Ireland

Country overview

Select a country to explore its education data and publications.

Ireland
Overview of the education system (EAG 2026)
  • In Ireland, the share of adults with tertiary attainment reaches 58.7% (OECD average : 42.7%), while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment stands at 31.9% (OECD average : 39.9%) and 9.4% of 25-64 year-olds reached below upper secondary education (OECD average : 17.9%).
  • Some 91% of children aged 3 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 81.5%), while 55.8% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 86%).
  • In upper secondary education, 93.2% complete their education within the theoretical programme duration (OECD average : 76.2%), while 93.4% of new entrants complete a general or vocational programme within two years after the end of the theoritical programme (OECD average : 84.9%).
  • Government expenditure on educational institutions, before transfers, on primary to tertiary education equalled 2.4% of GDP in 2023 (OECD average : 4%), while private expenditure equalled 0.7% (OECD average : 0.6%).
  • In 2023, Ireland allocated an average of 11.5% of total government expenditure to education from primary to tertiary levels (OECD average : 9.8%), equivalent to 2.6% of GDP (OECD average : 4.2%).
  • Total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student equalled 25576 equivalent USD for tertiary education in Ireland (OECD average : 22402 equivalent USD), while it added up to 13217 equivalent USD for primary education (OECD average : 13552 equivalent USD).
  • The unemployment rate among tertiary-educated young adults stands at 4.4% in 2025 (OECD average : 5%), while it is equal to 22% for 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education (OECD average : 13.9%).
  • Some 8.6% of all 18-24 year-olds were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025 (OECD average : 14.1%), while 12.7% of 25-29 year-olds were NEET (OECD average : 16.3%).
  • On-site work varies with the level of education, while 52.1% of tertiary-educated workers sometimes or usually work from home in Ireland (OECD average : 42.5%), 23.4% of workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment did so (OECD average : 17.7%).
  • In Ireland, there are 99.7% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools (OECD average : 90.9%). However, 2.1% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary education left the profession through retirement or resignation in 2025 (OECD average : 6.4%).
    • | Education at a Glance 2026 (EAG 2026): OECD Indicators | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2026 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Ireland | Department of Education and Youth | Open Data Unit, Dept of Public Expenditure and Reform |

    Select first some countries to compare, choose the charts you wish to display and customise them.

    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.

    Show indicators for which your country ranks among the top or bottom: Sort by:

    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 %, rank 38/40 , 2025) 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. (58.7 %, rank 2/41 , 2025) 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. (66.8 %, rank 4/41 , 2025) 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. (43.4 %, rank 5/41 , 2025) 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 largest among countries with available data. (43.3 %, rank 3/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the largest among countries with available data. (1.2 %, rank 4/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    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. (63.3 %, rank 3/41 , 2025) 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. (70.3 %, rank 4/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Ireland is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.6 %, rank 38/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Ireland is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.4 %, rank 37/40 , 2025) 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. (50.7 %, rank 31/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    In Ireland, the average age of new entrants in bachelor's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.8 Years, rank 35/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes younger than 25 is relatively low. (31.2 %, rank 32/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in arts and humanities was among the smallest in Ireland compared to other participating countries. (60.1 %, rank 26/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female new entrants to doctoral programmes in services was one of the smallest across countries. (33.3 %, rank 18/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female new entrants in master’s programmes in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary was among the smallest in Ireland compared to other countries. (48.7 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of female new entrants to master’s programmes in business, administration and law was among the smallest across countries. (51 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female new entrants in tertiary services programmes is one of the smallest across participating countries. (41.1 %, rank 19/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (72.3 %, rank 22/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively small. (65.7 %, rank 25/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.5 %, rank 26/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in education in Ireland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (70.4 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in education in Ireland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (66.4 %, rank 18/20 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (40.5 %, rank 26/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Ireland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (66.5 %, rank 23/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (34.9 %, rank 18/20 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (30.4 %, rank 20/22 , 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. (55.8 %, rank 36/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.2 %, rank 37/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students in government-dependent private tertiary educational institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 21/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Enrolment in pre-primary education (ISCED 02) among 3- to 5-year-olds in Ireland was among the lowest internationally. (55.8 %, rank 39/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively high. (99.4 %, rank 1/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively high. (99.2 %, rank 1/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The average age of post-secondary non-tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Ireland is among the lowest. (26.3 %, rank 24/27 , 2024) 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. (52.7 %, rank 3/43 , 2024) 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. (5.2 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) 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. (1.6 %, rank 40/44 , 2024) 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. (21.5 %, rank 28/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary general programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (49.6 %, rank 39/42 , 2024) 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. (61.3 %, rank 1/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female graduates among post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes in Ireland is relatively low. (28.6 %, rank 26/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    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. (2.9 %, rank 33/33 , 2024) 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. (7.4 %, rank 29/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively low. (7.7 %, rank 18/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is relatively low. (4.9 %, rank 19/21 , 2024) 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. (1.7 %, rank 19/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the proportion of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the field health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries. (75.4 %, rank 23/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of services is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (41.1 %, rank 29/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Completion rates

