Over half (59%) of 25 to 64 year olds in Quarter 2 (Q2) 2026 had a third level education, an increase from 58% in Q2 2025.
The 25 to 34 year old age group had the highest level of third level attainment at 66% in 2026, followed by the 35 to 44 year olds at 64%.
In Q2 2026, 84% of females aged 25 to 64 years with a third level qualification were employed.
More than nine in ten (92%) males aged 25 to 64 years with a third level education were in employment in Q2 2026.
Females across all age groupings (20 to 64 years) had higher levels of third level attainment than males in Q2 2026.
Dublin was the region with the highest level of third level attainment for those aged between 25 to 64 years at 70%, while the lowest was the Midlands (Laois, Longford, Offaly, Westmeath) region at 48%.
Around 3% of people aged between 25 to 64 years had just a primary school education or no formal education in Q2 2026.
In 2025, Ireland was well above the EU27 average for third level attainment across all age groupings.
Employment rates for those aged 25 to 64 years generally rose as the level of education attained increased. In Q2 2026, 84% of females aged between 25 to 64 years with a third level qualification were employed, compared with a 92% employment rate for males.
There were notable regional differences in educational attainment rates. In Dublin, 20% of people had attained a secondary level education only, compared with 34% of people in the Midlands (Laois, Longford, Offaly, and Westmeath). Looking at third level education attainment, around 70% of people aged 25 to 64 years in Dublin attained a third level education, while in the Midland counties, 48% of people had done so.
Around 5% of people in the Border areas (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, and Sligo) had attained primary only education or had no formal education, while all the other regions had a rate of 3% or below.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (13 November 2026) published the Educational Attainment Thematic Report 2026.
Commenting on the release, Eimear Clancy, Statistician in the Social Analysis Division, said: “This release is compiled using Labour Force Survey (LFS) Quarter 2 (Q2) 2026 data and 2025 Eurostat data.
Overall, for those aged 25 to 64 years in Q2 2026, 59% had attained a third level education, 13% had an attainment level to Post Leaving Certificate (PLC), 25% attained a secondary level education only, while just 3% had attained a primary level education or had no formal education.
In Q2 2026, younger age groups reported the highest levels of third level attainment, with 66% of 25 to 34 year olds and 64% of 35 to 45 year olds having a third level qualification, compared with 40% of 60 to 64 year olds. This reflects increased levels of participation in third level education over time.
On a European front Ireland had higher rates of third level or tertiary education in comparison with the EU27 average in 2025. In Ireland, 67% of 25 to 34 year olds had a tertiary level qualification in 2025 compared with the EU27 average of 45%."