The statistics in this chapter were obtained from the Department of Education and Skills, and the State Examination Commission. The data includes details of participation in, and expenditure on, first, second and third level education and participation in further education. Results from the CSO’s Labour Force Survey (LFS) are also included.
The statistics on Higher and Further Education outcomes were produced using the Educational Longitudinal Database (ELD). The ELD is a framework for linking datasets on learners that have completed courses or programmes to other administrative datasets on education, employment and benefits which describe their outcomes in subsequent years.
In 2020, 43.4% of those aged 15 to 64 years (excluding Other/Not Stated) had a third level qualification. 80.2% of all persons aged between 15 and 64 years attained education levels of higher secondary level or above. Just under 6% (5.9%) of persons aged 15 to 64 years had not progressed beyond primary level education.
| Table 8.1 Persons aged 15-64 years classified by the highest level of education attained | |||||
| Thousands | |||||
| Highest education level attained | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | 2020 |
| Males | |||||
| Primary or below | 114.7 | 102.5 | 110.4 | 116.9 | 107.2 |
| Lower secondary | 270.1 | 267.9 | 263.1 | 252.1 | 238.2 |
| Higher secondary | 387.3 | 382.6 | 392.3 | 405.4 | 394.1 |
| Post secondary non-tertiary | 193.6 | 186.2 | 204.6 | 208.4 | 203.9 |
| Third level non-honours degree | 140.3 | 146.3 | 139.5 | 138.9 | 152.1 |
| Third level honours degree or above | 379.6 | 412.8 | 421.6 | 431.6 | 482.2 |
| Other/Not Stated | 53.5 | 55.9 | 42.8 | 41.4 | 35.2 |
| Total | 1,539.2 | 1,554.0 | 1,574.3 | 1,594.7 | 1,612.9 |
| Females | |||||
| Primary or below | 92.9 | 82.6 | 89.4 | 98.2 | 82.1 |
| Lower secondary | 219.9 | 215.1 | 208.3 | 208.8 | 203.5 |
| Higher secondary | 356.2 | 361.2 | 366.4 | 372.3 | 354.6 |
| Post secondary non-tertiary | 193.3 | 196.3 | 206.8 | 218.4 | 221.3 |
| Third level non-honours degree | 178.9 | 171.0 | 161.6 | 169.1 | 177.6 |
| Third level honours degree or above | 482.1 | 515.6 | 526.1 | 519.2 | 572.0 |
| Other/Not Stated | 41.9 | 39.6 | 42.0 | 35.8 | 29.6 |
| Total | 1,565.1 | 1,581.5 | 1,600.6 | 1,621.6 | 1,640.7 |
| All Persons | |||||
| Primary or below | 207.6 | 185.1 | 199.8 | 215.1 | 189.3 |
| Lower secondary | 490.0 | 483.0 | 471.4 | 460.8 | 441.8 |
| Higher secondary | 743.5 | 743.8 | 758.7 | 777.7 | 748.7 |
| Post secondary non-tertiary | 386.9 | 382.6 | 411.4 | 426.8 | 425.2 |
| Third level non-honours degree | 319.2 | 317.3 | 301.1 | 307.9 | 329.7 |
| Third level honours degree or above | 861.7 | 928.3 | 947.7 | 950.8 | 1,054.3 |
| Other/Not Stated | 95.4 | 95.5 | 84.8 | 77.2 | 64.7 |
| TOTAL | 3,104.3 | 3,135.6 | 3,174.9 | 3,216.3 | 3,253.6 |
| Reference period: Q2=April-June | |||||
| Note: A new Labour Force Survey (LFS) replaced the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) in Q3 2017 and, as a result, care should be taken when comparing data from before and after this period. | |||||
| Source: CSO | |||||
The number of students in first level education totalled 571,964 in 2018/19. In the case of second level students, the participation rate rose strongly from 2005/06 until 2018/19, with 394,322 persons in full-time second level education in the academic year 2018/19. There were 185,474 persons in full-time third level education in 2018/19.
