Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Ireland
Ireland: Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) was 42,162 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
42,162
Change on year
up 3.2%
World rank
92nd
of 216 countries
All-time high
42,162
in 2023
All-time low
13,060
in 1976
Years of data
40
1975–2023
Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Ireland, 1975–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 42,162 for teachers in primary education, both sexes in 2023. That is the highest value across all 40 years on record.
The figure is up 3.2% on the previous year and up 30.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, teachers in primary education, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 42,162 in 2023 and was at its lowest, 13,060, in 1976.
That places Ireland 92nd out of 216 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 40 years of available data.
Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1975 | 13,397 | — |
| 1976 | 13,060 | -2.5% |
| 1977 | 13,076 | +0.1% |
| 1978 | 13,242 | +1.3% |
| 1979 | 13,803 | +4.2% |
| 1980 | 14,233 | +3.1% |
| 1981 | 14,636 | +2.8% |
| 1982 | 14,829 | +1.3% |
| 1983 | 15,117 | +1.9% |
| 1984 | 15,484 | +2.4% |
| 1985 | 15,521 | +0.2% |
| 1986 | 15,674 | +1.0% |
| 1987 | 15,852 | +1.1% |
| 1988 | 15,880 | +0.2% |
| 1989 | 15,393 | -3.1% |
| 1990 | 15,513 | +0.8% |
| 1991 | 15,614 | +0.7% |
| 1992 | 15,775 | +1.0% |
| 1993 | 16,212 | +2.8% |
| 1994 | 16,212 | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 16,339 | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 16,311 | -0.2% |
| 1997 | 16,202 | -0.7% |
| 1998 | 18,002 | +11.1% |
| 1999 | 21,148 | +17.5% |
| 2001 | 21,865 | +3.4% |
| 2002 | 22,979 | +5.1% |
| 2003 | 23,972 | +4.3% |
| 2004 | 24,792 | +3.4% |
| 2005 | 25,416 | +2.5% |
| 2006 | 26,833 | +5.6% |
| 2007 | 29,852 | +11.3% |
| 2008 | 30,697 | +2.8% |
| 2009 | 31,549 | +2.8% |
| 2010 | 32,043 | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 32,848 | +2.5% |
| 2012 | 32,267 | -1.8% |
| 2021 | 39,152 | +21.3% |
| 2022 | 40,865 | +4.4% |
| 2023 | 42,162 | +3.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 42,162 is above the median for high income countries, which is 17,584, 2.4× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 42,162 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 31,624, 1.3× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13,316 | 13,060 | 13,803 | 5 |
| 1980s | 15,262 | 14,233 | 15,880 | 10 |
| 1990s | 16,733 | 15,513 | 21,148 | 10 |
| 2000s | 26,439 | 21,865 | 31,549 | 9 |
| 2010s | 32,386 | 32,043 | 32,848 | 3 |
| 2020s | 40,726 | 39,152 | 42,162 | 3 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 89 Burundi 43,226 compare
- 90 Costa Rica 43,058 compare
- 91 Libya 42,696 compare
- 93 Denmark 42,105 compare
- 94 Papua New Guinea 40,888 compare
- 95 United Arab Emirates 39,735 compare
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 teachers in primary education, both sexes in Ireland?
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes in Ireland was 42,162 in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 42,162 in 2023.
- What is the lowest teachers in primary education, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 13,060 in 1976.
- How does Ireland rank for teachers in primary education, both sexes?
- Ireland ranks 92nd out of 216 countries with data for 2023.
- Is teachers in primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 30.7%. 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 Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 40 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release