70,000 people have completed third-level education in the region.
Almost 40% of people in the midlands over the age of 15 have completed third-level education.
Figures from the 2022 Census show nearly 70,000 people in the region achieved the feat.
Westmeath had the highest proportion of third-level graduates per county in the region, at 42%.
That's followed by 39% in Laois, and 37% in Offaly.
Galway City accounts for the largest proportion of those who finished third-level education in the country, at over 50%
Statistician with the CSO, Deirdre Lynch, says there's also been an increase in the Gaeltacht population:
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