country profile

Ireland

Europe & Central AsiaHigh income5.48M population

Last updated August 4, 2026

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Advanced readiness

Composite GEFRI Score

Infrastructure and Access & Parity are the strongest areas

Ireland shows advanced readiness to meet the challenges and opportunities of education in a rapidly changing world (89th percentile worldwide). Most dimensions perform above global norms, and the system has clear capacity to scale future-oriented initiatives.

84.28Composite score
Global percentile
89th
Global rank
#21
Regional rank
#12
Viewing data for
Target achieved
Infrastructure
90.18
88th percentileGlobal avg. 70.44
Advanced readiness
Human Capital
78.43
66th percentileGlobal avg. 66.18
Advanced readiness
Innovation
75.99
91st percentileGlobal avg. 48.64
Advanced readiness
Governance
87.55
95th percentileGlobal avg. 47.07
Advanced readiness
Access & Parity
89.24
68th percentileGlobal avg. 60.85

Country profile

Ireland ranks among the stronger performers in GEFRI, but still falls short of the target-readiness threshold. Its strongest results are in Governance (88, 95th percentile) and Innovation (76, 91st percentile).

Dimension scores cluster tightly, showing the system operates with balanced readiness. High internet adoption enables broad participation in digital learning and innovation. Strong tertiary enrollment expands future talent pipelines and strengthens national innovation potential.

A large research workforce accelerates experimentation, technology adoption, and applied innovation. Policy and regulatory teams coordinate effectively, keeping reforms aligned and providing the stability needed for long-term educational planning. Girls outperform boys in secondary pathways, adding pressure to address male dropout risks.

Regionally, Ireland leads most clearly in Governance, sitting well above the peer average.

Areas with room to grow: School Access and Gender Parity (89, 68th percentile) and Human Capital (78, 66th percentile). These dimensions sit close to global norms and could accelerate quickly with targeted investment.

Most indicators are observed rather than imputed, so estimation uncertainty is limited.

Key insights

Sits above the global median at the 89th percentile.

Places 21st worldwide.

Holds a regional position of 12th within Europe & Central Asia.

Scores range from Infrastructure (90.2) to Innovation (76.0), reflecting variation across dimensions.

Leads regional peers most clearly in Governance.

Regional peers: Europe & Central Asia

Composite GEFRI Score

Global rankRegional rankCountryScore
11Denmark92.17
22Sweden90.49
33Finland89.65
44Switzerland89.17
55Netherlands89.11
66Norway87.90
107Germany87.54
118United Kingdom86.92
139Austria86.41
1710Estonia85.02
1811France84.86
2112Ireland84.28
2213Belgium84.17
2314Iceland83.80
2415Portugal83.51
2516Lithuania83.33
2617Czechia83.18
2718Slovenia83.15
LiechtensteinMicrostate82.84
2819Spain82.70
2920Poland81.97
3021Cyprus81.79
3122Luxembourg81.62
3323Italy80.65
3524Latvia79.58
3625Greece78.07
3726Croatia77.94
MonacoMicrostate77.40
4027Hungary76.63
4128Slovak Republic76.44
AndorraMicrostate74.65
San MarinoMicrostate74.31
GreenlandMicrostate73.41
4429Bulgaria73.29
4530Moldova73.12
4731Serbia72.79
4832Turkiye72.71
4933Georgia72.47
5034Russian Federation71.70
GibraltarMicrostate70.82
5435Kazakhstan70.49
5536Armenia70.34
5737Montenegro70.09
Faroe IslandsMicrostate69.59
5838Albania69.55
6339Belarus68.95
6440North Macedonia68.94
6841Uzbekistan68.67
Channel IslandsMicrostate68.37
Isle of ManMicrostate67.94
7342Bosnia and Herzegovina67.73
7843Romania66.62
8044Kyrgyz Republic65.76
8445Azerbaijan63.45
9346UkraineFCS59.93
10147Turkmenistan57.88
10348Kosovo57.69
10749Tajikistan56.05