Ireland
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Ireland
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
  • Wage gaps are mixed: 10% between workers with and without upper secondary (smaller than the OECD average) and 65% between upper secondary and tertiary (larger than the OECD average).
  • Bachelor’s completion is strong: 68% finish within theoretical time, 74% within +1 year, and 77% within +3 years, compared to OECD averages of 43%, 59%, and 70%.
  • Gender differences in completion persist: 83% of women vs 70% of men complete within three years after the theoretical end (12-point gap), equal to the OECD average.
  • Unemployment declines with higher education: 14.8% without upper secondary, 7% with upper secondary, and 3.8% with tertiary, mirroring the OECD pattern.
  • In Ireland, per-student expenditure rose from USD 10 707 to 13 962 between 2015 and 2022, while the share of public budgets for education increased from 12.4% to 13.5%.
  • Education spending equals 2.8% of GDP, below the OECD average of 4.7%, indicating lower relative outlays by this measure.
    • | Education at a Glance 2025 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2025 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Ireland | Department of Education and Skills | Open Data Unit, Dept of Public Expenditure and Reform |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.3 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (57.5 %, rank 2/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (66.2 %, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (41.8 %, rank 4/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of 25-64 year-olds who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (36.7 %, rank 1/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (41.7 %, rank 3/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (1.4 %, rank 2/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old men who have attained a general degree at the tertiary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (53.2 %, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old women who have attained a general degree at the tertiary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (61.7 %, rank 2/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (61.8 %, rank 2/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old women who have attained tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (70.5 %, rank 3/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of 25-64 year-old men who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the largest among countries with available data. (34.4 %, rank 3/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the largest among countries with available data. (38.9 %, rank 1/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.8 %, rank 37/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.8 %, rank 35/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Ireland has one of the largest share of women among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education. (50.1 %, rank 2/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Ireland has one of the largest share of women among 55-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education. (52 %, rank 5/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Ireland is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (49.9 %, rank 34/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    Enrolment in early childhood education (ISCED 0) among 3- to 5-year-olds placed Ireland among the lowest across countries. (55.5 %, rank 39/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among 15-19 year-olds in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (91.6 %, rank 5/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (76 %, rank 38/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students in public tertiary educational institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (97.5 %, rank 5/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of tertiary students enrolled in public institutions is relatively large. (2 %, rank 5/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Enrolment of 6–14-year-olds in primary education placed Ireland among the highest across countries. (72.3 %, rank 4/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively high. (99.3 %, rank 1/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at early childhood educational and development level is comparatively high. (100 %, rank 1/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively high. (99.1 %, rank 1/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of lower secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Ireland is one of the highest compared to other countries with available data. (41.6 %, rank 2/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Ireland is relatively high compared to the other countries. (31.5 %, rank 2/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of upper secondary students enrolled in programmes giving full level completion without access to tertiary education in Ireland is relatively high compared to the other countries. (100 %, rank 1/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of post-secondary non-tertiary students enrolled in programmes giving full level completion without access to tertiary education is relatively large compared to other OECD or partner contries. (100 %, rank 1/15 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of short-cycle tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes is comparativele high. (3 %, rank 3/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary general programmes in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (53.3 %, rank 3/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in upper secondary vocational programmes in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.6 %, rank 39/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 5/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in primary education in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18.2 %, rank 2/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of five-year-olds in ECEC in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.8 %, rank 41/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of five-year-olds in primary education in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (98.3 %, rank 2/47 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students enrolled in lower secondary vocational programmes is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (59.3 %, rank 5/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (21.9 %, rank 29/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The average age of graduates from vocational programmes at the upper secondary level in Ireland is comparatively high. (29.4 Years, rank 5/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary general programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (56 %, rank 1/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (61 %, rank 1/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female graduates among post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes in Ireland is relatively low. (39.2 %, rank 23/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.5 %, rank 3/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.3 %, rank 34/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (35.4 %, rank 1/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of services is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.5 %, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is relatively low. (2.4 %, rank 24/25 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of STEM is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 34/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 1/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 5/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of STEM is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 2/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 2/45 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    In Ireland, the share of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.1 %, rank 25/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (41.3 %, rank 24/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Completion rates

    The completion rate of female new entrants to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration of the programme was among the highest across countries with available data. (74.4 %, rank 1/33 , 2020) Download Indicator