| School year | First level | Second level | Third level |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1965/66 | 504865 | 142983 | 20698 |
| 1970/71 | 520129 | 197142 | 24496 |
| 1975/76 | 550078 | 270956 | 33148 |
| 1980/81 | 568364 | 300601 | 41928 |
| 1985/86 | 576576 | 338207 | 55088 |
| 1990/91 | 552528 | 345941 | 69988 |
| 1995/96 | 485923 | 373665 | 102662 |
| 2000/01 | 444782 | 349274 | 126300 |
| 2005/06 | 462811 | 335134 | 145287 |
| 2010/11 | 514852 | 359653 | 169209 |
| 2011/12 | 521677 | 363136 | 166574 |
| 2012/13 | 531973 | 367372 | 168640 |
| 2013/14 | 540232 | 371211 | 173462 |
| 2014/15 | 548542 | 376289 | 182623 |
| 2015/16 | 557107 | 381615 | 188178 |
| 2016/17 | 562724 | 386699 | 189147 |
| 2017/18 | 567614 | 388281 | 183696 |
| 2018/19 | 571964 | 394322 | 185474 |
| Table 8.2 Persons in full-time education by level1 | |||
| Number | |||
| School year | First level | Second level2 | Third level |
| 1965/66 | 504,865 | 142,983 | 20,698 |
| 1970/71 | 520,129 | 197,142 | 24,496 |
| 1975/76 | 550,078 | 270,956 | 33,148 |
| 1980/81 | 568,364 | 300,601 | 41,928 |
| 1985/86 | 576,576 | 338,207 | 55,088 |
| 1990/91 | 552,528 | 345,941 | 69,988 |
| 1995/96 | 485,923 | 373,665 | 102,662 |
| 2000/01 | 444,782 | 349,274 | 126,300 |
| 2005/06 | 462,811 | 335,134 | 145,287 |
| 2010/11 | 514,852 | 359,653 | 169,209 |
| 2011/12 | 521,677 | 363,136 | 166,574 |
| 2012/13 | 531,973 | 367,372 | 168,640 |
| 2013/14 | 540,232 | 371,211 | 173,462 |
| 2014/15 | 548,542 | 376,289 | 182,623 |
| 2015/16 | 557,107 | 381,615 | 188,178 |
| 2016/17 | 562,724 | 386,699 | 189,147 |
| 2017/18 | 567,614 | 388,281 | 183,696 |
| 2018/19 | 571,964 | 394,322 | 185,474 |
| 1Figures have been revised to include HEA institutions only, those aided by the Department of Education only are not included. | |||
| 2 Includes Post Leaving Certificate courses. | |||
| Source: Department of Education and Skills | |||
In 2018, the total net expenditure on education by the State was €9,342.5m.
| Table 8.3 Voted Expenditure (Vote 26 Education & Skills1) by sector for financial year ended 31st December, 2018 | |||
| €m | |||
| Sector | Current | Capital | Total |
| Gross expenditure | |||
| A - First, Second and Early Years' Education | 3,921.2 | 354.0 | 4,275.2 |
| B - Second Level & Further Education grants & services | 3,505.4 | 302.5 | 3,808.0 |
| C - Higher education | 1,566.5 | 91.3 | 1,657.9 |
| Gross total | 9,741.0 | ||
| Deduct total appropriations-in-aid | 398.6 | ||
| Total net expenditure | 9,342.5 | ||
| 1The above table represents expenditure from Vote 26: Office of the Minister for Education and Skills only. Voted Expenditure refers to the ordinary services of the Department of Education and Skills, the monies for which are voted by the Dáil and included under Vote 26 of the 2016 Revised Estimates for Public Services. | |||
| Source: Department of Education and Skills | |||
Figure 8.2 reveals that just over three in four (77.4%) of the 50,810 Leaving Certificate Examination (LCE) Completers from the 2012/2013 academic year continue to engage with education generally ('education & training and substantial employment' or 'education and training only') in the first year after leaving post-primary education. In contrast, in figure 8.3 we see that one in two (53.5%) Early Leavers continue to engage with education in outcome year one.
