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 74.4% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
74.4%
Change on year
up 1.0%
World rank
10th
of 110 countries
All-time high
74.4%
in 2023
All-time low
46.9%
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
Ireland recorded 74.4% for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in 2023. That is the highest value across all 30 years on record.
The figure is up 1.0% on the previous year and up 23.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Ireland peaked at 74.4% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 46.9%, in 2007.
Ireland ranks 10th 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 | 55.4% | — |
| 1991 | 55.1% | -0.5% |
| 1992 | 55.8% | +1.3% |
| 1993 | 56.6% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 56.9% | +0.5% |
| 1995 | 58.7% | +3.1% |
| 1996 | 60.4% | +3.0% |
| 1997 | 59.7% | -1.1% |
| 2002 | 54.0% | -9.6% |
| 2003 | 61.5% | +14.1% |
| 2004 | 57.9% | -5.9% |
| 2005 | 57.1% | -1.4% |
| 2006 | 57.1% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 46.9% | -17.8% |
| 2008 | 47.8% | +1.8% |
| 2009 | 51.0% | +6.8% |
| 2010 | 54.6% | +6.9% |
| 2011 | 57.0% | +4.5% |
| 2012 | 58.8% | +3.1% |
| 2013 | 60.3% | +2.5% |
| 2014 | 61.0% | +1.2% |
| 2015 | 60.3% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 60.0% | -0.6% |
| 2017 | 65.1% | +8.5% |
| 2018 | 67.8% | +4.2% |
| 2019 | 69.1% | +1.9% |
| 2020 | 69.2% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 73.7% | +6.5% |
| 2022 | 73.6% | -0.0% |
| 2023 | 74.4% | +1.0% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 74.4% is above the median for high income countries, which is 69.2%, 1.1× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 74.4% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 69.2%, 1.1× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 57.3% | 55.1% | 60.4% | 8 |
| 2000s | 54.2% | 46.9% | 61.5% | 8 |
| 2010s | 61.4% | 54.6% | 69.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 72.7% | 69.2% | 74.4% | 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 74.4% 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 74.4% in 2023.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 46.9% in 2007.
- How does Ireland rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Ireland ranks 10th 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 23.4%. 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, 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