Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years) in Ireland
Ireland: Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years) was 3 years in 2025. ▬ Flat
Latest (2025)
3 years
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
91st
of 221 countries
All-time high
3 years
in 1970
All-time low
3 years
in 1970
Years of data
56
1970–2025
Theoretical duration of lower secondary education in Ireland, 1970–2025
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Ireland recorded 3 years for theoretical duration of lower secondary education in 2025. That is the highest value across all 56 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is unchanged over ten years.
Over the whole period, theoretical duration of lower secondary education in Ireland peaked at 3 years in 1970 and was at its lowest, 3 years, in 1970.
Ireland ranks 91st of 221 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years) in Ireland, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 3 years | — |
| 1971 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1972 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1973 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1974 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1976 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1977 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1978 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1979 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1980 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1981 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1983 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1984 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1985 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1986 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1987 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1988 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1989 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1990 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1991 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1992 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1993 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1994 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1996 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1997 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1998 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 1999 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 3 years | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 3 years | +0.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 3 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 3 years, 1.0× the median. (79 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 3 years is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4 years, 75% of the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 1980s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 1990s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 2000s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 2010s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 3 years | 3 years | 3 years | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 91 Afghanistan 3 years compare
- 91 Angola 3 years compare
- 91 Anguilla 3 years compare
- 91 Argentina 3 years compare
- 91 Antigua and Barbuda 3 years compare
- 91 Burundi 3 years compare
- 91 Bangladesh 3 years compare
- 91 Bulgaria 3 years compare
- 91 Bahrain 3 years compare
- 91 Bahamas 3 years compare
- 91 Bermuda 3 years compare
- 91 Barbados 3 years compare
- 91 Botswana 3 years compare
- 91 Canada 3 years compare
- 91 Switzerland 3 years compare
- 91 China 3 years compare
- 91 Cape Verde 3 years compare
- 91 Costa Rica 3 years compare
- 91 Cuba 3 years compare
- 91 Cayman Islands 3 years compare
- 91 Cyprus 3 years compare
- 91 Dominica 3 years compare
- 91 Denmark 3 years compare
- 91 Dominican Republic 3 years compare
- 91 Ecuador 3 years compare
- 91 Egypt 3 years compare
- 91 Eritrea 3 years compare
- 91 Western Sahara 3 years compare
- 91 Spain 3 years compare
- 91 Estonia 3 years compare
- 91 Finland 3 years compare
- 91 United Kingdom 3 years compare
- 91 Georgia 3 years compare
- 91 Ghana 3 years compare
- 91 Gibraltar 3 years compare
- 91 Gambia 3 years compare
- 91 Guinea-Bissau 3 years compare
- 91 Greece 3 years compare
- 91 Grenada 3 years compare
- 91 Guatemala 3 years compare
- 91 Guyana 3 years compare
- 91 Hong Kong 3 years compare
- 91 Honduras 3 years compare
- 91 Haiti 3 years compare
- 91 Indonesia 3 years compare
- 91 India 3 years compare
- 91 Iran 3 years compare
- 91 Iraq 3 years compare
- 91 Iceland 3 years compare
- 91 Israel 3 years compare
- 91 Italy 3 years compare
- 91 Jamaica 3 years compare
- 91 Japan 3 years compare
- 91 Cambodia 3 years compare
- 91 Kiribati 3 years compare
- 91 Saint Kitts and Nevis 3 years compare
- 91 South Korea 3 years compare
- 91 Lebanon 3 years compare
- 91 Liberia 3 years compare
- 91 Libya 3 years compare
- 91 Saint Lucia 3 years compare
- 91 Lesotho 3 years compare
- 91 Luxembourg 3 years compare
- 91 Latvia 3 years compare
- 91 Macao 3 years compare
- 91 Morocco 3 years compare
- 91 Mexico 3 years compare
- 91 Mali 3 years compare
- 91 Malta 3 years compare
- 91 Mozambique 3 years compare
- 91 Montserrat 3 years compare
- 91 Mauritius 3 years compare
- 91 Malaysia 3 years compare
- 91 Namibia 3 years compare
- 91 Nigeria 3 years compare
- 91 Nicaragua 3 years compare
- 91 Netherlands 3 years compare
- 91 Norway 3 years compare
- 91 Nepal 3 years compare
- 91 Pakistan 3 years compare
- 91 Panama 3 years compare
- 91 Peru 3 years compare
- 91 Puerto Rico 3 years compare
- 91 North Korea 3 years compare
- 91 Portugal 3 years compare
- 91 Paraguay 3 years compare
- 91 Qatar 3 years compare
- 91 Rwanda 3 years compare
- 91 Saudi Arabia 3 years compare
- 91 Sudan 3 years compare
- 91 Saint Helena 3 years compare
- 91 Solomon Islands 3 years compare
- 91 Sierra Leone 3 years compare
- 91 El Salvador 3 years compare
- 91 San Marino 3 years compare
- 91 Sao Tome and Principe 3 years compare
- 91 Slovenia 3 years compare
- 91 Sweden 3 years compare
- 91 Eswatini 3 years compare
- 91 Seychelles 3 years compare
- 91 Syria 3 years compare
- 91 Turks and Caicos Islands 3 years compare
- 91 Thailand 3 years compare
- 91 East Timor 3 years compare
- 91 Trinidad and Tobago 3 years compare
- 91 Tunisia 3 years compare
- 91 Uruguay 3 years compare
- 91 United States 3 years compare
- 91 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 3 years compare
- 91 Venezuela 3 years compare
- 91 British Virgin Islands 3 years compare
- 91 United States Virgin Islands 3 years compare
- 91 Yemen 3 years 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 theoretical duration of lower secondary education in Ireland?
- Theoretical duration of lower secondary education in Ireland was 3 years in 2025, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest theoretical duration of lower secondary education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 3 years in 1970.
- What is the lowest theoretical duration of lower secondary education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3 years in 1970.
- How does Ireland rank for theoretical duration of lower secondary education?
- Ireland ranks 91st out of 221 countries with data for 2025.
- Is theoretical duration of lower secondary education rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is unchanged. 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, published as part of Theoretical duration of lower secondary education (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 56 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release