Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational in Ireland

Ireland: Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational was 2.6% in 2025. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2025)
2.6%
Change on year
down 18.8%
World rank
43rd
of 47 countries
All-time high
19.5%
in 2004
All-time low
2.2%
in 2020
Years of data
23
2003–2025

Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational in Ireland, 2003–2025

051015202003201420252003: 17.2 Percentage2004: 19.5 Percentage2005: 19 Percentage2006: 16 Percentage2007: 15.9 Percentage2008: 16.9 Percentage2009: 18 Percentage2010: 12 Percentage2011: 11.5 Percentage2012: 6.5 Percentage2013: 8.4 Percentage2014: 7.5 Percentage2015: 8 Percentage2016: 6.9 Percentage2017: 6.3 Percentage2018: 4.2 Percentage2019: 4.6 Percentage2020: 2.2 Percentage2021: 5.6 Percentage2022: 4.9 Percentage2023: 3.8 Percentage2024: 3.2 Percentage2025: 2.6 Percentage

Source: Eurostat. Measured in Percentage.

Analysis

In 2025, distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational in Ireland stood at 2.6%.

That represents a change of down 18.8% on the previous year and down 67.5% over ten years.

Over the whole period, distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational in Ireland peaked at 19.5% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 2.2%, in 2020.

Ireland ranks 43rd of 47 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational attainment level of their parents and income group in Ireland, 2003 to 2025.
Year Percentage Change
2003 17.2%
2004 19.5% +13.4%
2005 19.0% -2.6%
2006 16.0% -15.8%
2007 15.9% -0.6%
2008 16.9% +6.3%
2009 18.0% +6.5%
2010 12.0% -33.3%
2011 11.5% -4.2%
2012 6.5% -43.5%
2013 8.4% +29.2%
2014 7.5% -10.7%
2015 8.0% +6.7%
2016 6.9% -13.7%
2017 6.3% -8.7%
2018 4.2% -33.3%
2019 4.6% +9.5%
2020 2.2% -52.2%
2021 5.6% +154.5%
2022 4.9% -12.5%
2023 3.8% -22.4%
2024 3.2% -15.8%
2025 2.6% -18.8%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 2.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.1%, 43% of the median. (34 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 2.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.7%, 46% of the median. (31 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational 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
2021 +154.5% 2.2% 5.6%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 17.5% 15.9% 19.5% 7
2010s 7.6% 4.2% 12.0% 10
2020s 3.7% 2.2% 5.6% 6

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 40 Slovenia 2.9% compare
  2. 40 Slovenia 2.9% compare
  3. 42 Denmark 2.8% compare
  4. 44 Croatia 2.2% compare
  5. 44 Croatia 2.2% compare
  6. 46 Poland 2.0% compare
  7. 46 Poland 2.0% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More economy & growth data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational in Ireland?
Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational in Ireland was 2.6% in 2025, according to Eurostat.
What is the highest distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 19.5% in 2004.
What is the lowest distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 2.2% in 2020.
How does Ireland rank for distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational?
Ireland ranks 43rd out of 47 countries with data for 2025.
Is distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 67.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Eurostat, published as part of Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational attainment level of their parents and income group. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat).

Share, cite or embed this page

Cite this page

Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Eurostat. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/distribution-of-children-aged-less-than-18-by-educational-attainment-level-of-their/ireland/

Embed or link this data

Paste this into a page to link back to these figures. The data itself is free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat); please keep the attribution.

<a href="https://economy.statizoid.com/stat/distribution-of-children-aged-less-than-18-by-educational-attainment-level-of-their/ireland/">Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational in Ireland</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Distribution of children (aged less than 18) by educational attainment level of their parents and income group
Unit
Percentage
Source
Eurostat
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Eurostat)
Coverage
53 places, 995 data points, 2003–2025
Last refreshed