Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at in Ireland

Ireland: Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at was 97.2% in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
97.2%
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
16th
of 45 countries
All-time high
100.0%
in 2010
All-time low
70.4%
in 2005
Years of data
27
1998–2024

Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at in Ireland, 1998–2024

0204060801001998201120241998: 75.1 Percentage1999: 73.9 Percentage2000: 73.4 Percentage2001: 72.6 Percentage2002: 72.6 Percentage2003: 72.5 Percentage2004: 71.3 Percentage2005: 70.4 Percentage2006: 70.9 Percentage2007: 71.6 Percentage2008: 72.2 Percentage2009: 73.6 Percentage2010: 100 Percentage2011: 98.6 Percentage2012: 99.1 Percentage2013: 99.8 Percentage2014: 99.7 Percentage2015: 97.7 Percentage2016: 98.8 Percentage2017: 100 Percentage2018: 100 Percentage2019: 100 Percentage2020: 100 Percentage2021: 95.9 Percentage2022: 96 Percentage2023: 97.2 Percentage2024: 97.2 Percentage

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.

Analysis

The most recent figure for pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at in Ireland is 97.2%, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of down 2.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at in Ireland peaked at 100.0% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 70.4%, in 2005.

Ireland ranks 16th of 45 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at primary level, by sex - as % of the population of the corresponding age group in Ireland, 1998 to 2024.
Year Percentage Change
1998 75.1%
1999 73.9% -1.6%
2000 73.4% -0.7%
2001 72.6% -1.1%
2002 72.6% +0.0%
2003 72.5% -0.1%
2004 71.3% -1.7%
2005 70.4% -1.3%
2006 70.9% +0.7%
2007 71.6% +1.0%
2008 72.2% +0.8%
2009 73.6% +1.9%
2010 100.0% +35.9%
2011 98.6% -1.4%
2012 99.1% +0.5%
2013 99.8% +0.7%
2014 99.7% -0.1%
2015 97.7% -2.0%
2016 98.8% +1.1%
2017 100.0% +1.2%
2018 100.0% +0.0%
2019 100.0% +0.0%
2020 100.0% +0.0%
2021 95.9% -4.1%
2022 96.0% +0.1%
2023 97.2% +1.3%
2024 97.2% +0.0%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 97.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 96.5%, 1.0× the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 97.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 96.5%, 1.0× the median. (32 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at in Ireland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
2010 +35.9% 73.6% 100.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1990s 74.5% 73.9% 75.1% 2
2000s 72.1% 70.4% 73.6% 10
2010s 99.4% 97.7% 100.0% 10
2020s 97.3% 95.9% 100.0% 5

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 13 Hungary 97.5% compare
  2. 14 Germany 97.4% compare
  3. 14 Norway 97.4% compare
  4. 17 Cyprus 97.1% compare
  5. 18 Denmark 96.9% compare
  6. 18 Sweden 96.9% compare

See the full ranking of 47 places →

More population data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at in Ireland?
Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at in Ireland was 97.2% in 2024, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 2010.
What is the lowest pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 70.4% in 2005.
How does Ireland rank for pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at?
Ireland ranks 16th out of 45 countries with data for 2024.
Is pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 2.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at primary level, by sex - as % of the population of the corresponding age group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://population.statizoid.com/stat/pupils-from-age-4-to-the-starting-age-of-compulsory-education-at-primary-level-by-sex-as/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Pupils from age 4 to the starting age of compulsory education at primary level, by sex - as % of the population of the corresponding age group
Unit
Percentage
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
47 places, 1,185 data points, 1998–2024
Last refreshed