Share of the population with lower secondary education in Ireland
Ireland: Share of the population with lower secondary education was 92.5% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Ireland, 1971–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of the population with lower secondary education in Ireland is 92.5%, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 21 years on record.
The figure is up 1.7% on the previous year and up 10.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of the population with lower secondary education in Ireland peaked at 92.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 32.1%, in 1971.
That places Ireland 36th out of 135 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 21 years of available data.
Share of the population with lower secondary education in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1971 | 32.1% | — |
| 1981 | 47.6% | +48.6% |
| 1991 | 61.5% | +29.0% |
| 2006 | 83.9% | +36.4% |
| 2007 | 81.9% | -2.4% |
| 2008 | 79.1% | -3.4% |
| 2009 | 79.9% | +1.0% |
| 2010 | 81.1% | +1.5% |
| 2011 | 83.5% | +3.0% |
| 2012 | 82.8% | -0.8% |
| 2013 | 84.0% | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 86.9% | +3.4% |
| 2015 | 87.1% | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 87.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 86.2% | -1.4% |
| 2018 | 88.2% | +2.4% |
| 2019 | 88.3% | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 89.3% | +1.1% |
| 2021 | 90.7% | +1.6% |
| 2022 | 90.9% | +0.2% |
| 2023 | 92.5% | +1.7% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 32.1% | 32.1% | 32.1% | 1 |
| 1980s | 47.6% | 47.6% | 47.6% | 1 |
| 1990s | 61.5% | 61.5% | 61.5% | 1 |
| 2000s | 81.2% | 79.1% | 83.9% | 4 |
| 2010s | 85.5% | 81.1% | 88.3% | 10 |
| 2020s | 90.8% | 89.3% | 92.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 456,625 (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 1.55 % change on previous year (2022)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 42,162 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 3.17 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), gaps filled 233,132 (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, female (number), annual growth rate 1.56 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), gaps filled 223,493 (2022)
- Enrolment in secondary education, male (number), annual growth rate 1.54 % change on previous year (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 102,720 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, both sexes (number), annual -6.21 % change on previous year (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of the population with lower secondary education in Ireland?
- Share of the population with lower secondary education in Ireland was 92.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 92.5% in 2023.
- What is the lowest share of the population with lower secondary education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 32.1% in 1971.
- How does Ireland rank for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- Ireland ranks 36th out of 135 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of the population with lower secondary education rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 10.1%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of the population with lower secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 21 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed lower secondary education or higher.