Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland
Ireland: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 97.8% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Latest (2022)
97.8%
Change on year
up 1.2%
World rank
19th
of 155 countries
All-time high
98.4%
in 2013
All-time low
91.5%
in 2007
Years of data
25
1998–2022
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland, 1998–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 97.8% for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 1.2% on the previous year and down 0.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland peaked at 98.4% in 2013 and was at its lowest, 91.5%, in 2007.
That places Ireland 19th out of 155 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the top quarter.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 94.5% | — |
| 1999 | 93.5% | -1.0% |
| 2000 | 94.9% | +1.4% |
| 2001 | 94.8% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 93.7% | -1.1% |
| 2003 | 93.8% | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 92.8% | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 92.5% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 92.1% | -0.4% |
| 2007 | 91.5% | -0.7% |
| 2008 | 95.3% | +4.2% |
| 2009 | 96.9% | +1.6% |
| 2010 | 95.5% | -1.4% |
| 2011 | 95.3% | -0.3% |
| 2012 | 97.8% | +2.6% |
| 2013 | 98.4% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 96.8% | -1.5% |
| 2015 | 95.0% | -1.9% |
| 2016 | 96.3% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 96.4% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 95.0% | -1.4% |
| 2019 | 97.0% | +2.1% |
| 2020 | 96.5% | -0.6% |
| 2021 | 96.6% | +0.1% |
| 2022 | 97.8% | +1.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 97.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 80.5%, 1.2× the median. (62 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 97.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 82.7%, 1.2× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 94.0% | 93.5% | 94.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 93.8% | 91.5% | 96.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 96.4% | 95.0% | 98.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 96.9% | 96.5% | 97.8% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 16 Denmark 99.5% compare
- 17 Algeria 99.0% compare
- 18 Tajikistan 98.8% compare
- 20 Mauritania 96.8% compare
- 21 Syrian Arab Republic 96.7% compare
- 22 Estonia 94.7% 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 tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland was 97.8% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 98.4% in 2013.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 91.5% in 2007.
- How does Ireland rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Ireland ranks 19th out of 155 countries with data for 2022.
- Is percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.0%. 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 tertiary education in public institutions, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release