SDG 4.3.1 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months is based on data from the CSO's Adult Education Survey and the Department of Education retention rates in post primary school.
The SDG indicators metadata repository provides the following definition in the SDG 4.3.1 metadata document:
The percentage of youth and adults in a given age range (15-24 years, 25-54 years, 55-64 years, 15-64 years) participating in formal or non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months.
Data from the Lifelong Learning chapter in the CSO Adult Education Survey 2022 shows that over six in ten adults (64%) aged 25-34 participated in lifelong learning compared with 35% of persons aged 55-69 years.
Key findings on lifelong learning include:
The Formal Education chapter examines the relationship between formal education and a range of social and demographic characteristics. It identifies some of the key reasons why people pursue formal education and also the key outcomes achieved, and the delivery methods employed.
Key findings on formal education include:
The proportion of the population aged 15 years and older who were students was 11.1% in 2022. The proportion of 15-19 year olds who were students was 85.1% in 2022 and 40.6% for 20-24 year olds.
Around 83.4% of males aged 15-19 years were students in 2022, and 37.6% of males aged 20-24 years were students.
Slightly more females than males were students in 2022. Census data shows 86.9% of females aged 15-19 years were students, and 43.7% of females aged 20-24 years were students. See Table 5.3.
Table 5.4 shows the proportion of the population aged 15 years and older who were students, by county, in Census 2022. Wexford had the lowest proportion of the population aged 15 years and older who were students, at 9.8%. Galway had the highest proportion at 12.1%.
SDG 4.4.1 Proportion of youth and adults with information and communications technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill is published in the CSO, Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2024 and Digital Consumer Behaviour 2024 reports.
The SDG indicators metadata repository provides the following definition in the SDG 4.4.1 metadata document:
The proportion of youth and adults with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) skills, by type of skill defined as the percentage of individuals that have undertaken certain ICT-related activities in the last 3 months. From 2023, the percentage of individuals that have basic or above-basic ICT skills, by skill area can also be calculated. The indicator is expressed as a percentage.
In October 2024 the CSO published Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2024, the first in a series of releases presenting the results of the annual Information & Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey, which was carried out in the first two quarters of 2024. The data in this release is a subset of the broader data collected in the survey and covers household internet access and individuals’ frequency of internet usage.
The Frequency of Internet Usage chapter focusses on how frequently Irish people use the internet, and for those who are recent users (used the internet in the previous three months), the extent to which they go online every day or almost every day, and if less frequent users, their broad frequency of usage.
Note that internet use not only includes internet browsing or buying of goods or services online or online education, but it also includes all activities that require the internet, such as email, instant messaging, use of WhatsApp, Instagram, TikTok, internet banking, etc.
What this chapter will highlight is the very high use of the internet in Ireland, with younger adults in particular online at least several times a day.
Key findings of broad frequency of use include:
Never used the internet | Used but not in the last 3 months | Used within last 3 months | |
16-29 years | 0 | 0 | 100 |
30-44 years | 1 | 0 | 99 |
45-59 years | 2 | 1 | 97 |
60-74 years | 12 | 2 | 85 |
75 years and over | 41 | 5 | 54 |
In October 2024 the CSO published Digital Consumer Behaviour 2024, which is the second of a series of releases presenting the results of the annual Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Household Survey.
The 2024 ICT Household Survey was carried out in the first two quarters of 2024. The data in this release relates to the experience of persons who access the internet. This release focuses on the internet usage of persons aged 16 years and over who have used the internet within the previous three months and examines their digital consumer behaviour. It also covers individuals’ use of e-commerce including internet activities, purchase of goods and services online, online learning, and people’s use of e-Government.
The Online Learning chapter looks at the use of the internet for online learning. Respondents were asked about online learning activities for educational, professional, or private purposes which they undertook in the previous three months.
Key findings of internet users who used the internet in the last three months include:
SDG 4.5.1 Parity indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated is reported on by UNESCO Institute for Statistics (UIS).
The SDG indicators metadata repository provides the following definition in the SDG 4.5.1 metadata document:
Parity indices require data for the specific groups of interest. They represent the ratio of the indicator value for one group to that of the other. Typically, the likely more disadvantaged group is placed in the numerator. A value of exactly 1 indicates parity between the two groups.
SDG 4.5.1 Parity Indices (female/male, rural/urban, bottom/top wealth quintile and others such as disability status, indigenous peoples and conflict-affected, as data become available) for all education indicators on this list that can be disaggregated.
Parity Indices are compiled by UIS from a number of sources. These sources include the following:
Parity indices require data for the specific groups of interest (e.g. gender, socio-economic group, etc.). They represent the ratio of the indicator value for one group to that of the other. Typically, the likely more disadvantaged group is placed in the numerator. A value of exactly 1 indicates parity between the two groups. The further from 1 the parity index lies, the greater the disparity between the two groups of interest.
