Net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland

Ireland: Net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes was 43.7% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
43.7%
Change on year
up 20.2%
World rank
97th
of 163 countries
All-time high
64.5%
in 2016
All-time low
36.4%
in 2021
Years of data
11
2012–2022

Net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland, 2012–2022

02040602012201720222012: 58.8 %2013: 59.5 %2014: 59.7 %2015: 60.5 %2016: 64.5 %2017: 38.7 %2018: 51.7 %2019: 51.5 %2020: 47.4 %2021: 36.4 %2022: 43.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2022, net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland stood at 43.7%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 20.2% on the previous year and down 25.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 64.5% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 36.4%, in 2021.

That places Ireland 97th out of 163 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 11 years of available data.

Net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes (%) in Ireland, 2012 to 2022.
Year % Change
2012 58.8%
2013 59.5% +1.1%
2014 59.7% +0.4%
2015 60.5% +1.4%
2016 64.5% +6.6%
2017 38.7% -40.0%
2018 51.7% +33.6%
2019 51.5% -0.4%
2020 47.4% -7.9%
2021 36.4% -23.3%
2022 43.7% +20.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2010s 55.6% 38.7% 64.5% 8
2020s 42.5% 36.4% 47.4% 3

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 94 Sri Lanka 45.0% compare
  2. 95 Rwanda 44.7% compare
  3. 96 Romania 44.2% compare
  4. 98 Belize 42.3% compare
  5. 99 British Virgin Islands 41.9% compare
  6. 100 Tonga 41.6% compare

See the full ranking of 346 places →

More education data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland?
Net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland was 43.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 64.5% in 2016.
What is the lowest net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 36.4% in 2021.
How does Ireland rank for net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes?
Ireland ranks 97th out of 163 countries with data for 2022.
Is net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 25.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 12 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/net-enrolment-rate-early-childhood-education-both-sexes-percent/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Net enrolment rate, early childhood education, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
346 places, 5,259 data points, 1997–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release