Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Ireland
Ireland: Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public was 51.7% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Latest (2022)
51.7%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
55th
of 176 countries
All-time high
51.7%
in 2022
All-time low
48.0%
in 2020
Years of data
12
1999–2022
Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Ireland, 1999–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 51.7% for percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in 2022. That is the highest value across all 12 years on record.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 0.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Ireland peaked at 51.7% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 48.0%, in 2020.
That places Ireland 55th out of 176 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 51.3% | — |
| 2009 | 49.1% | -4.2% |
| 2013 | 51.3% | +4.5% |
| 2014 | 51.3% | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 51.0% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 50.8% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 51.0% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 50.9% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 48.2% | -5.2% |
| 2020 | 48.0% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 51.2% | +6.6% |
| 2022 | 51.7% | +1.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 51.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 51.6%, 1.0× the median. (69 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 51.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 51.7%, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 51.3% | 51.3% | 51.3% | 1 |
| 2000s | 49.1% | 49.1% | 49.1% | 1 |
| 2010s | 50.6% | 48.2% | 51.3% | 7 |
| 2020s | 50.3% | 48.0% | 51.7% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 52 Germany 51.8% compare
- 53 Turks and Caicos Islands 51.8% compare
- 54 Albania 51.8% compare
- 56 Kazakhstan 51.7% compare
- 57 Lithuania 51.7% compare
- 58 North Macedonia 51.7% compare
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 percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Ireland?
- Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public in Ireland was 51.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 51.7% in 2022.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 48.0% in 2020.
- How does Ireland rank for percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public?
- Ireland ranks 55th out of 176 countries with data for 2022.
- Is percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Percentage of enrolment in pre-primary education in public institutions, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 12 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release