Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Ireland
Ireland: Share of the population with a completed post secondary education was 63.32 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Ireland, 1971–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 63.32 for share of the population with a completed post secondary education in 2023. That is the highest value across all 13 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.7% on the previous year and up 67.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Ireland peaked at 63.32 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 4.64, in 1971.
That places Ireland 3rd out of 110 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 13 years of available data.
Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 4.64 | — |
| 1981 | 7.86 | +69.4% |
| 1991 | 13.56 | +72.4% |
| 2006 | 41.61 | +206.9% |
| 2007 | 43.14 | +3.7% |
| 2008 | 40.43 | -6.3% |
| 2009 | 43.2 | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 44.25 | +2.4% |
| 2011 | 37.79 | -14.6% |
| 2015 | 52.02 | +37.6% |
| 2017 | 42.95 | -17.4% |
| 2022 | 61.65 | +43.5% |
| 2023 | 63.32 | +2.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 4.64 | 4.64 | 4.64 | 1 |
| 1980s | 7.86 | 7.86 | 7.86 | 1 |
| 1990s | 13.56 | 13.56 | 13.56 | 1 |
| 2000s | 42.09 | 40.43 | 43.2 | 4 |
| 2010s | 44.25 | 37.79 | 52.02 | 4 |
| 2020s | 62.49 | 61.65 | 63.32 | 2 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 1 Kazakhstan 79.02 compare
- 2 Canada 68.85 compare
- 4 Lithuania 63.23 compare
- 5 Singapore 63.09 compare
- 6 United Arab Emirates 56.99 compare
More education data for Ireland
- Theoretical duration of pre-primary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (pre-primary to post-secondary non) 0.0494 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of upper secondary education (years), annual 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Theoretical duration of secondary education (years), annual growth 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), gaps filled 2,021 tertiary education (2022)
- Start of the academic school year (tertiary education), annual growth 0.0495 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, teachers, gaps filled 42,162 (2023)
- Duration of pre primary education, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Duration of pre primary education 2 (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Ireland?
- Share of the population with a completed post secondary education in Ireland was 63.32 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with a completed post secondary education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 63.32 in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of the population with a completed post secondary education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 4.64 in 1971.
- How does Ireland rank for share of the population with a completed post secondary education?
- Ireland ranks 3rd out of 110 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population with a completed post secondary education rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 67.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with a completed post secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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