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 102,720 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -6.21 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) 247,231 (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number) -0.9368 % change on previous year (2022)
- Teachers in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 35,618 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 6,544 (2023)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 134,541 (2022)
- Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, female (number) 0.1981 % change on previous year (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ireland?
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes in Ireland was 548,873 in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 570,381 in 2020.
- What is the lowest enrolment in primary education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 358,830 in 1997.
- How does Ireland rank for enrolment in primary education, both sexes?
- Ireland ranks 108th out of 218 countries with data for 2022.
- Is enrolment in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. 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 primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 52 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release