    For male new entrants, the completion rate to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration of the programme placed Ireland among countries with the highest values. (61 %, rank 3/33 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Completion rates of all new entrants to bachelor's programmes by the theoretical duration ranked Ireland among the countries with the highest levels. (67.8 %, rank 1/33 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Female completion rates to bachelor's programmes, measured by the end of the theoretical duration plus one year, were among the highest across participating countries. (80.5 %, rank 3/32 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Male completion rates to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration plus one year were among the highest in Ireland compared to other countries. (67.8 %, rank 4/32 , 2021) Download Indicator

    By the end of the theoretical duration plus one year, completion rates of all new entrants to bachelor's programmes placed Ireland among the highest across countries with available data. (74.3 %, rank 4/32 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the completion rate of female new entrants to bachelor's programmes in Education, measured three years after the theoretical end of the programme, was among the highest internationally. (93.7 %, rank 1/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In Ireland, international or foreign students from North America are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.8 %, rank 3/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, international or foreign students from Oceania are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.6 %, rank 5/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of education among all international or foreign tertiary students in Ireland is relatively low. (1.1 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per tertiary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19425 USD Equivalent, rank 3/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Ireland, expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies. (2.8 %, rank 39/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (0.9 %, rank 39/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, expenditure on post secondary non-tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (0.2 %, rank 1/23 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, expenditure on tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (0.8 %, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, public and private expenditure on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (2.1 %, rank 38/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, public expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively low. (1.8 %, rank 42/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, public expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively low. (0.4 %, rank 43/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, public expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively low. (2.3 %, rank 44/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the public expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds on primary to post-secondary non-tertiary level is small. (1.8 %, rank 29/31 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The public expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds at primary to tertiary education is relatively low in Ireland. (2.4 %, rank 29/30 , 2022) Download Indicator

    From 2012 to 2018, the average annual growth in total expenditure per full-time equivalent student on primary to tertiary education in Ireland is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.5 %, rank 28/29 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    The share of public expenditure on tertiary educational institutions is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.1 %, rank 3/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, total public expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively high. (13.5 %, rank 3/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, total public expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively high. (0.3 %, rank 2/22 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of teachers younger than 30 in secondary schools is among the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (14 %, rank 5/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is especially high. (67.5 %, rank 3/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (15.7 %, rank 39/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (23.9 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (19.3 %, rank 38/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In upper secondary education, the percentage of teachers aged 50 or more is particularly low in Ireland. (23.9 %, rank 29/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of teachers under 30 in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (14 %, rank 4/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of upper secondary general education teachers aged between 30 and 49 is relatively high, compared to the other countries with available data. (62 %, rank 5/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    In Ireland, the change in statutory primary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively small. (90 Index, rank 32/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the change in statutory lower secondary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively small. (90 Index, rank 32/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the change in statutory upper secondary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively small. (90 Index, rank 32/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary female teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year women workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.1 Ratio, rank 5/26 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual salaries of 55-64 year-old lower-secondary teachers is one of the highest in Ireland. (85730 USD Equivalent, rank 4/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The change in statutory pre-primary teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in their careers is comparatively small in Ireland. (90 Index, rank 32/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Principals' salaries

