Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland
Ireland: Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions was 54.2% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland, 2013–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland stood at 54.2%. That is the highest value across all 10 years on record.
The figure is up 0.5% on the previous year and up 7.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland peaked at 54.2% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 50.2%, in 2014.
Ireland ranks 82nd of 149 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2013 | 50.3% | — |
| 2014 | 50.2% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 50.8% | +1.1% |
| 2016 | 51.3% | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 51.8% | +1.1% |
| 2018 | 52.2% | +0.8% |
| 2019 | 52.5% | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 53.4% | +1.7% |
| 2021 | 54.0% | +1.0% |
| 2022 | 54.2% | +0.5% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 54.2% is below the median for high income countries, which is 57.0%, 95% of the median. (61 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 54.2% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 56.6%, 96% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2010s | 51.3% | 50.2% | 52.5% | 7 |
| 2020s | 53.9% | 53.4% | 54.2% | 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 percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland?
- Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions in Ireland was 54.2% 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 54.2% in 2022.
- What is the lowest percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 50.2% in 2014.
- How does Ireland rank for percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions?
- Ireland ranks 82nd out of 149 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 up 7.8%. 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 Percentage of enrolment in tertiary education in public institutions, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 10 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release