    A relatively high share of upper secondary students complete their studies within the theoretical programme duration. (93.2 %, rank 3/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    A relatively high share of students in upper secondary general programmes complete their studies within the theoretical programme duration. (71.3 %, rank 4/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    A relatively high share of upper secondary students complete their studies up to two years later than the theoretical programme duration. (93.4 %, rank 2/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    A relatively low share of students in upper secondary vocational programmes complete their studies up to two years later than the theoretical programme duration. (21.9 %, rank 20/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    A relatively high share of students in upper secondary general programmes complete their studies up to two years later than the theoretical programme duration. (71.5 %, rank 5/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Ireland, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low. (9.9 %, rank 25/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of new entrants in engineering, manufacturing and construction master's programmes is relatively low in Ireland among countries with available data. (6.7 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of new entrants in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary master's programmes is especially low. (0.4 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In Ireland, the share of international and foreign students enrolled in doctoral or equivalent programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (42.4 %, rank 5/41 , 2024) 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. (1.2 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per tertiary student is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20165 USD Equivalent, rank 5/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on upper secondary general education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (38 USD Equivalent, rank 31/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Ireland, government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP at primary to tertiary levels of education is comparatively low. (2.6 %, rank 41/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    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. (3.2 %, rank 36/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (1 %, rank 37/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, expenditure on tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (0.8 %, rank 35/38 , 2023) 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. (2.3 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) 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. (1.9 %, rank 41/42 , 2023) 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. (0.5 %, rank 40/43 , 2023) 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. (2.4 %, rank 41/42 , 2023) 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. (1.9 %, rank 37/38 , 2023) 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 37/38 , 2023) 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 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    In Ireland, the share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for primary secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively small. (82.3 %, rank 34/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Nature of expenditure

    In Ireland, the share of current expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (78.8 %, rank 23/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The percentage of primary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (16 %, rank 42/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (20.8 %, rank 41/42 , 2024) 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. (86 Index, rank 33/33 , 2025) 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. (87 Index, rank 33/33 , 2025) 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. (87 Index, rank 33/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, average actual salaries for primary teachers aged 25-64 rank among the highest per hour of net teaching time across OECD and partner countries with available data. (79083 USD Equivalent, rank 5/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, average actual salaries for lower secondary teachers aged 25-64 rank among the highest per hour of net teaching time across OECD and partner countries with available data. (82831 USD Equivalent, rank 4/34 , 2025) 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. (1.14 Ratio, rank 5/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 55-64 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education are low in Ireland. (0.71 Ratio, rank 22/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Principals' salaries

    In Ireland, the average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old lower secondary school heads is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries. (143755 USD Equivalent, rank 5/30 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teacher shortages

    In Ireland, the proportion of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools is one of the largest among OECD and participating countries. (99.7 %, rank 4/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of fully qualified primary and secondary teachers who left the profession is relatively low compared to other participating countries. (2.1 %, rank 21/24 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Between 2015 and 2024, Ireland reported an increase in the number of full-time equivalent classroom teachers. (127 Index, rank 5/40 , 2024) 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. (6 Ratio, rank 22/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the number of students per teacher in private upper secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.3 Ratio, rank 40/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Ireland. (6.3 Ratio, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the number of students per teacher in all private secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.3 Ratio, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the secondary level in independent private institutions is especially low in Ireland. (6.3 Ratio, rank 28/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively low in Ireland. (38.1 %, rank 37/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is comparatively low in Ireland. (41.6 %, rank 39/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively high. (22 %, rank 5/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is comparatively high in Ireland. (25.9 %, rank 3/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is high in Ireland. (51.2 %, rank 2/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Earnings and skill level