Table 5.7 gives the parity indices for selected indicators for gender, socio-economic group and immigration status for Ireland. A full list of values are available on the UN Statistics Division UN Statistics SDG Indicators Database.
The greatest disparity in 2022 is between the adjusted low to high socio-economic parity index, showing a ratio of 0.629 for lower secondary maths skills and 0.786 for lower secondary reading skills. The adjusted gender parity index in 2022 for lower secondary maths skills was 0.987. See Table 5.7.
SDG 4.6.1 Proportion of population in a given age group achieving at least a fixed level of proficiency in functional (a) literacy and (b) numeracy skills, by sex is published in the CSO, Educational Attainment Thematic Reports.
The SDG indicators metadata repository provides the following definition in the SDG 4.6.1 metadata document:
The proportion of youth (aged 15-24 years) and of adults (aged 15 years and above) who have achieved or exceeded a fixed level of proficiency in (a) literacy and (b) numeracy.
The CSO Educational Attainment Thematic Reports are generated from data in the Labour Force Survey (LFS). Questions on educational attainment are included in the core LFS questionnaire each quarter.
The Profile of Age, Sex, Nationality and Region chapter in the Educational Attainment Thematic Report 2024 examines the connection between educational attainment levels and various sociodemographic factors. It shows that participation in third level education has increased over time for both sexes and females having a higher educational attainment level rate than males. It will also be seen that non-Irish nationals have a higher third level attainment rate than Irish nationals and the Dublin region has highest third level attainment level of all NUTS3 regions in the state.
Over 6 in 10 (65%) of 25-34 year olds have a third level qualification.
Main findings for education levels by age group in Q2 2024 include:
Highest level of education attained | Primary or below | Lower secondary | Higher secondary | Post Leaving Certificate | Third level |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
15-19 years | 22 | 57 | 19 | 1 | 0 |
20-24 years | 0 | 3 | 61 | 9 | 27 |
25-34 years | 2 | 3 | 18 | 12 | 65 |
35-44 years | 2 | 5 | 18 | 15 | 61 |
45-54 years | 3 | 9 | 19 | 13 | 57 |
55-59 years | 4 | 16 | 23 | 14 | 44 |
60-64 years | 7 | 18 | 25 | 13 | 38 |
Females across all age groupings had higher levels of third level attainment than males.
Main findings for education levels by sex in Q2 2024 include:
Secondary education level in 20-24 year olds were higher in females than males in Q2 2024.
Main findings for secondary education levels in 20-24 year olds include:
Male | Female | All persons | |
2014 | 92 | 95 | 93 |
2015 | 92 | 95 | 94 |
2016 | 92 | 96 | 94 |
2017 | 93 | 96 | 94 |
2018 | 93 | 96 | 95 |
2019 | 93 | 95 | 94 |
2020 | 95 | 94 | 94 |
2021 | 96 | 97 | 97 |
2022 | 93 | 97 | 95 |
2023 | 93 | 96 | 95 |
2024 | 96 | 98 | 97 |
Ireland, the EU and Educational Attainment chapter looks at how educational attainment rates in Ireland compare across the EU-27 in 2023. It shows that Ireland’s attainment rates compare favourably to rates seen across the EU-27. For 20-24 year olds, Ireland has the third highest attainment level up to higher secondary and in the 30-34 year old cohort Ireland has the second highest third level attainment rate. It also shows the Ireland has one of the lowest levels for early school leavers across the EU-27.
Ireland joint second highest in the EU for 20-24 year olds with at least higher secondary education.
Main findings for secondary level education attainment of 20-24 year olds across EU-27:
Persons with at least a higher secondary education as a % of persons aged 20-24 years | EU-27 | |
Germany | 71 | 84 |
Denmark | 75 | 84 |
Luxembourg | 82 | 84 |
Spain | 79 | 84 |
Romania | 81 | 84 |
Estonia | 83 | 84 |
Hungary | 85 | 84 |
Sweden | 88 | 84 |
Austria | 85 | 84 |
Italy | 86 | 84 |
Finland | 85 | 84 |
Malta | 87 | 84 |
Netherlands | 87 | 84 |
Belgium | 88 | 84 |
Bulgaria | 89 | 84 |
Portugal | 87 | 84 |
Cyprus | 88 | 84 |
Czechia | 90 | 84 |
France | 91 | 84 |
Latvia | 87 | 84 |
Poland | 93 | 84 |
Slovakia | 91 | 84 |
Greece | 95 | 84 |
Lithuania | 94 | 84 |
Ireland | 95 | 84 |
Slovenia | 95 | 84 |
Croatia | 90 | 84 |
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