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Adult Education

Adult Education

CSO statistical publication, , 11am
The CSO, through Ireland's Institute for SDGs (IIS), supports reporting on the Sustainable Development Goals.
 

 

SDG 4.3.1 Participation Rate of Youth and Adults in Formal and Non-Formal Education and Training in the Previous 12 Months, by Sex

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.

Definition

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.

CSO - Adult Education Survey

Lifelong Learning

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:

  • Females aged 25-69 years were more likely to participate in lifelong learning than males 53% to 51%.
  • Younger persons are more likely to participate in lifelong learning than older persons. Over six in ten adults (64%) aged 25-34 years participated in lifelong learning compared with 35% of persons aged 55-69 years. 
  • Regionally, Dublin has the highest participation in lifelong learning for adult aged 25-69 years.
  • In Dublin, nearly 6 in 10 persons (59%) aged 25-69 years old reported participating in lifelong learning in the reference period.
  • The Border region has the lowest level of participation in lifelong learning at 40% of those aged 25-69 years.
  • Employed persons aged 25-69 years were more likely to have participated in lifelong learning than those who were unemployed (62% versus 35%).
  • As the highest level of education attained increased so did the participation rates in lifelong learning; only 29% of those who had attained higher secondary education or below had participated in lifelong learning while the corresponding figure for those who had attained third level honours degree or above was 69%. See Table 5.1 and Map 5.1.
Table 5.1 - SDG 4.3.1 Persons aged 25-69 years, classified by those who participated in an educational activity in the last 12 months, 2022

Map 5.1 - SDG 4.3.1 Persons aged 25-69 years who participated in lifelong learning in the last 12 months, 2022 (%)

Formal Education

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:

  • One in ten adults aged 25-69 years (10%) participated in formal education in 2022.
  • Persons aged 25-34 years were six times more likely to have participated in formal education in the twelve month reference period (18%) compared to those aged 55-69 year olds (3%).
  • Regionally, the Mid-West had the highest participation rate in formal education of adults aged 25-69 at 13% with the Border area the lowest at 4%.
  • Nearly seven in ten (69%) of those participating in formal education were pursuing third level courses with 9% pursuing non-honours degree courses and 60% pursuing honours degree or above courses. See Table 5.2.
Table 5.2 - SDG 4.3.1 Persons aged 25-69 years who participated in formal education, classified by the level of education participation, 2022

CSO - Census 2022

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.

40.6%
Proportion of the population aged 20-24 years who were students in 2022
Table 5.3 - SDG 4.3.1 Population aged 15 years and over who are students or pupils, by age group, Census 2022

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%.

Table 5.4 - SDG 4.3.1 Percentage of population who are students or pupils, by county, Census 2022

SDG 4.4.1 Proportion of Youth and Adults with Information and Communications Technology (ICT) Skills, by Type of Skill

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.

Definition

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.

CSO - Internet Coverage and Usage in Ireland 2024

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.

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:

  • Of persons aged 16 years and over, more than nine in ten (93%) of them have used the internet within the previous three months, up one percentage point on the same period in 2023, while just 1% of them had used the internet but more than three months ago.
  • One in fifteen (6%) had never used the internet, predominantly older persons - 41% of persons aged 75 and over have never used the internet. This compared with just 1% of persons aged 30 to 44 years, and 2% of persons aged 45 to 59 years, who have never used the internet. All persons aged 16 to 29 years have used the internet within the previous three months. See Table 5.5 and Figure 5.1.
Table 5.5 - SDG 4.4.1 Individuals aged 16 years and over use of the internet classified by broad frequency of use, 2023-2024

Never used the internetUsed but not in the last 3 monthsUsed within last 3 months
16-29 years00100
30-44 years1099
45-59 years2197
60-74 years12285
75 years and over41554

CSO - Digital Consumer Behaviour 2024

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.

Online Learning 

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.

34%
Over one third of internet users reported doing an online course in 2024

Key findings of internet users who used the internet in the last three months include:

  • Online formal training increased in 2024 – over one third (34%) of internet users reported doing an online course in 2024, an increase of nine percentage points on the same period in 2023. Males were more likely than females to do an online course (e.g. video tutorials (including YouTube), webinars, electronic textbooks, learning apps or platforms), with almost four in ten (38%) males doing an online course in 2024 compared with 30% of females.
  • Using online learning material learning material and resources to aid their learning (including audio-visual materials, online learning software, video tutorials (including YouTube), webinars, electronic textbooks, learning apps or platforms, etc.) other than a complete online course, also increased – 49% of internet users compared with 36% in 2023 (38% in 2022). This form of informal learning was expanded in the 2024 questionnaire to also include video tutorials (including YouTube), webinars (including on social media). Learning apps or platforms such as Duolingo, etc. are included here also.
  • Males were more likely than females to use this form of online learning – over half of male internet users (52%) compared with 47% of females using the internet.
  • The 2024 survey data shows that there was a greater prevalence of this type of learning activity in households with children. Over half (53%) of internet users in households with children had used online learning material such as audio-visual materials, online learning software, electronic textbooks, etc., in 2024.
  • Nearly four in ten (38%) of internet users had communicated online with educators/instructors using audio or video online tools such as Zoom, MS Teams, Google Classroom, Seesaw, Edmodo, etc., in 2024.
  • Analysis of the 2024 data by age shows that 42% of the 45 to 59 years age group did a course online, while over one in five (22%) of older internet users aged 60 to 74 years and 7% of internet users aged 75 years and over did some form of online course. For persons whose principal economic status was at work, four in ten (40%) reported doing a course online, an increase of six percentage points on the same period in 2023. See Table 5.6.
Table 5.6 - SDG 4.4.1 Individuals aged 16 years and over who conducted online learning activities, 2024

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

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).

