Ireland vs Spain: Over-qualification rates by economic activity
Ireland
27.1
in 2025
Spain
33.8
in 2025
Ireland rank
4th
Spain rank
1st
Over-qualification rates by economic activity 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.
Across all 18 years both countries report, Spain has been ahead every year.
Ireland ranks 4th and Spain ranks 1st of 35 countries.
Spain has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 29.65 | 32.75 | 3.1 | Spain |
| 2010s | 29.47 | 35.7 | 6.23 | Spain |
| 2020s | 28.17 | 35.2 | 7.03 | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher over-qualification rates by economic activity, Ireland or Spain?
- Spain, at 33.8 against 27.1 in Ireland as of 2025.
- What is the difference in over-qualification rates by economic activity between Ireland and Spain?
- 6.7, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and Spain?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2008 to 2025.
- How do Ireland and Spain rank globally for over-qualification rates by economic activity?
- Ireland ranks 4th and Spain ranks 1st of 35 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Eurostat, published as Over-qualification rates by economic activity (NACE Rev. 2). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.