Primary education, pupils in Ireland
Ireland: Primary education, pupils was 548,873 in 2022. ▲ Rising
Primary education, pupils in Ireland, 1971–2022
Source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
Analysis
In 2022, primary education, pupils in Ireland stood at 548,873.
That represents a change of down 1.5% on the previous year and up 5.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary education, pupils in Ireland peaked at 570,381 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 358,830, in 1997.
Ireland ranks 108th of 206 regions on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 52 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 404,594 | 399,560 | 414,624 | 9 |
| 1980s | 421,121 | 418,247 | 423,662 | 10 |
| 1990s | 407,119 | 358,830 | 465,186 | 10 |
| 2000s | 461,448 | 443,617 | 498,838 | 10 |
| 2010s | 539,072 | 506,400 | 568,495 | 10 |
| 2020s | 558,804 | 548,873 | 570,381 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Duration of pre-primary education 2 years (2025)
- Official entrance age to pre-primary education 3 years (2025)
- Population ages 15-64 65.7% (2025)
- Population ages 0-14 18.1% (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age 13 years (2025)
- Primary school starting age 5 years (2025)
- School enrollment, primary 96.5% (2022)
- Primary education, teachers 42,162 (2023)
- Fertility rate vs. average years of schooling 1.6 live births per woman (2024)
- School enrollment, primary, female 97.6% (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary education, pupils in Ireland?
- Primary education, pupils in Ireland was 548,873 in 2022, according to Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest primary education, pupils recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 570,381 in 2020.
- What is the lowest primary education, pupils recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 358,830 in 1997.
- How does Ireland rank for primary education, pupils?
- Ireland ranks 108th out of 206 regions with data for 2022.
- Is primary education, pupils rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Primary education, pupils. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Primary education pupils is the total number of pupils enrolled at primary level in public and private schools.