Definition

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.

UNESCO Institute for Statistics

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:

  1. Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) assesses the ‎maths and science achievement of pupils in Fourth and Eighth grades ‎‎(equivalent to Fourth Class and Second Year in Ireland). TIMSS is a project of the International Association for the ‎Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA) and is managed at an international level by the ‎International Study Centre in Boston College. 
  2. The IEA is also responsible for Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS). In 2011, the cycles for PIRLS and TIMSS coincided for the first time, giving countries the ‎opportunity to take part in one or both assessments. Of the 49 countries took part in PIRLS ‎in 2011, 34 – including Ireland – also took part in TIMSS. Information on PISA is available on the Educational Research Centre (ERC) website.
  3. The OECD’s Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) is the largest international study of education, examining the reading, mathematics and science achievements of students as they approach the end of compulsory schooling (at age 15 and 16). PISA also collects contextual information from students, school principals, and optionally, teachers and parents. It began in 2000 and is carried out every three years. Ireland has participated in every cycle of PISA since 2000 and, starting in 2006, the assessment has gradually transitioned to an online format, which provides a more interesting and interactive experience for participating students. PISA contributes to the monitoring of the Department’s National Literacy and Numeracy Strategy 2011-2020. Information on PISA is available on the ERC.

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.

Table 5.7 - SDG 4.5.1 Parity indices for education indicators for Ireland, 2000-2022

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

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.

Definition

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.

CSO - Educational Attainment Thematic Report

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.

Profile by Age Group

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:

  • Third level attainment was highest in younger age groups, with 61% of 35-44 year olds holding a third level qualification and 65% of 25-34 year olds.
  • The age cohort in 25-64 year olds with the lowest third level attainment are the 60-64 year olds with 38%, this reflects increased levels of participation in third level education over time. See Table 5.8 and Figure 5.2.
Table 5.8 - SDG 4.6.1 Highest level of education attained by persons aged 15-64 years by age group, Q2 2021-Q2 2024

Highest level of education attainedPrimary or below Lower secondaryHigher secondaryPost Leaving CertificateThird level
15-19 years22571910
20-24 years0361927
25-34 years23181265
35-44 years25181561
45-54 years39191357
55-59 years416231444
60-64 years718251338

Profile by Gender

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:

  • Amongst females, those aged 25-34 years and 35-44 years were the age cohorts with the highest third level attainment rates in Q2 2024, at 68% and 66%.
  • Males aged 25-34 years had a third level attainment rate of 62% compared with 56% for the 35-44 years age group.
  • The gap between males and females in third-level attainment continues in older age groups but is lowest (5% point difference) in the 55-59 years age group. See Table 5.9.
Table 5.9 - SDG 4.6.1 Highest level of education attained by persons aged 15-64 years by age group and sex, Q2 2024

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:

  • In Q2 2024, 97% of those aged 20-24 years old had attained at least a higher secondary level of education in Ireland.
  • Females aged 20-24 years old were more likely than males to have attained at least a higher secondary level education (98% versus 96% respectively). See Table 5.10 and Figure 5.3.
Table 5.10 - SDG 4.6.1 Percentage of persons aged 20-24 years with at least a higher secondary level education by sex, Q2 2014-Q2 2024

Male FemaleAll persons
2014929593
2015929594
2016929694
2017939694
2018939695
2019939594
2020959494
2021969797
2022939795
2023939695
2024969897

Ireland, the EU and Educational Attainment

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:

  • In 2023, 84% of all 20–24 year olds in the EU-27 member states had attained at least a higher secondary level of education.
  • Ireland had a rate of 95% of 20–24 year olds with at least higher secondary level of education, ranking the country joint second with Greece and behind Croatia among EU member states. See Table 5.11 and Figure 5.4.
Table 5.11 - SDG 4.6.1 Percentage of persons aged 20-24 years with at least a higher secondary education in EU member states by sex, 2023

Persons with at least a higher secondary education as a % of persons aged 20-24 yearsEU-27
Germany7184
Denmark7584
Luxembourg8284
Spain7984
Romania8184
Estonia8384
Hungary8584
Sweden8884
Austria8584
Italy8684
Finland8584
Malta8784
Netherlands8784
Belgium8884
Bulgaria8984
Portugal8784
Cyprus8884
Czechia9084
France9184
Latvia8784
Poland9384
Slovakia9184
Greece9584
Lithuania9484
Ireland9584
Slovenia9584
Croatia9084