Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Ireland
Ireland: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates 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.
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
- 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, 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.
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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.