Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ireland

Ireland: Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes was 120.6% in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
120.6%
Change on year
up 9.9%
World rank
5th
of 197 countries
All-time high
120.6%
in 2018
All-time low
93.9%
in 1997
Years of data
47
1971–2018

Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ireland, 1971–2018

0255075100125197119942018

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ireland is 120.6%, measured in 2018. That is the highest value across all 47 years on record.

That represents a change of up 9.9% on the previous year and up 14.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 120.6% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 93.9%, in 1997.

That places Ireland 5th out of 197 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top 10%.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 47 years of available data.

Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%) in Ireland, 1971 to 2018.
Year % Change
1971 95.3%
1972 95.5% +0.2%
1973 97.4% +2.0%
1974 97.5% +0.1%
1975 98.8% +1.3%
1976 99.9% +1.1%
1977 100.3% +0.5%
1978 100.3% -0.0%
1979 99.8% -0.5%
1980 99.0% -0.8%
1981 98.5% -0.5%
1982 98.8% +0.3%
1983 98.7% -0.0%
1984 98.6% -0.2%
1985 98.8% +0.2%
1986 98.8% -0.0%
1987 99.3% +0.5%
1988 99.4% +0.2%
1989 99.3% -0.1%
1990 99.4% +0.1%
1991 99.6% +0.2%
1992 100.3% +0.8%
1993 104.5% +4.1%
1994 105.3% +0.8%
1995 105.9% +0.5%
1996 105.8% -0.0%
1997 93.9% -11.3%
1998 102.5% +9.2%
1999 103.2% +0.7%
2000 103.5% +0.3%
2001 103.4% -0.1%
2002 104.3% +0.9%
2003 104.8% +0.5%
2004 105.5% +0.7%
2005 105.7% +0.2%
2006 105.6% -0.2%
2007 106.3% +0.7%
2008 105.8% -0.5%
2009 107.1% +1.2%
2010 108.7% +1.5%
2011 107.9% -0.7%
2012 107.8% -0.1%
2014 107.0% -0.7%
2015 106.9% -0.1%
2016 107.0% +0.1%
2017 109.7% +2.5%
2018 120.6% +9.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 98.3% 95.3% 100.3% 9
1980s 98.9% 98.5% 99.4% 10
1990s 102.0% 93.9% 105.9% 10
2000s 105.2% 103.4% 107.1% 10
2010s 109.4% 106.9% 120.6% 8

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 2 Belgium 129.0% compare
  2. 3 Costa Rica 127.6% compare
  3. 4 Finland 126.9% compare
  4. 6 Netherlands 120.4% compare
  5. 7 United States Virgin Islands 117.3% compare
  6. 8 Australia 114.6% compare

See the full ranking of 242 places →

More education data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ireland?
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ireland was 120.6% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 120.6% in 2018.
What is the lowest gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 93.9% in 1997.
How does Ireland rank for gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes?
Ireland ranks 5th out of 197 countries with data for 2018.
Is gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 14.0%. 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 Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 07 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/gross-enrolment-ratio-primary-and-secondary-both-sexes-percent/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Gross enrolment ratio, primary and secondary, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
242 places, 8,565 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Total enrollment in primary and secondary education, regardless of age, expressed as a percentage of the total population of official primary and secondary education age. GER can exceed 100% due to the inclusion of over-aged and under-aged students because of early or late school entrance and grade repetition.