Providing training to staff or encouraging them to pursue further training and education could be a signal to employees that their employer is invested in their career, potentially making them feel more valued and driving greater engagement. Training may also benefit the enterprise through greater productivity or innovation.
Data on lifelong learning is reported in the CSO, Adult Education Survey releases.
In 2022, the participation rate in lifelong learning (formal and non-formal training and education) for people aged 25-69 years in Ireland was 52.1%, the sixth highest in the EU, and above the EU average of 43.5%. Sweden reported the highest participation rate in lifelong learning in 2022 (70.3%) while Greece reported the lowest (15.2%). See Figure 4.1 and Table 4.1.
Employed people aged 25-69 years were more likely to have participated in lifelong learning than those who were unemployed (62.0% compared to 35.0%), in 2022. See Figure 4.2 and Table 4.2.
Looking at those individuals in employment, aged 25-69 years, Human Health & Social Work Activities (81.0%), Education (79.0%), Financial, Insurance & Real Estate Activities (77.0%) and Information & Communication (73.0%) were the sectors with the highest rates of participation in lifelong learning. See Table 4.3.
Ireland consistently reports high rates of third level educational attainment, with 55.0% of people aged 25-74 years having a third level qualification in Ireland in 2025, the highest in the EU, and significantly above the EU average of 34.3%.
Luxembourg (52.4%), Sweden (48.4%) and Cyprus (48.1%) had the next highest rates of third level educational attainment, while Romania (17.3%) and Italy (20.3%) had the lowest rates in the EU. See Figure 4.3 and Table 4.4.
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