School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number) in Ireland
Ireland: School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number) was 329,317 in 2024. ▬ Flat
Latest (2024)
329,317
Change on year
up 2.2%
World rank
122nd
of 221 countries
All-time high
330,482
in 2008
All-time low
276,254
in 2014
Years of data
24
2001–2024
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland stood at 329,317.
That represents a change of up 2.2% on the previous year and up 19.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 330,482 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 276,254, in 2014.
Ireland ranks 122nd of 221 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 328,763 | — |
| 2002 | 329,311 | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 325,102 | -1.3% |
| 2004 | 319,601 | -1.7% |
| 2005 | 316,907 | -0.8% |
| 2006 | 318,344 | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 326,488 | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 330,482 | +1.2% |
| 2009 | 323,179 | -2.2% |
| 2010 | 307,334 | -4.9% |
| 2011 | 289,565 | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 282,485 | -2.4% |
| 2013 | 278,144 | -1.5% |
| 2014 | 276,254 | -0.7% |
| 2015 | 277,905 | +0.6% |
| 2016 | 281,613 | +1.3% |
| 2017 | 290,291 | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 301,198 | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 312,329 | +3.7% |
| 2020 | 319,015 | +2.1% |
| 2021 | 318,079 | -0.3% |
| 2022 | 318,624 | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 322,344 | +1.2% |
| 2024 | 329,317 | +2.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 329,317 is above the median for high income countries, which is 247,364, 1.3× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 329,317 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 368,415, 89% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 324,242 | 316,907 | 330,482 | 9 |
| 2010s | 289,712 | 276,254 | 312,329 | 10 |
| 2020s | 321,476 | 318,079 | 329,317 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
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 school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland?
- School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland was 329,317 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, tertiary education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 330,482 in 2008.
- What is the lowest school age population, tertiary education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 276,254 in 2014.
- How does Ireland rank for school age population, tertiary education, both sexes?
- Ireland ranks 122nd out of 221 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, tertiary education, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 19.2%. 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, published as part of School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release