Figure 8.2 shows that in year five, 73.5% of LCE completers were in substantial employment. This includes 28.6% in ‘substantial employment only’ and 44.9% in ‘education & training and substantial employment’.
In figure 8.3, Early Leavers were engaged in substantial employment at a rate of 41.3% in year five, including 21.5% in ‘substantial employment only’ and 19.7% in ‘education & training and substantial employment’.
| Education & Training Only | Education & Training and Substantial Employment | Substantial Employment | Neither Education nor Employment | Not Captured | |
| 2013 | 64.7 | 12.68 | 5.3 | 8.04 | 9.28 |
| 2014 | 47.72 | 37.47 | 6.38 | 4.89 | 3.54 |
| 2015 | 32.51 | 43.36 | 13.96 | 5.89 | 4.28 |
| 2016 | 22.16 | 45.49 | 21.3 | 6.19 | 4.85 |
| 2017 | 14.8 | 44.87 | 28.58 | 5.93 | 5.82 |
| Education & Training Only | Education & Training and Substantial Employment | Substantial Employment | Neither Education nor Employment | Not Captured | |
| 2013 | 48.3288404319748 | 5.16686034055693 | 4.21480277244947 | 10.1265882982925 | 32.1629081567263 |
| 2014 | 53.6005391006065 | 9.45582749161044 | 6.64225353184372 | 13.9828982031486 | 16.3184816727908 |
| 2015 | 48.3456516585452 | 17.5541424930978 | 9.4536755594964 | 16.3244381257694 | 8.32209216309125 |
| 2016 | 35.343166593073 | 19.2243271526514 | 17.2717638210515 | 18.6615077363743 | 9.49923469684983 |
| 2017 | 29.1336297530652 | 19.6998090368309 | 21.4871134933753 | 17.9457941378516 | 11.7336535788771 |
Link to the publication: Post-Primary Outcomes - Academic Years Ending 2012 & 2013
Over three quarters (77.4%) of LCE Completers from the 2012/2013 academic year were engaged in Education generally ('Education & Training and Substantial Employment' or 'Education and Training Only') in year one.
In figure 8.4, almost half (48.0%) were in ‘Higher Education’ one year after post-primary, while one-quarter (25.2%) were in ‘Further Education’.
Figure 8.5 show that Early Leavers enrolled in ‘Further Education’ at a rate of 25.0% in year one. It is estimated that 19.5% of Early Leavers from the 2012/2013 academic year were enrolled in ‘Youthreach’ in year one.
| Higher Education | Further Education | Both Further & Higher Education | Repeat Leaving Certificate | Re-enrolled LCP | Not in Education | |
| 2013 | 48.04 | 25.24 | 0.94 | 2.79 | 0.37 | 22.62 |
| 2014 | 51.82 | 25.15 | 7.1 | 0.91 | 0.21 | 14.8 |
| 2015 | 54.09 | 17.66 | 3.97 | 0.09 | 0.06 | 24.13 |
| 2016 | 53.7 | 11.41 | 2.48 | 0.05 | 0.03 | 32.34 |
| 2017 | 47.83 | 9.93 | 1.87 | 0.02 | 0.01 | 40.33 |
| Higher Education | Further Education | Both Further & Higher Education | Repeat Leaving Certificate | Re-enrolled LCP | Youthreach | Not in Education | |
| 2013 | 1.71 | 24.95 | 0.11 | 0.68 | 1.63 | 19.464344862696 | 51.465655137304 |
| 2014 | 11.55 | 32.98 | 0.32 | 0.64 | 1.35 | 13.04093450446 | 40.11906549554 |
| 2015 | 14.25 | 33.23 | 1.03 | 0.39 | 1.21 | 12.3227955238861 | 37.5672044761139 |
| 2016 | 14.78 | 23.95 | 1.21 | 0.11 | 0.85 | 10.5769960121488 | 48.5230039878512 |
| 2017 | 14.75 | 20.93 | 1.39 | 0 | 0.28 | 8.93817487147259 | 53.7118251285274 |
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