Age and level of education

Census 2016 shows that younger people who had finished full time education were significantly better educated than older people. 

In total 56.2 per cent of people aged 15 to 39 possessed a third level qualification, in comparison to 18.9 per cent of those aged 65 and over. The proportion educated to primary level only for those aged 65 plus was 39.7 per cent.

Interactive table: StatBank Link EA005

Sex differences

In general, women were better educated than men in April 2016. In all 43.2 per cent of females aged 15 and over had a third level qualification, compared with 40.7 per cent of males.  Just over 31.6 per cent of males were not educated to a higher level than lower secondary, whereas 26.2 per cent of females had a similar level of education, see figure 1.2.

Among those aged 25 to 39, women tended to stay in education longer than men. Only 13.8 per cent of females in this age group completed their full-time education aged 17 or under compared with 20.7 per cent of males.

The differences for those aged between 40 and 59 were similar with 31.2 per cent and 39.6 per cent for females and males respectively in this group having completed their education before they turned 18.

Among persons aged 60 and over, the differences between men and women in when they finished full time education were less notable, with 60.8 per cent of females and 62.8 per cent of males having ceased their education aged 17 or under. Within this older age group more males (15.4%) than females (12.7%) stayed in education until at least the age of 22.

Interactive table: StatBank Link EA020

Adult education

In all 310,482 persons aged 22 and over indicated that their education had not ceased. Of these 213,713 were not full-time students.

The census shows that 76,891 of these persons who had not ceased their education were in their thirties, 45,328 were in their forties, 23,377 were in their fifties and 10,888 in their sixties. There were 6,663 persons aged 70 and over who had not ceased their education (up from 5,030 in 2011).

Of those aged 22 and over and that education had not ceased, the sex ratio was balanced, with just over half (50.7%) being female.

Most of those continuing with their education (excluding full-time students) were also working (65.5%) with a further 17.0 per cent unemployed. Economic status varied significantly by age however. Of the under 40, in total 89.3 per cent were at work or unemployed, in comparison with the 11,007 persons aged 65 and over, 77.7 per cent were either retired or looking after the home.

Increasing levels of education

Looking over a twenty-five year period from 1991-2016 the education attainment of 15 year olds and over has greatly improved.  There has been a decrease in the number of people who were educated to primary level only and an increase in those with higher levels.  

The greatest gains have been in the numbers of those with a third level qualification rising from 13.6 per cent in 1991 to 42.0 per cent by 2016.

Older when finishing education

Corresponding to increasing levels of education attainment, the age at which people ceased their full-time education steadily rose between 1991 and 2016. Of those who had completed their education in 1991, 27.8 per cent, representing 601,958 people had completed their education before they turned 15. By 2006 this figure had more than halved to 13.3 per cent and by April 2016 it had decreased further to 8.7 per cent, representing fewer than 184,266 people.

Those remaining in education in their early 20s has increased. Census 1991 recorded 5.2 per cent or 111,867 persons had completed their education aged 22 or older.  In April 2006, this proportion grew to 17.3 per cent (or 421,374 persons). The numbers continuing their education beyond age 21 increased to 593,827 in 2016, representing 28.2 per cent.

Average age education ceased

In total 3,097,052 persons aged 15 and over had completed their full time education in April 2016 with an overall stated average age of completion of 19.9 years. However, as can be seen in Table 1.1, this varied across administrative area.

The county with the oldest average age at which education ceased was Galway City at 22 years. Just behind was Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown where the average age at which education ceased was 21.7. Also recording high average ages were Dublin City (20.6), Fingal (20.4) and Cork City (20.3).

The county in which persons on average ceased their education at the youngest age was Monaghan at 18.8 years.  This represents an average age which was 3.2 years younger than Galway City. Education also ceased comparatively early in Cavan, Wexford and Donegal (all 18.9 years) and Offaly (19.0).

Interactive table: StatBank Link EA033

Third level education by county

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown had the highest percentage of persons with a third level qualification (and had ceased education) at 61.1 per cent. Galway City (with 55.2%) had the second highest rate overall.  This was followed by Dublin City and Fingal (both 48.7%).

County Longford and Wexford had the lowest percentage of persons with a third level qualification, both at 32.5 per cent, followed by Offaly (32.7%).

No formal or primary level education by county

Over one in five persons (21.9%) in Donegal, aged 15 and over, had not been educated beyond primary level, the highest for any county, followed by Monaghan (18.0%) and Cavan (17.8%).

Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown had the lowest percentage of persons with no formal or primary education at 6.6 per cent.  Fingal and Galway City were the next lowest at 8.3 per cent and 8.6 per cent respectively.

Education and marriage

Figure 1.6 shows that the more educated a person is the more likely they are to be married.

Of those aged 35 to 44, Census results show that 50.9 per cent of those with lower secondary education were married compared with 59.4 per cent for those with an upper secondary level qualification and 68.9 per cent for those with a third level degree or higher qualification.

Among persons aged between 55 and 64, those with either lower secondary (71.3%) or third level degree or higher qualifications (72.6%) had a similar likelihood of being married.

Interactive table: StatBank Link EA014

Separation and divorce

Separation and divorce were higher in those who were educated to primary level only with the rate generally falling with increased educational attainment. See figure 1.7.

There was an urban-rural divide in separation rates.  For example among persons educated no higher than primary level, for those aged 45-54 in urban areas it was found that 15.5 per cent were separated or divorced, compared with 10.3 per cent of those similarly educated in rural areas. 

Similar trends can be seen in the same age group for those educated to lower secondary level as in urban areas it was found 14.7 per cent were separated or divorced, compared with 8.8 per cent in rural areas.

Ireland's lower educated

13.3% of adults are lower educated

In April 2016 there were 386,498 persons in Ireland who had finished their education having completed no higher than primary school; this represents a fall of 70,398 since 2011. Of these 52,214 indicated that they had no formal education of which 56.7 per cent lived in urban areas.

Just under 13,431 of the lower educated were aged between 15 and 29. The majority of this younger group (59.9%) were males.  Among the 66,036 persons under 50, the proportion of males remained steady at 59.4 per cent but fell to 52.8 per cent for all persons whose education attainment was no higher than primary school (including those with no formal education).

Economic status

There were 63,971 persons aged between 20 and 49 who were educated to primary level or lower in 2016. Labour force participation among this group was 66.3 per cent compared with 85.7 per cent for those of the same age educated to upper secondary school level.  A further 12.1 per cent indicated among the lower educated that they were unable to work due to permanent sickness or disability, while unemployment was 32.4 per cent.

Unable to work

In all 46,709 lower educated persons aged were unable to work due to illness or disability. The vast majority (85.8%) of these people had at least one disability. Almost 24,000 (54.8%) indicated they had a difficulty attending work, school or college while 24,698 (52.9%) stated having a difficulty with basic physical activities such as walking and lifting.

Interactive table: StatBank Link EA019