Ireland vs United Kingdom: Over-qualification rates by citizenship
Ireland
27.1%
in 2025
United Kingdom
25.3%
in 2019
Ireland rank
5th
United Kingdom rank
7th
Over-qualification rates by citizenship over time
- Ireland
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 27.1% against 25.3% in United Kingdom, a difference of 1.8%.
That makes Ireland's figure about 1.1 times United Kingdom's.
Across all 24 years both countries report, Ireland has been ahead every year.
Ireland ranks 5th and United Kingdom ranks 7th of 36 countries.
Ireland has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 30.6% | 18.6% | 12.0% | Ireland |
| 2000s | 28.0% | 22.0% | 5.9% | Ireland |
| 2010s | 29.5% | 25.0% | 4.4% | Ireland |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher over-qualification rates by citizenship, Ireland or United Kingdom?
- Ireland, at 27.1% against 25.3% in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in over-qualification rates by citizenship between Ireland and United Kingdom?
- 1.8%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and United Kingdom?
- 24 years are reported by both, from 1995 to 2019.
- How do Ireland and United Kingdom rank globally for over-qualification rates by citizenship?
- Ireland ranks 5th and United Kingdom ranks 7th of 36 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Eurostat, published as Over-qualification rates by citizenship. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.