School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland

Ireland: School age population, tertiary education, both sexes was 299,162 number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
299,162 number
Change on year
up 3.4%
World rank
124th
of 203 countries
All-time high
341,209 number
in 1997
All-time low
263,666 number
in 1970
Years of data
49
1970–2018

School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland, 1970–2018

0100.0k200.0k300.0k197019942018

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland stood at 299,162 number.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 3.4% on the previous year and down 9.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 341,209 number in 1997 and was at its lowest, 263,666 number, in 1970.

That places Ireland 124th out of 203 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 49 years of available data.

School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number) in Ireland, 1970 to 2018.
Year number Change
1970 263,666 number
1971 267,009 number +1.3%
1972 270,595 number +1.3%
1973 272,867 number +0.8%
1974 274,250 number +0.5%
1975 275,194 number +0.3%
1976 276,711 number +0.6%
1977 278,271 number +0.6%
1978 281,971 number +1.3%
1979 287,730 number +2.0%
1980 295,626 number +2.7%
1981 304,426 number +3.0%
1982 308,368 number +1.3%
1983 309,824 number +0.5%
1984 309,634 number -0.1%
1985 308,359 number -0.4%
1986 307,601 number -0.2%
1987 302,856 number -1.5%
1988 301,141 number -0.6%
1989 302,912 number +0.6%
1990 309,002 number +2.0%
1991 318,662 number +3.1%
1992 325,567 number +2.2%
1993 330,519 number +1.5%
1994 334,344 number +1.2%
1995 337,482 number +0.9%
1996 340,818 number +1.0%
1997 341,209 number +0.1%
1998 337,503 number -1.1%
1999 319,488 number -5.3%
2000 324,796 number +1.7%
2001 328,763 number +1.2%
2002 329,311 number +0.2%
2003 325,102 number -1.3%
2004 319,601 number -1.7%
2005 316,907 number -0.8%
2006 318,344 number +0.5%
2007 326,488 number +2.6%
2008 330,482 number +1.2%
2009 323,179 number -2.2%
2010 307,334 number -4.9%
2011 289,565 number -5.8%
2012 282,485 number -2.4%
2013 278,144 number -1.5%
2014 276,254 number -0.7%
2015 277,905 number +0.6%
2016 281,613 number +1.3%
2017 289,315 number +2.7%
2018 299,162 number +3.4%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 274,826 number 263,666 number 287,730 number 10
1980s 305,075 number 295,626 number 309,824 number 10
1990s 329,459 number 309,002 number 341,209 number 10
2000s 324,297 number 316,907 number 330,482 number 10
2010s 286,864 number 276,254 number 307,334 number 9

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 121 New Zealand 322,712 number compare
  2. 122 Slovakia 318,395 number compare
  3. 123 Eritrea 304,262 number compare
  4. 125 Oman 294,677 number compare
  5. 126 Lebanon 268,554 number compare
  6. 127 Jamaica 263,211 number compare

See the full ranking of 248 places →

More education data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is school age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland?
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland was 299,162 number in 2018, 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 341,209 number in 1997.
What is the lowest school age population, tertiary education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 263,666 number in 1970.
How does Ireland rank for school age population, tertiary education, both sexes?
Ireland ranks 124th out of 203 countries with data for 2018.
Is school age population, tertiary education, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 9.5%. 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 School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School age population, tertiary education, both sexes in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 27 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-age-population-tertiary-education-both-sexes-number/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
School age population, tertiary education, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
248 places, 11,591 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

Population of the age-group theoretically corresponding to tertiary education as indicated by theoretical entrance age and duration.