    In Ireland, the average actual salaries of 25-34 year-old lower-secondary school heads is relatively high compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (99687 USD Equivalent, rank 5/17 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The ratio of students to teaching staff in post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Ireland. (5.1 Ratio, rank 20/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    In Ireland, the intended instruction time for lower secondary students (in hours per year) is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (465 Hours, rank 34/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total compulsory instruction time for lower secondary students in Ireland is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1395 Hours, rank 42/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, total intended instruction time for lower secondary students is among the shortest compared to other countries with available data. (1395 Hours, rank 34/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, compulsory instruction time for lower secondary students, in hours per year, is one of the shortest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (465 Hours, rank 42/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The number of instruction days per year for lower secondary students is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (164 Days, rank 42/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Ireland. (39.2 %, rank 38/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education is comparatively high. (94.5 %, rank 1/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Ireland. (47.9 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education degree is one the lowest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (1.9 %, rank 21/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 55-64 year-old men with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Ireland. (2.5 %, rank 30/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is high in Ireland. (54 %, rank 1/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a short cycle tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (4.8 %, rank 21/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Ireland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively high. (67.2 %, rank 4/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively high compared to other countries with available data. (43.2 %, rank 1/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (8.5 %, rank 5/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of unemployed youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Ireland is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (8.8 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 20-24 year-olds in Ireland is relatively small. (9.2 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 15-29 year-olds in Ireland is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4 %, rank 31/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of women neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively low. (3.1 %, rank 31/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among 20-24 year-old men in Ireland, a small share of them are neither employed nor in education or training. (8.8 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Ireland. (8.8 %, rank 33/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old men neither employed nor in education or training is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (9 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Tertiary attainment among young adults has reached 48% on average across the OECD, the highest level ever, but progress has slowed since 2021. Attainment remains unequal, with women generally outpacing men, and older generations showing lower rates.
    • Employment outcomes for tertiary-educated adults remain strong overall: 87% of them are employed compared to 60% of those without upper seconday. Tertiary education offers good protection against unemployment, but women and disadvantaged groups still face labour market gaps, and inactivity persists among some adults. Moreover, adults with tertiary education earn on average 54% more than those with only upper secondary education.
    • Gender pay gaps remain significant. Despite higher attainment, women with tertiary education consistently earn less than men, even when working full-time, and this gap persists across age groups (73% on average for women aged 25 to 64).
    • Fields of study strongly influence labour market outcomes. Graduates in engineering and in health and welfare fare particularly well, while women’s participation in STEM remains below parity (14% of graduates at tertiary level) despite being 58% of all tertiary graduates.
    • Internationalisation continues to expand in tertiary education. The share of international students has grown steadily, and OECD countries host a large proportion of the world’s mobile students, reinforcing their global role in higher education.
    • Sustaining tertiary education requires adequate investment. Spending per student is already at 21 021 USD and rising, and tertiary expenditure represents a notable share of GDP (1.4% on average in OECD), making efficiency and equity crucial for long-term sustainability.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Access and Participation  | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Although many countries have near universal upper secondary attainment among 25–34 year-olds, on average across the OECD 13% of younger adults still lack an upper secondary qualification.
    • NEET shares are now below pre-pandemic levels in about half of OECD and partner countries with trend data; in 8 of these 16 countries the decline exceeds 1 percentage point, while 17 countries exceed pre-pandemic benchmarks and 6 saw increases of more than 2 percentage points.
    • Employment rates rise steadily with higher tertiary attainment: short-cycle 83%, bachelor’s 86%, master’s 90%, and doctoral or equivalent 93% among 25–64 year-olds.
    • Earnings premiums also increase with qualification level: on average across the OECD, short-cycle graduates earn 17% more than those with upper secondary; the advantage is 39% for bachelor’s and 83% for master’s/doctoral graduates.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 85% across the OECD. By contrast, only 29% of children under the age of 3 are enrolled.
    • Participation in early childhood education has grown over the past decade, with enrolment for children under age 3 increasing by 9 percentage points to 29%, and enrolment for ages 3 and above rising by 5 points to 85%.
    • The majority of students in vocational upper secondary education follow programmes that grant full access to tertiary education, with 76% of students enrolled in such programmes on average across the OECD.
    • Completion rates for bachelor’s programmes increase after the theoretical duration of programmes: on average, 44% of students graduate on time, compared to 69% three years after.
    • Students from Asia form the largest regional group of internationally mobile students in tertiary education, representing 58% of all foreign or international students across the OECD in 2023.
    • Only 43% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within the expected duration, though this rises to 59% with one additional year and 70% with three additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • Governments spend on average USD 12 438 per student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, and USD 15 102 per student in tertiary education including R&D.
    • Expenditure per student has risen in absolute terms since 2015, but its share in public budgets has declined, with government spending on education at almost 15% of total government expenditure on average in 2022.
    • Annual spending per student at primary and secondary levels varies widely across OECD countries, from under USD 3 000 in some systems to over USD 25 000 in the most highly funded ones.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education.
    • Spending per student differs markedly between public and private institutions, with expenditure in public tertiary institutions exceeding USD 33 000 in some countries, compared to less than USD 10 000 in others.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Students in OECD countries receive an average of 7 604 hours of compulsory instruction during primary and lower secondary education, with total hours ranging widely across education systems.
    • Compulsory instruction time averages 804 hours per year for primary students and 909 hours for lower secondary students, a difference of about 105 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in pre-primary education has fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2013 to 13 in 2023.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, teachers with 15 years of experience earn USD 55 725 at pre-primary level and USD 63 925 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries are 83–91% of the earnings of similarly educated tertiary-educated workers, while school heads usually earn more than tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries.
    • The ratio of students to academic staff is lower in public than in private institutions, averaging about 14 students per staff member in public tertiary institutions compared to 18 in private ones.
    • Nearly half of OECD and partner countries operate non-selective admission systems for first degrees, providing broad access to tertiary education, while entrance exams and centralised systems are also common.
    • The salaries of academic staff in tertiary education vary by seniority. On average, junior staff earn about 62 000 USD, while senior staff earn about 108 000 USD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - Ireland
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
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            Country Reviews for Ireland
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Annex 3 
		of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
            

    
            For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.