Ira Emke - Poulopoulou was born in Athens and studied law at the University of Athens. She then pursued postgraduate studies in Paris with scholarships from the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) and the French Government, where she obtained the diploma of the second cycle of studies from the Institute for the Study of Economic and Social Development (Institut d'Étude du Développement Économique et Social), as well as the Diploma of Advanced Economic Studies (Diplôme d'Études Supérieures de Sciences Économiques) from the University of Paris.

She was awarded a Doctorate (Doctorat d'État ès Sciences Économiques) from the University of Paris with highest honors (mention très bien) for her dissertation titled "The Cost of University Education in France", with Professor Henri Bartoli serving as the chair of the doctoral examination committee.

She has participated in international conferences on demographic issues and has published scholarly studies in Greek, French, English, and Portuguese. She is a member of the New York Academy of Sciences and Vice President of the Society for Demographic Studies (EDIM). Her book "Problems of Migration and Repatriation" was awarded the Academy of Athens Prize.