    The share of high earners aged 25-64 with high numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the Adult Skills Survey was among the greatest in Ireland compared with other countries with available data. (71.2 %, rank 5/21 , 2023) 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 smallest among countries with available data. (8.6 %, rank 35/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are inactive NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Ireland is relatively low. (5.5 %, rank 33/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of 18-29 year-olds with literacy proficiency at Level 3 or above in the Adult Skills Survey who were NEET was among the smallest in Ireland compared with other countries with available data. (3.8 %, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The proportion of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 20-24 year-olds in Ireland is relatively small. (9.3 %, rank 34/37 , 2025) 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. (8.2 %, rank 36/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of men neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively low. (7.7 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of women neither employed nor in education among 15-29 year-olds is relatively low. (8.8 %, rank 35/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Among 20-24 year-old men in Ireland, a small share of them are neither employed nor in education or training. (9 %, rank 33/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of women neither employed nor in education or training among 20-24 year-olds is relatively low. (9.5 %, rank 33/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively small in Ireland. (8.6 %, rank 35/38 , 2025) 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. (8.9 %, rank 34/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old women neither employed nor in education or training is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (8.2 %, rank 35/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Social outcomes

    In Ireland, the share of employed men aged 25-64 with tertiary education reporting high or very high flexibility in their main job was among the lowest across countries with available data. (34 %, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of employed women aged 25-64 with tertiary education reporting high or very high flexibility in their main job was among the lowest across countries with available data. (22.1 %, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational attainment remains at an all-time high in 2025 as more people obtain advanced qualifications. Across the OECD, 43% of working-age adults have a tertiary qualification, while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment is slightly lower at 39%.
    • On a similar note, the share of young adults without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, standing at 12% in 2025. Therefore, while more young adults obtain a tertiary qualification, the share of individuals whose highest qualification is upper secondary with a vocational orientation is decreasing in almost all OECD countries. 
    • Regarding the share of young people being neither in employment nor in education or training, it stood at 14% as of 2025 across OECD countries. However, cross-country comparisons reveal a wide variety of trends, ranging from large falls in Croatia or Ireland to increases in Germany or Latvia.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 86% across the OECD in 2024. Participation in early childhood education increases with age and tends to be higher in countries with stronger institutional support for participation.
    • 76.2% of students complete upper secondary programmes within the theoretical programme duration. This rises to 84.9% with two additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • In 2023, OECD countries allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education, equivalent to 4.2% of GDP.
    • Total expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education. In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 13 552 in 2023 on average across the OECD. This amount rises to USD 14 923 in secondary education and to USD 22 402 in tertiary education.
    • 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. However, as a whole most investment in education comes from public sources. On average, across the OECD, government expenditure on primary to tertiary education corresponded to 4% of GDP in 2023, while private expenditure corresponded to 0.6%. Both of these figures are measured as initial source of funds, which implies that we are tracking the original provider.
    • Research and development represents around one-third of total expenditure across the OECD on tertiary educational institutions, underlining their dual role in both teaching and research. On average across the OECD, in 2023, USD 8 060 were invested annually into research and development for every student enrolled in tertiary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Compulsory teaching time averages 770 hours per year for primary students and 710 hours for lower secondary students (general programmes), a difference of about 60 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, across OECD countries and economies, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 60 437 at pre-primary level to USD 68 928 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries at primary and general secondary levels of education are 87-95% of the average earnings of tertiary-educated workers across OECD countries. School heads' actual salaries are usually higher than those of tertiary-educated workers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Learning environment | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • On average across OECD countries, 9.1% of teachers in primary and secondary education are non-fully qualified, with shares exceeding 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
    • Furthermore, the share of fully qualified teachers leaving the profession in primary and secondary schools stands at 6.4% of the total teaching workforce.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Regarding job satisfaction among teachers, participating countries show wide differences. Japan, Spain and Czechia reported that teachers tend to be much more satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults. On the other hand, teachers in Hungary, Chile or Latvia tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: Teacher employment | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            
                
    
            
    
        
    
        
    
            
        
    
        
    
            
        
    

        
        
		
        
		
    
			
    
				Key
            
    
            Diagram of funding flows - Ireland
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
				Key
            
    
            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. 
			However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.
			

    
			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 in the Northern Hemisphere.
			

    
	    *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 
		Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes 
		of EAG 2025 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.