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20 November 2020
Go to release: Educational Attainment Thematic Report 2020
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (20 November 2020) released the Educational Attainment Thematic Report for Quarter 2 (Q2) 2020.
Commenting on the release, Sarah Crilly, Statistician, said: ‘This release is compiled using Labour Force Survey (LFS) Q2 2020 data and 2019 Eurostat data. This report shows that in 2019 Ireland had higher rates of third level or tertiary education in comparison to the EU-28 average, with a peak of 55% of 25-34-year olds having a tertiary level qualification in 2019, compared with the EU-28 average of 41%.
In Q2 2020, younger age groups reported the highest levels of third level attainment, with more than half of the 25-34 and 35-44 year olds in this category (60% and 57% respectively), compared to approximately one-third (32%) of 60-64 year olds. This reflects increased levels of participation in third level education over time.
Employment rates for those aged 25-64 years old increased as the level of education attained increased. In Q2 2020, females aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification were more than three times more likely to be employed (80%) compared to females with a primary education or no formal education (24%). On the other hand, males aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification were twice as likely to be employed (88%) than those with a primary education or no formal education (44%).’
Rates of education were good, with 51% of people attaining a third level education, 30% attaining a secondary level education and 4% attaining a primary level or no formal education. Regional differences were found in educational attainment rates, with 7% of people in the Border areas and 2% living in the West of Ireland attaining primary only or no formal education while around 24% of people living in Dublin and 37% of people in the Midlands attained a secondary education. Around 62% of people in Dublin attained a third level education while 41% of people in the Border counties attained a third level education.
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is the official source of labour market statistics for Ireland including the official measures of employment and unemployment. These official measures are based on the International Labour Organisation (ILO) concepts and definitions. The ILO measures are the international standard and all EU Member States are legally obliged to compile and provide this data to Eurostat on a quarterly basis. Please see the Information Note on the Impact of COVID-19 on the Labour Force Survey: Information Note on Implications of COVID-19 on the Labour Force Survey
For more information: Labour Force Survey (LFS) Quarter 2 2020
The rates of employment and unemployment listed in the Educational Attainment Thematic Report 2020 are not adjusted for COVID-19 impacts, as adjustments were just calculated at the aggregated level and are indicative of the upper (unemployment) and lower (employment) levels for the overall population. This approach does not allow for a disaggregated level of detail, such as adjusted COVID-19 employment figures by educational attainment.
Sarah Crilly (+353) 21 453 5085 or Caroline Barrett (+353) 21 453 5485
or email Education@cso.ie
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