country profile

Ireland

Europe & Central AsiaHigh income5.48M population

Last updated October 1, 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 (88th percentile worldwide). Most dimensions perform above global norms, and the system has clear capacity to scale future-oriented initiatives.

84.00Composite score
Global percentile
88th
Global rank
#22
Regional rank
#13
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
86.15
95th percentileGlobal avg. 47.24
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 (86, 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 88th percentile.

Places 22nd worldwide.

Holds a regional position of 13th 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
11Denmark91.80
22Sweden90.30
33Finland89.17
44Switzerland89.07
55Netherlands88.66
76Norway87.65
107Germany86.99
118United Kingdom86.94
139Austria86.16
1510Estonia85.11
1811France84.75
2112Belgium84.09
2213Ireland84.00
2314Portugal83.36
2415Lithuania83.35
2516Iceland83.32
2617Slovenia83.03
2718Czechia82.83
——LiechtensteinMicrostate82.82
2819Spain82.41
2920Poland82.39
3021Cyprus81.93
3122Luxembourg81.16
3223Italy80.83
3524Latvia79.54
3625Croatia78.30
3726Greece78.22
——MonacoMicrostate77.35
3927Hungary76.51
4128Slovak Republic76.21
——AndorraMicrostate74.65
——San MarinoMicrostate74.28
4429Bulgaria73.50
4530Moldova73.13
4631Turkiye72.96
——GreenlandMicrostate72.91
4732Serbia72.77
5033Georgia71.67
5134Russian Federation71.31
——GibraltarMicrostate70.71
5435Armenia70.58
5536Montenegro70.51
5637Albania70.26
5738Kazakhstan70.09
5939North Macedonia69.63
——Faroe IslandsMicrostate69.47
6540Belarus68.85
6841Uzbekistan68.53
——Channel IslandsMicrostate68.25
7242Bosnia and Herzegovina68.11
——Isle of ManMicrostate67.82
7843Romania66.51
8044Kyrgyz Republic66.01
8345Azerbaijan63.37
9446UkraineFCS60.03
10247Turkmenistan57.68
10348Kosovo57.61
10749Tajikistan55.83