Education in South-West (Southern, Ireland): official figures
In Census 2022, 35.5% of residents aged 15+ in the South-West had a third-level degree (ordinary bachelor degree or higher), against 36.0% across Ireland; that is the 2nd highest of 8 NUTS 3 regions.
How do children get to school in the South-West?
63.1% of pupils and students in the South-West travelled to school, college or childcare by car in Census 2022, while 19.7% walked or cycled; nationally the car share was 54.3%.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyMore figures
- 12.5% of adults in the South-West had a postgraduate diploma, master's degree or doctorate in Census 2022 (13.2% nationally), including 6,050 people with a PhD or higher. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- 9.5% of people aged 15 and over in the South-West had no formal education or primary education only in Census 2022, the 2nd lowest of 8 NUTS 3 regions (Ireland: 10.5%). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Women in the South-West were more likely than men to hold a degree in Census 2022: 38.9% of women aged 15+ against 32.0% of men, a gap of 6.9 percentage points. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- 66,852 people aged 15 and over in the South-West were students in Census 2022, 11.2% of that age group (11.1% nationally). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
How South-West compares with other regional areas in Ireland
People aged 15+ with a degree or higher (%) (2022)
South-West ranks 2 of 8, highest first.
| Rank | Area | People aged 15+ with a degree or higher (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | 44.9% |
| 2 | South-West | 35.5% |
| 3 | Mid-East | 35.3% |
| 4 | West | 35.3% |
| 5 | Mid-West | 31.2% |
| 6 | South-East | 29.3% |
| 7 | Border | 28.5% |
People aged 15+ with a postgraduate qualification (%) (2022)
South-West ranks 3 of 8, highest first.
| Rank | Area | People aged 15+ with a postgraduate qualification (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Dublin | 18.8% |
| 2 | West | 12.7% |
| 3 | South-West | 12.5% |
| 4 | Mid-East | 12.2% |
| 5 | Mid-West | 10.3% |
| 6 | South-East | 9.3% |
| 7 | Border | 8.9% |
People aged 15+ with primary education or less (%) (2022)
South-West ranks 7 of 8, highest first.
| Rank | Area | People aged 15+ with primary education or less (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Midland | 11.9% |
| 3 | South-East | 11.6% |
| 4 | West | 11.4% |
| 5 | Mid-West | 10.9% |
| 6 | Mid-East | 9.7% |
| 7 | South-West | 9.5% |
| 8 | Dublin | 9.2% |
More on South-West: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Southern · Ireland
Sources
- Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland: Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS), all themes, by administrative county and city, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 32250e98c48a…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.