Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Ireland
Ireland: Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female was 37.6% in 2009. ▲ Rising
Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Ireland, 1974–2009
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 37.6% for percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in 2009.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.9% on the previous year and up 12.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Ireland peaked at 39.4% in 2005 and was at its lowest, 17.8%, in 1974.
That places Ireland 109th out of 172 countries with data for 2009, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1974 | 17.8% | — |
| 1994 | 22.2% | +24.5% |
| 1995 | 29.8% | +34.3% |
| 1996 | 37.0% | +24.1% |
| 1997 | 31.0% | -16.2% |
| 1998 | 33.4% | +7.8% |
| 1999 | 33.3% | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 33.3% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 34.7% | +4.2% |
| 2002 | 35.3% | +1.7% |
| 2003 | 38.3% | +8.4% |
| 2004 | 39.0% | +1.8% |
| 2005 | 39.4% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 38.3% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 39.2% | +2.4% |
| 2008 | 38.3% | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 37.6% | -1.9% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 37.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 47.8%, 79% of the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 37.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 49.7%, 76% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 17.8% | 17.8% | 17.8% | 1 |
| 1990s | 31.1% | 22.2% | 37.0% | 6 |
| 2000s | 37.4% | 33.3% | 39.4% | 10 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 106 Macau, China 38.3% compare
- 107 Korea 38.1% compare
- 108 Greece 37.7% compare
- 110 South Africa 37.4% compare
- 111 Tajikistan 37.3% compare
- 112 France 37.2% 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 teachers in tertiary education who are female in Ireland?
- Percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female in Ireland was 37.6% in 2009, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 39.4% in 2005.
- What is the lowest percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 17.8% in 1974.
- How does Ireland rank for percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female?
- Ireland ranks 109th out of 172 countries with data for 2009.
- Is percentage of teachers in tertiary education who are female rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.9%. 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 teachers in tertiary education who are female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release