Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Ireland
Ireland: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 73.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
73.0%
Change on year
down 1.4%
World rank
8th
of 110 countries
All-time high
74.0%
in 2022
All-time low
43.7%
in 2007
Years of data
30
1990–2023
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Ireland, 1990–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Ireland is 73.0%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of down 1.4% on the previous year and up 24.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Ireland peaked at 74.0% in 2022 and was at its lowest, 43.7%, in 2007.
Ireland ranks 8th of 110 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 55.0% | — |
| 1991 | 54.5% | -0.8% |
| 1992 | 55.0% | +0.9% |
| 1993 | 56.4% | +2.5% |
| 1994 | 56.0% | -0.7% |
| 1995 | 57.3% | +2.3% |
| 1996 | 58.8% | +2.6% |
| 1997 | 57.9% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 52.2% | -9.8% |
| 2003 | 60.7% | +16.3% |
| 2004 | 56.3% | -7.3% |
| 2005 | 56.1% | -0.4% |
| 2006 | 54.5% | -2.7% |
| 2007 | 43.7% | -19.9% |
| 2008 | 45.5% | +4.0% |
| 2009 | 49.6% | +9.2% |
| 2010 | 53.4% | +7.6% |
| 2011 | 55.3% | +3.6% |
| 2012 | 57.3% | +3.5% |
| 2013 | 58.7% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 60.2% | +2.5% |
| 2015 | 58.1% | -3.5% |
| 2016 | 58.9% | +1.4% |
| 2017 | 63.7% | +8.3% |
| 2018 | 66.7% | +4.7% |
| 2019 | 68.0% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 68.1% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 71.8% | +5.5% |
| 2022 | 74.0% | +3.0% |
| 2023 | 73.0% | -1.4% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 73.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 66.1%, 1.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 73.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 66.3%, 1.1× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 56.3% | 54.5% | 58.8% | 8 |
| 2000s | 52.3% | 43.7% | 60.7% | 8 |
| 2010s | 60.0% | 53.4% | 68.0% | 10 |
| 2020s | 71.7% | 68.1% | 74.0% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More education data for Ireland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 32,531 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1,942 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 52,745 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 49,975 (2022)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 456,625 (2022)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 548,873 (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.49 % change on previous year (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2022)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.1053 units per person (2022)
Frequently asked questions
- What is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Ireland?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Ireland was 73.0% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 74.0% in 2022.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 43.7% in 2007.
- How does Ireland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Ireland ranks 8th out of 110 countries with data for 2023.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 24.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-24 years old, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release