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 15.0% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
15.0%
Change on year
up 9.2%
World rank
15th
of 105 countries
All-time high
16.2%
in 2021
All-time low
3.2%
in 1990
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 15.0%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 9.2% on the previous year and up 75.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Ireland peaked at 16.2% in 2021 and was at its lowest, 3.2%, in 1990.
Ireland ranks 15th of 105 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
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 | 3.2% | — |
| 1991 | 3.5% | +6.8% |
| 1992 | 3.9% | +13.4% |
| 1993 | 4.1% | +3.6% |
| 1994 | 4.5% | +11.4% |
| 1995 | 5.1% | +11.8% |
| 1996 | 5.6% | +11.0% |
| 1997 | 6.0% | +7.5% |
| 2002 | 8.5% | +41.4% |
| 2003 | 10.5% | +23.6% |
| 2004 | 8.0% | -23.6% |
| 2005 | 8.8% | +9.6% |
| 2006 | 9.7% | +10.6% |
| 2007 | 8.8% | -9.9% |
| 2008 | 8.3% | -5.7% |
| 2009 | 7.4% | -10.2% |
| 2010 | 8.0% | +7.4% |
| 2011 | 8.1% | +1.6% |
| 2012 | 8.4% | +3.8% |
| 2013 | 8.5% | +1.2% |
| 2014 | 7.9% | -6.8% |
| 2015 | 7.4% | -6.7% |
| 2016 | 7.3% | -1.2% |
| 2017 | 9.9% | +35.4% |
| 2018 | 13.5% | +36.7% |
| 2019 | 13.7% | +1.0% |
| 2020 | 12.0% | -12.3% |
| 2021 | 16.2% | +34.9% |
| 2022 | 13.7% | -15.3% |
| 2023 | 15.0% | +9.2% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 15.0% is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.3%, 1.6× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 15.0% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.8%, 1.9× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 4.5% | 3.2% | 6.0% | 8 |
| 2000s | 8.8% | 7.4% | 10.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 9.3% | 7.3% | 13.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.2% | 12.0% | 16.2% | 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 15.0% 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 16.2% in 2021.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.2% in 1990.
- How does Ireland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Ireland ranks 15th out of 105 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 75.9%. 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, 25-54 years old, both sexes (%). 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