Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Ireland
Ireland: Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education was 88.6% in 2022. ▬ Flat
Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Ireland, 2000–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 88.6% for share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in 2022.
That represents a change of down 2.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Ireland peaked at 90.4% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 82.8%, in 2009.
Ireland ranks 2nd of 59 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 88.9% | — |
| 2003 | 89.0% | +0.1% |
| 2006 | 87.9% | -1.2% |
| 2009 | 82.8% | -5.8% |
| 2012 | 90.4% | +9.3% |
| 2015 | 89.8% | -0.7% |
| 2018 | 88.2% | -1.8% |
| 2022 | 88.6% | +0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 87.1% | 82.8% | 89.0% | 4 |
| 2010s | 89.5% | 88.2% | 90.4% | 3 |
| 2020s | 88.6% | 88.6% | 88.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 548,873 (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.49 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.1053 units per person (2022)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 270,411 (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Ireland?
- Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Ireland was 88.6% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 90.4% in 2012.
- What is the lowest share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 82.8% in 2009.
- How does Ireland rank for share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education?
- Ireland ranks 2nd out of 59 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.0%. 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 Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of students who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data includes only students enrolled in school.