School age population, tertiary education, female (number) (tertiary) in Ireland
Ireland: School age population, tertiary education, female (number) (tertiary) was 159,422 in 2024. ▼ Falling
School age population, tertiary education, female in Ireland, 2001–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2024, school age population, tertiary education, female in Ireland stood at 159,422.
The figure is up 1.2% on the previous year and up 17.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school age population, tertiary education, female in Ireland peaked at 164,941 in 2008 and was at its lowest, 135,596, in 2015.
That places Ireland 122nd out of 221 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 24 years of available data.
School age population, tertiary education, female (number) (tertiary) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 162,589 | — |
| 2002 | 162,503 | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 161,010 | -0.9% |
| 2004 | 158,604 | -1.5% |
| 2005 | 156,944 | -1.0% |
| 2006 | 157,298 | +0.2% |
| 2007 | 161,394 | +2.6% |
| 2008 | 164,941 | +2.2% |
| 2009 | 163,087 | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 155,377 | -4.7% |
| 2011 | 144,138 | -7.2% |
| 2012 | 139,617 | -3.1% |
| 2013 | 136,995 | -1.9% |
| 2014 | 135,821 | -0.9% |
| 2015 | 135,596 | -0.2% |
| 2016 | 137,810 | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 141,984 | +3.0% |
| 2018 | 147,355 | +3.8% |
| 2019 | 152,482 | +3.5% |
| 2020 | 156,743 | +2.8% |
| 2021 | 157,222 | +0.3% |
| 2022 | 157,022 | -0.1% |
| 2023 | 157,565 | +0.3% |
| 2024 | 159,422 | +1.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 159,422 is above the median for high income countries, which is 122,127, 1.3× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 159,422 is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 180,934, 88% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 160,930 | 156,944 | 164,941 | 9 |
| 2010s | 142,718 | 135,596 | 155,377 | 10 |
| 2020s | 157,595 | 156,743 | 159,422 | 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, female in Ireland?
- School age population, tertiary education, female in Ireland was 159,422 in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school age population, tertiary education, female recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 164,941 in 2008.
- What is the lowest school age population, tertiary education, female recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 135,596 in 2015.
- How does Ireland rank for school age population, tertiary education, female?
- Ireland ranks 122nd out of 221 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school age population, tertiary education, female rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 17.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of School age population, tertiary education, female (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