Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Ireland

Ireland: Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from was 17.1% in 2016. ▲ Rising

Latest (2016)
17.1%
Change on year
up 3.5%
World rank
20th
of 98 countries
All-time high
17.1%
in 2016
All-time low
7.1%
in 1998
Years of data
14
1998–2016

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Ireland, 1998–2016

0510151998200720161998: 7.1 %1999: 8.7 %2000: 8.2 %2001: 9.4 %2002: 10.7 %2003: 12.4 %2004: 13 %2009: 13.8 %2010: 16.3 %2012: 16.3 %2013: 14.1 %2014: 15.1 %2015: 16.5 %2016: 17.1 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2016, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Ireland stood at 17.1%. That is the highest value across all 14 years on record.

That represents a change of up 3.5% on the previous year and up 31.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Ireland peaked at 17.1% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 1998.

That places Ireland 20th out of 98 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 14 years of available data.

Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Health and Welfare programmes, both sexes (%) in Ireland, 1998 to 2016.
Year % Change
1998 7.1%
1999 8.7% +22.1%
2000 8.2% -6.0%
2001 9.4% +14.3%
2002 10.7% +14.3%
2003 12.4% +16.0%
2004 13.0% +4.5%
2009 13.8% +6.3%
2010 16.3% +18.2%
2012 16.3% -0.1%
2013 14.1% -13.4%
2014 15.1% +7.0%
2015 16.5% +9.4%
2016 17.1% +3.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 7.9% 7.1% 8.7% 2
2000s 11.2% 8.2% 13.8% 6
2010s 15.9% 14.1% 17.1% 6

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 17 Australia 17.5% compare
  2. 18 Portugal 17.4% compare
  3. 19 Eritrea 17.4% compare
  4. 21 Netherlands 17.1% compare
  5. 22 United States of America 17.0% compare
  6. 23 Malta 16.9% compare

See the full ranking of 98 places →

More education data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Ireland?
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Ireland was 17.1% in 2016, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 17.1% in 2016.
What is the lowest percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 1998.
How does Ireland rank for percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from?
Ireland ranks 20th out of 98 countries with data for 2016.
Is percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is up 31.8%. 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 graduates from tertiary education graduating from Health and Welfare programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 11 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/percentage-of-graduates-from-tertiary-education-graduating-from-health-and-welfare/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Percentage of graduates from tertiary education graduating from Health and Welfare programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
98 places, 1,158 data points, 1998–2020
Last refreshed

Share of all tertiary graduates who completed health and welfare programmes in the reference year.