School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in Ireland
Ireland: School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) was 6.59 years in 2022. ▲ Rising
Latest (2022)
6.59 years
Change on year
down 1.3%
World rank
60th
of 214 countries
All-time high
7.67 years
in 2018
All-time low
5.3 years
in 2001
Years of data
21
2001–2022
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Ireland, 2001–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 6.59 years for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.3% on the previous year and up 12.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 7.67 years in 2018 and was at its lowest, 5.3 years, in 2001.
Ireland ranks 60th of 214 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years) (life both) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 5.3 years | — |
| 2002 | 5.34 years | +0.8% |
| 2003 | 5.4 years | +1.1% |
| 2004 | 5.47 years | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 5.49 years | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 5.47 years | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 5.55 years | +1.4% |
| 2008 | 5.55 years | -0.0% |
| 2009 | 5.66 years | +2.0% |
| 2010 | 5.82 years | +2.9% |
| 2011 | 5.76 years | -1.1% |
| 2012 | 5.87 years | +1.9% |
| 2014 | 5.84 years | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 5.85 years | +0.2% |
| 2016 | 5.84 years | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 6.24 years | +6.9% |
| 2018 | 7.67 years | +22.9% |
| 2019 | 6.86 years | -10.6% |
| 2020 | 6.69 years | -2.6% |
| 2021 | 6.68 years | -0.1% |
| 2022 | 6.59 years | -1.3% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 6.59 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 6.57 years, 1.0× the median. (76 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 6.59 years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.3 years, 90% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 5.47 years | 5.3 years | 5.66 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 6.2 years | 5.76 years | 7.67 years | 9 |
| 2020s | 6.65 years | 6.59 years | 6.69 years | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 57 Mongolia 6.85 years compare
- 58 Belarus 6.7 years compare
- 59 Kuwait 6.68 years compare
- 61 Azerbaijan 6.59 years compare
- 62 Saudi Arabia 6.58 years compare
- 63 New Caledonia 6.58 years
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 life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Ireland?
- School life expectancy, secondary, both sexes in Ireland was 6.59 years in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 7.67 years in 2018.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.3 years in 2001.
- How does Ireland rank for school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes?
- Ireland ranks 60th out of 214 countries with data for 2022.
- Is school life expectancy, secondary, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.3%. 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 life expectancy, secondary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release