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Ireland
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Diagram of the education system

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  • Diagram of education system in country language


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    • Education system in Ireland

    Ireland
    Overview of the education system (EAG 2019)
  • Nearly half of all 25-64 year-olds (47%) have attained a tertiary education, one of the largest shares across the OECD. The tertiary attainment rate is even higher among women (51%, compared with 43% among men) and for the younger generation, reaching 60% among 25-34 year-old women and 52% among young men in the same age group.
  • Adults with a bachelor's degree earn on average 81% more than those with upper secondary education, compared to 44% more on average across OECD countries.
  • Young students in upper secondary education are primarily enrolled in general programmes, while those over 19 tend to enrol in combined school- and work-based vocational programmes.
  • Ireland has above-average teachers' statutory salaries (starting at about USD 36 600) and longer teaching hours (905 hours per year in primary education and 726 hours in secondary schools) and instruction time (about 8 200 hours). This is reflected in a relatively high cost of education per student.
    • | Education at a Glance 2019 | Country Note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2019 | 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.

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

    Educational outcomes

    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. (27.4 %, rank 4/46 , 2018) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (1.3 %, rank 9/36 , 2018) Download Indicator

    The average age of upper secondary graduates from vocational programmes in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (30.8 Years, rank 4/36 , 2017) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    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. (25.7 %, rank 3/46 , 2018) 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. (29 %, rank 3/46 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The proportion of 25-64 years-old adults with below upper secondary education participating in formal education is high in Ireland. (8.6 %, rank 6/24 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Participation rate of 25-64 year-olds in job-related non-formal education sponsored by the employer is high in Ireland, compared to other countries with available data. (78.1 %, rank 7/34 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Participation rate of 25-64 year-olds in not job-related non-formal education is low in Ireland, compared to other countries with available data. (12.6 %, rank 29/34 , 2016) 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. (92.8 %, rank 6/39 , 2017) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of tertiary students enrolled in private institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.6 %, rank 43/44 , 2017) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of part-time students in bachelor's programmes is relatively small. (6.8 %, rank 26/30 , 2017) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of part-time students in master's programmes is relatively large. (45.8 %, rank 4/30 , 2017) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    In Ireland, the share of female doctoral graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively high. (54.7 %, rank 5/41 , 2017) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (12.1 %, rank 10/44 , 2017) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6 %, rank 41/44 , 2017) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.4 %, rank 8/44 , 2017) Download Indicator

    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. (7.3 %, rank 3/43 , 2017) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, aministration and law is relatively low. (0.4 %, rank 24/25 , 2017) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is relatively low. (8.8 %, rank 21/25 , 2017) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Ireland, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively low. (6 %, rank 32/35 , 2017) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low. (9.8 %, rank 31/35 , 2017) 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. (72.1 %, rank 29/34 , 2017) Download Indicator

    The percentage of national tertiary students enrolled in the field of social sciences, journalism and information in Ireland is relatively low. (5.7 %, rank 34/37 , 2017) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In Ireland, international students from North America are most represented among all international students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.2 %, rank 4/45 , 2017) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, international students from Oceania are most represented among all international students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.6 %, rank 8/45 , 2017) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    The percentage of international tertiary students enrolled in the field of social sciences, journalism and information in Ireland is relatively low. (6.4 %, rank 34/37 , 2017) Download Indicator

    The percentage of international tertiary students enrolled in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction in Ireland is relatively low. (11 %, rank 29/37 , 2017) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    The number of instruction days per year for lower secondary students is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (165 Days, rank 36/37 , 2019) Download Indicator

    Resources for education

    The salary cost of primary teachers per students (as a percentage of GDP per capita) in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5 %, rank 25/30 , 2017) Download Indicator

    The salary cost of upper secondary teachers per students (as a percentage of GDP per capita) in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.9 %, rank 15/16 , 2017) 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. (3.5 %, rank 32/35 , 2016) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (1.2 %, rank 35/35 , 2016) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, expenditure on tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (0.8 %, rank 34/35 , 2016) 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. (3.2 %, rank 31/39 , 2016) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, private expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively low. (0.3 %, rank 29/35 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Public and private expenditure in education

    The share of private expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.1 %, rank 30/34 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Ireland has one of the smallest shares of private expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (8.9 %, rank 27/35 , 2016) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, total public expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively high. (13 %, rank 6/38 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Change in international expenditure on educational institutions for primary to tertiary education between 2010 and 2016 in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (-0.6 % points, rank 19/21 , 2016) Download Indicator

