Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Ireland

Ireland: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 87.4% in 2022. ▬ Flat

Latest (2022)
87.4%
World rank
1st
of 53 countries
All-time high
88.6%
in 2012
All-time low
80.8%
in 2009
Years of data
8
2000–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Ireland, 2000–2022

0204060802000201120222000: 86 %2003: 86.3 %2006: 85.5 %2009: 80.8 %2012: 88.6 %2015: 88.1 %2018: 86.8 %2022: 87.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Ireland recorded 87.4% for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in 2022.

That represents a change of down 1.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Ireland peaked at 88.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 80.8%, in 2009.

Ireland ranks 1st of 53 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Ireland, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 86.0%
2003 86.3% +0.3%
2006 85.5% -0.9%
2009 80.8% -5.5%
2012 88.6% +9.7%
2015 88.1% -0.6%
2018 86.8% -1.6%
2022 87.4% +0.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 84.6% 80.8% 86.3% 4
2010s 87.9% 86.8% 88.6% 3
2020s 87.4% 87.4% 87.4% 1

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 2 South Korea 85.3% compare
  2. 3 Estonia 83.5% compare
  3. 4 Canada 81.1% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Ireland?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Ireland was 87.4% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 88.6% in 2012.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 80.8% in 2009.
How does Ireland rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Ireland ranks 1st out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.