Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Ireland
Ireland: Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education was 7.8% in 2022. ◆ Volatile
Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Ireland, 1998–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Ireland stood at 7.8%.
That represents a change of down 6.3% on the previous year and down 1.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Ireland peaked at 8.5% in 2018 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 1998.
That places Ireland 66th out of 183 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Ireland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 0.0% | — |
| 1999 | 0.0% | — |
| 2000 | 0.0% | — |
| 2001 | 0.0% | — |
| 2002 | 0.0% | — |
| 2003 | 0.0% | — |
| 2004 | 6.9% | — |
| 2005 | 7.0% | +0.9% |
| 2006 | 6.8% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 6.9% | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 6.9% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 7.2% | +4.4% |
| 2010 | 8.1% | +11.8% |
| 2011 | 7.8% | -3.3% |
| 2012 | 7.9% | +1.0% |
| 2013 | 6.6% | -16.0% |
| 2014 | 7.2% | +8.1% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | +10.7% |
| 2016 | 8.0% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 6.6% | -16.6% |
| 2018 | 8.5% | +27.2% |
| 2019 | 8.3% | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 6.6% | -20.7% |
| 2021 | 8.3% | +25.3% |
| 2022 | 7.8% | -6.3% |
Ireland compared with similar countries
- Ireland's 7.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.0%, 78% of the median. (71 countries reporting)
- Ireland's 7.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 17.8%, 44% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.0% | 0.0% | 0.0% | 2 |
| 2000s | 4.2% | 0.0% | 7.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 7.7% | 6.6% | 8.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.6% | 6.6% | 8.3% | 3 |
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 proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Ireland?
- Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education in Ireland was 7.8% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 8.5% in 2018.
- What is the lowest proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 1998.
- How does Ireland rank for proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education?
- Ireland ranks 66th out of 183 countries with data for 2022.
- Is proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Proportion of 15- to 24-year-olds enrolled in vocational education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release