    In Ireland, the share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for primary to tertiary education is comparatively large . (91.1 %, rank 8/35 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Expenditure on all children aged 3 to 5 enrolled in early childhood and primary education is one of the lowest in Ireland compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 USD Equivalent, rank 28/30 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Total public expenditure on education as a percentage of total government expenditure, for primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high in Ireland compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.4 %, rank 5/39 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of days of instruction in a school year in lower secondary school is especially low. (165 Days, rank 33/33 , 2018) Download Indicator

    The number of days of instruction in a school year in upper secondary school is especially low. (165 Days, rank 33/33 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The number of students per teacher in tertiary institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.6 Ratio, rank 7/30 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers younger than 30 is especially high. (12 %, rank 10/34 , 2017) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (20 %, rank 32/35 , 2017) Download Indicator

    The percentage of upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (26.8 %, rank 29/34 , 2017) Download Indicator

    The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (22.9 %, rank 31/34 , 2017) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (59008 USD Equivalent, rank 6/33 , 2018) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (62135 USD Equivalent, rank 7/33 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    Salaries of primary school teachers with minimum training at the top of scale are especially high. (67841 USD Equivalent, rank 7/34 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially high. (54622 USD Equivalent, rank 8/34 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    Among the unemployed population aged between 25 and 64 with below upper secondary education, the share of those who have been unemployed for at least 12 months is one of the largest in Ireland, compared to other OECD countries. (63.2 %, rank 6/38 , 2018) Download Indicator

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is high in Ireland. (41 %, rank 4/42 , 2018) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    The proportion of male full-time earners among all earners aged 35 to 44 without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (31.2 %, rank 29/29 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female full-time earners among all earners aged 35 to 44 without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (13.2 %, rank 29/29 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The proportion of male full-time earners among all earners aged 55 to 64 without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (18.3 %, rank 28/29 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female full-time earners among all earners aged 55 to 64 without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (8.3 %, rank 26/29 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The proportion of male full-time earners among all earners aged 35 to 44 with upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (52.6 %, rank 28/29 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female full-time earners among all earners aged 35 to 44 with upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (26.1 %, rank 27/29 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The proportion of male full-time earners among all earners aged 55 to 64 with upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (35.3 %, rank 25/28 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The proportion of male full-time earners among all earners aged 35 to 44 with tertiary education is comparatively low. (74.1 %, rank 25/29 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The proportion of male full-time earners among all earners aged 55 to 64 with tertiary education is comparatively low. (48.3 %, rank 27/29 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The earnings of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively high compared to those of adults with an upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education. (103 Index, rank 1/37 , 2016) Download Indicator

    The proportional difference in earnings between 25-64 year-old adults with tertiary education and those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is quite high. (170 Index, rank 9/37 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Migrant background

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-64 year-old foreign-born adults is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.4 %, rank 25/30 , 2015) Download Indicator

    The employment rate of foreign-born aged between 25 and 64 and without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (48.4 %, rank 26/27 , 2015) Download Indicator

    The percentage of native-born aged between 25 and 64 who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (36.6 %, rank 26/30 , 2015) Download Indicator

    Earnings of foreign-born aged between 25 and 64 who work full- and part-time with tertiary education are low compared to those of native-born with the same characteristics. (81 Index, rank 16/21 , 2016) Download Indicator

    Social outcomes

    In Ireland, a large share of adults (25-64 years-old) with below upper secondary education participated in formal voluntary activities in the 12 months prior to the survey. (20.4 %, rank 9/28 , 2015) Download Indicator

    Among 25-64 years-old adults with below upper secondary education, a high proportion have someone to ask for moral, material or financial help. (94.8 %, rank 7/29 , 2015) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the percentage of adults (25-64 years old) with tertiary education who actively participate in social media on a daily basis is high in Ireland. (49.6 %, rank 2/29 , 2015) Download Indicator

    Among employed adults (25-64 years-old) with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education, a small share have difficulties to fulfill their family responsabilities because of their jobs, compared to other countries with available data. (24.6 %, rank 32/32 , 2015) Download Indicator

