What is literate and illiterate world population in Ireland?

Literate and illiterate world population in Ireland was 1.5% in 1950, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Ireland?

The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1475.

What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Ireland?

The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1950.

How does Ireland rank for literate and illiterate world population?

Ireland ranks 105th out of 128 countries with data for 1950.

Where does this Ireland data come from?

The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Literate and illiterate world population in Ireland

Name: Literate and illiterate world population in Ireland
Creator: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Ireland: Literate and illiterate world population was 1.5% in 1950. ◆ Volatile

Latest (1950)

1.5%

World rank

105th

of 128 countries

All-time high

100.0%

in 1475

All-time low

1.5%

in 1950

Years of data

1475–1950

Literate and illiterate world population in Ireland, 1475–1950

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for literate and illiterate world population in Ireland is 1.5%, measured in 1950. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Ireland peaked at 100.0% in 1475 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1950.

Ireland ranks 105th of 128 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1470s	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	1
1550s	100.0%	100.0%	100.0%	1
1650s	97.0%	97.0%	97.0%	1
1750s	79.0%	79.0%	79.0%	1
1950s	1.5%	1.5%	1.5%	1

Countries ranked near Ireland

102 Maldives 1.8% compare
103 Bulgaria 1.6% compare
104 Philippines 1.5% compare
105 Finland 1.5% compare
105 Germany 1.5% compare
105 Netherlands 1.5% compare
105 Sweden 1.5% compare
105 United Kingdom 1.5% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Ireland

Population growth rate 1.2% (2023)

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Ireland?: Literate and illiterate world population in Ireland was 1.5% in 1950, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Ireland?: The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1475.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Ireland?: The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1950.
How does Ireland rank for literate and illiterate world population?: Ireland ranks 105th out of 128 countries with data for 1950.
Where does this Ireland data come from?: The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Literate and illiterate world population
Unit: %
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.