Post-Primary Outcomes - Academic Years Ending 2012 & 2013

Introduction

This chapter explores the age at which people in the State reach important milestones in life, including leaving secondary and third level education, beginning work, living with a partner and buying a home, among others, while the later chapters look at post-primary outcomes for students in more detail. The Central Statistics Office will publish further 'horizontal reports' on differences in outcomes based on housing tenure, family formation and other cross-cutting topics in future, based on additional analysis of administrative and survey data sources.

Age 18 - Completing post-primary education

Completing post-primary education is a major milestone and a student is then faced with the choice to continue with education or to seek employment.

The average age for finishing post-primary education rose steadily from 18.18 years in 2004 to 18.43 years by 2018. These figures were obtained from the Post-Primary Online Database (PPOD) from the Department of Education and Skills (DES), held in the CSO’s Administrative Data Centre (ADC).

Statbank tables: PPO12 - Mean age of Leaving Certificate completion

Age 23- Completing full-time education

While almost half of 22-year olds have completed full-time education (49.2%), according to Census 2016, the clear majority (64.4%) of 23 year olds have done so. In Census 2011, 22-years old represented the age at which the majority of persons (54.3%) had completed full-time education.

Statbank tables: PPO13 - Completing full-time education

Age 23 - Starting full-time work

The age at which a majority (more than 50%) of a single year of age cohort are in full-time employment rose from 21 years in Census 2006 to 23 years in Census 2016. This rise in age for starting full-time work can be explained, in part, by an increase in the age at which full-time education is completed in recent years.

Statbank tables: PPO14 - Full-time work

Age 24 - Living independently of parents

The age at which more than half of people live independently of their parent(s) rose from 22 years in 2006 to 24 years by 2016.

Statbank tables: PPO15 - Living independently of parents

Age 25 - First driving licence

Gaining the ability to drive is a key milestone of independence for many people, particularly those without access to a suitable alternative in public transport.

The median age of receiving a first-issue driving learner permit was extracted from the National Vehicle and Driver File (NVDF) compiled by the Department of Transport, Tourism and Sport (DTTAS), held in the CSO’s Administrative Data Centre (ADC).

The median age for first receiving a driving learner permit dropped from 28 in 2001 to 20 by 2011, before rising to 26 in 2017 and dropping slightly to 25 in 2018.

Statbank tables: PPO16 - First driving licence

Age 31 – Living with a partner

The age at which more than half of persons are enumerated as cohabiting or married was 31 in Census 2016, a rise of two years compared to Census 2011.

Statbank tables: PPO17 - Living with partner

Age 31 – First-time mothers

The average age of first-time mothers rose from 26.3 in 1990 to 31.1 in 2018, an increase of 18.2%. This trend is based on data published by the Vital Statistics section of the CSO.

Statbank tables: PPO18 - First-time mothers

Age 35 – Owning home (mortgage)

There are three milestones associated with finding accommodation outside the family home: renting a property, home ownership with a mortgage and owned outright with no mortgage. In this section we examine the ages at which more than 50% of people by single year of age are associated with each tenure type in 2016.

Nine out of ten (91.1%) 20 year olds who are living independently of their parents are in rented accommodation. After the age of 34, less than half of persons living independently of their parents are renting.

The majority (51.8%) of those aged 35 own their home, 46.2% with a mortgage and 5.6% own it outright.

By the age of 55, 42.5% of people own their home outright while 52.1% own their home outright by age 58.

Statbank tables: PPO20 - Owning home (mortgage)