Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Ireland
Ireland: Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years was 11.43 in 2017. ▲ Rising
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Ireland, 1971–2017
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
The most recent figure for mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Ireland is 11.43, measured in 2017. That is the highest value across all 8 years on record.
That represents a change of up 4.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Ireland peaked at 11.43 in 2017 and was at its lowest, 7.53, in 1971.
That places Ireland 51st out of 124 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 7.53 | — |
| 1981 | 8.33 | +10.6% |
| 1991 | 9.27 | +11.3% |
| 2006 | 11.26 | +21.5% |
| 2007 | 10.96 | -2.7% |
| 2010 | 11.19 | +2.1% |
| 2011 | 11 | -1.7% |
| 2017 | 11.43 | +3.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 7.53 | 7.53 | 7.53 | 1 |
| 1980s | 8.33 | 8.33 | 8.33 | 1 |
| 1990s | 9.27 | 9.27 | 9.27 | 1 |
| 2000s | 11.11 | 10.96 | 11.26 | 2 |
| 2010s | 11.21 | 11 | 11.43 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 32,531 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1,942 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,745 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 49,975 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 456,625 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 548,873 (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.49 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1053 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Ireland?
- Mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Ireland was 11.43 in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 11.43 in 2017.
- What is the lowest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.53 in 1971.
- How does Ireland rank for mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years?
- Ireland ranks 51st out of 124 countries with data for 2017.
- Is mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.3%. 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 Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years, both sexes. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 8 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release