Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in Ireland

Ireland: Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes was 8,517 number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
8,517 number
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
51st
of 133 countries
All-time high
8,930 number
in 2012
All-time low
2,489 number
in 1998
Years of data
21
1998–2018

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in Ireland, 1998–2018

2.0k4.0k6.0k8.0k1998200820181998: 2.5k number1999: 2.6k number2000: 2.9k number2001: 3.1k number2002: 3.4k number2003: 3.8k number2004: 4.3k number2005: 4.8k number2006: 5.1k number2007: 5.6k number2008: 6.1k number2009: 7.3k number2010: 8.5k number2011: 8.7k number2012: 8.9k number2013: 8.2k number2014: 8.0k number2015: 8.2k number2016: 8.4k number2017: 8.4k number2018: 8.5k number

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Ireland stood at 8,517 number.

That represents a change of up 1.8% on the previous year and up 40.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 8,930 number in 2012 and was at its lowest, 2,489 number, in 1998.

Ireland ranks 51st of 133 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.

Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes (number) in Ireland, 1998 to 2018.
Year number Change
1998 2,489 number
1999 2,612 number +4.9%
2000 2,904 number +11.2%
2001 3,059 number +5.3%
2002 3,429 number +12.1%
2003 3,816 number +11.3%
2004 4,339 number +13.7%
2005 4,824 number +11.2%
2006 5,146 number +6.7%
2007 5,590 number +8.6%
2008 6,068 number +8.6%
2009 7,321 number +20.6%
2010 8,516 number +16.3%
2011 8,658 number +1.7%
2012 8,930 number +3.1%
2013 8,171 number -8.5%
2014 7,965 number -2.5%
2015 8,204 number +3.0%
2016 8,404 number +2.4%
2017 8,368 number -0.4%
2018 8,517 number +1.8%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 2,550 number 2,489 number 2,612 number 2
2000s 4,650 number 2,904 number 7,321 number 10
2010s 8,415 number 7,965 number 8,930 number 9

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 48 New Zealand 9,854 number compare
  2. 49 Denmark 9,437 number compare
  3. 50 Peru 8,896 number compare
  4. 52 Norway 8,497 number compare
  5. 53 Libya 8,367 number compare
  6. 54 Senegal 8,296 number compare

See the full ranking of 178 places →

More education data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Ireland?
Enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes in Ireland was 8,517 number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 8,930 number in 2012.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 2,489 number in 1998.
How does Ireland rank for enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes?
Ireland ranks 51st out of 133 countries with data for 2018.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, isced 8 programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 40.4%. 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 tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 25 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-isced-8-programmes-both-sexes-number/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, ISCED 8 programmes, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
178 places, 2,921 data points, 1997–2020
Last refreshed

Total number of students enrolled in public and private tertiary education institutions in programmes on the doctoral or equivalent (ISCED 8) level.