    Among employed adults (25-64 years-old) with tertiary education, a small share have difficulties to fulfill their family responsabilities because of their jobs, compared to other countries with available data. (41.4 %, rank 29/32 , 2015) Download Indicator

    The proportion of employed adults (25-64 years-old) with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education who have concentration difficulties at work because of family responsabilities is low in Ireland. (16.5 %, rank 31/32 , 2015) Download Indicator

    Weekly working hours among employed 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education are short in Ireland compared to other OECD countries. (34.5 Hours/week, rank 26/28 , 2015) Download Indicator

    Weekly working hours among employed 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education are short in Ireland compared to other OECD countries. (35.7 Hours/week, rank 27/28 , 2015) Download Indicator

    Weekly working hours among employed 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education are short in Ireland compared to other OECD countries. (37.5 Hours/week, rank 26/28 , 2015) Download Indicator

    Among employed 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education, a small share have high flexibility of working hours. (19.4 %, rank 26/28 , 2015) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    • In 2018, 44% of 25-34 year-olds held a tertiary degree, compared to 35% in 2008, on average across OECD countries.
    • Tertiary-educated adults also reap higher earnings, although this varies by field of study. Their advantage increases with age too: 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education earn 38% more than their peers with upper secondary education while 45-54 year-olds earn 70% more.
    • While engineering, manufacturing and construction, and information and communication technologies are two fields most commonly associated with the best labour market outcomes, only 14% of graduates earned a degree in the former and 4% earned a degree in the latter in 2017.
    | Education policies: Access and Participation - Tertiary | How is the tertiary-educated population evolving? | Earnings advantage of tertiary-educated workers across generations | Is labour market demand keeping pace with the rising educational attainment of the population? |
    Visualisations
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    • Although graduation from upper secondary education increased by 6 percentage points between 2005 and 2017, 15% of 25-34 year-olds did not attain upper secondary education in 2018, on average across OECD countries.
    • In some countries, vocational programmes are prominent at the upper secondary level. On average across OECD countries, 40% of first-time upper secondary graduates earned a vocational qualification in 2017; in Austria, the Czech Republic, the Slovak Republic and Slovenia, more than 66% of this population did.
    • At the lower secondary level, the average class shrank by 6% while teachers' statutory salaries increased by 8% between 2005 and 2017, on average across OECD countries.
    | Education policies: Access and Participation - Secondary | Transition from school to work | 50 year trends in educational attainment | What are the advantages today of having an upper secondary qualification? |
    Visualisations
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    • In 2017, more than one in three children under the age of three were enrolled in early childhood education and care services, on average across OECD countries - an increase of 7 percentage points compared to 2010.
    • Between the age of 3 to 5, on average across OECD countries, 87% of children are enrolled in pre-primary and primary education.
    • Annual expenditure per child in early childhood development programmes was greater than in pre-primary education in 2016 on average across OECD countries. However, as a share of GDP, expenditure on early childhood development is lower.
    | Education policies: Access and Participation - Early Childhood Education | Starting Strong 2017: Key OECD Indicators on Early Childhood Education and Care | Starting Strong V: Transitions from Early Childhood Education and Care to Primary Education | Who bears the cost of early childhood education and how does it affect enrolment? | Access to early childhood and the participation of women in the labour market |
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    • In 2016, expenditure per tertiary student amounted to USD 15 556, approximately one-third of which was devoted to research and development.
    • Private sources financed more than 30% of the expenditure, on average, at the tertiary level compared to 10% at primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary level.
    • OECD countries spent an average of 3.5% of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary institutions in 2016, and public expenditure at this level increased by 18% since 2005.
    | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Who really bears the cost of education? | What influences spending on education? | Does Money Buy Strong Performance in PISA? |
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    • About 10% of primary and secondary teachers are under the age of 30, on average across OECD countries.
    • While the teaching profession is dominated by women, the share of female teachers decreases with the level of education taught: almost all teachers at the pre-primary level are women, however they make up less than half of the teaching force at tertiary level.
    • Salaries tend to increase with the level of education taught, but teachers' earnings remain between 78% and 93% of the earnings of other tertiary-educated adults.
    | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS) | Teachers' salaries evolution and how they compare to those of tertiary-educated workers | How do primary and secondary teachers compare? |
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    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: http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/

    *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 average. 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 2019 for more details about the data collections.

    B-S-J-Z (China) refers to the four PISA-participating provinces/municipalities of the People's Republic of China: Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.

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