Ireland vs Spain: Over-qualification rates by country of birth
Ireland
27.1%
in 2025
Spain
33.8%
in 2025
Ireland rank
5th
Spain rank
2nd
Over-qualification rates by country of birth over time
- Ireland
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 33.8% against 27.1% in Ireland, a difference of 6.7%.
That makes Spain's figure about 1.2 times Ireland's.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 30 shared years of data; in 1995 it was Spain ahead.
Ireland ranks 5th and Spain ranks 2nd of 45 countries.
Spain has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.6% | 33.2% | 2.6% | Spain |
| 2000s | 28.0% | 34.2% | 6.3% | Spain |
| 2010s | 29.5% | 35.7% | 6.2% | Spain |
| 2020s | 28.2% | 35.2% | 7.0% | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher over-qualification rates by country of birth, Ireland or Spain?
- Spain, at 33.8% against 27.1% in Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in over-qualification rates by country of birth between Ireland and Spain?
- 6.7%, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Spain?
- 30 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2025.
- How do Ireland and Spain rank globally for over-qualification rates by country of birth?
- Ireland ranks 5th and Spain ranks 2nd of 45 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Eurostat, published as Over-qualification rates by country of birth. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.