Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ireland
Ireland: Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education was 99.5% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ireland, 1820–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ireland is 99.5%, measured in 2022.
Over the whole period, gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ireland peaked at 100.0% in 1950 and was at its lowest, 11.9%, in 1820.
That places Ireland 15th out of 190 regions with data for 2022, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 12.6% | 11.9% | 13.3% | 2 |
| 1830s | 15.6% | 14.8% | 16.4% | 2 |
| 1840s | 19.2% | 18.2% | 20.2% | 2 |
| 1850s | 23.4% | 22.3% | 24.6% | 2 |
| 1860s | 28.2% | 27.0% | 29.5% | 2 |
| 1870s | 35.7% | 33.7% | 37.8% | 2 |
| 1880s | 44.0% | 42.0% | 46.1% | 2 |
| 1890s | 52.3% | 50.2% | 54.4% | 2 |
| 1900s | 60.6% | 58.5% | 62.7% | 2 |
| 1910s | 68.9% | 66.8% | 71.0% | 2 |
| 1920s | 77.2% | 75.1% | 79.3% | 2 |
| 1930s | 85.5% | 83.4% | 87.6% | 2 |
| 1940s | 93.8% | 91.7% | 95.8% | 2 |
| 1950s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 94.2% | 92.0% | 96.3% | 2 |
| 1970s | 91.5% | 91.0% | 92.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 91.0% | 91.0% | 91.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 1 |
| 2020s | 99.5% | 99.5% | 99.5% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 18.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 96.5% (2022)
- Primary education, teachers 42,162 (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.6 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 97.6% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ireland?
- Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education in Ireland was 99.5% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1950.
- What is the lowest gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.9% in 1820.
- How does Ireland rank for gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education?
- Ireland ranks 15th out of 190 regions with data for 2022.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Gender gap in primary, secondary and tertiary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 35 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
The share of girls of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.