Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in Ireland
Ireland: Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary was 96.5% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ireland, 2001–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ireland is 96.5%, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 22 years on record.
That represents a change of down 1.7% on the previous year and down 5.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ireland peaked at 103.4% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 96.5%, in 2022.
That places Ireland 155th out of 217 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Primary, secondary and tertiary … Primary, secondary, tertiary in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 102.0% | — |
| 2002 | 102.8% | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 102.7% | -0.1% |
| 2004 | 103.0% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 103.1% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 103.0% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 103.3% | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 102.5% | -0.8% |
| 2009 | 102.8% | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 103.2% | +0.4% |
| 2011 | 103.4% | +0.1% |
| 2012 | 102.1% | -1.2% |
| 2013 | 102.0% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 101.5% | -0.4% |
| 2015 | 101.2% | -0.4% |
| 2016 | 101.3% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 100.5% | -0.8% |
| 2018 | 100.4% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 100.0% | -0.4% |
| 2020 | 99.9% | -0.1% |
| 2021 | 98.2% | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 96.5% | -1.7% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 96.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 99.8%, 97% of the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 96.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 101.2%, 95% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 102.8% | 102.0% | 103.3% | 9 |
| 2010s | 101.6% | 100.0% | 103.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.2% | 96.5% | 99.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 152 Egypt 96.7% compare
- 153 New Zealand 96.7% compare
- 154 Belize 96.5% compare
- 156 North Macedonia 96.3% compare
- 157 Serbia 96.0% compare
- 158 Tajikistan 95.8% 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 primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ireland?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ireland was 96.5% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 103.4% in 2011.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 96.5% in 2022.
- How does Ireland rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Ireland ranks 155th out of 217 countries with data for 2022.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.5%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.