Country
Data profiles:
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, lower and upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Financial literacy (PISA 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2015) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| ECEC staff, leaders and their working conditions (Starting Strong Survey 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary to upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary and lower secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| ECEC staff, leaders and their working conditions (Starting Strong Survey 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2015) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| ECEC staff, leaders and their working conditions (Starting Strong Survey 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2015) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| ECEC staff, leaders and their working conditions (Starting Strong Survey 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary and lower secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| ECEC staff, leaders and their working conditions (Starting Strong Survey 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary and lower secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| ECEC staff, leaders and their working conditions (Starting Strong Survey 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2015) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2015) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| ECEC staff, leaders and their working conditions (Starting Strong Survey 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, lower and upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2015) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, lower and upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary and lower secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary to upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2015) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary to upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| ECEC staff, leaders and their working conditions (Starting Strong Survey 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary and lower secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2012) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2017) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary and lower secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, lower and upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance in Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary to upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, lower and upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Adult skills (Survey of Adult Skills, PIAAC, 2015) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Overview of the education system (EAG 2022) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary to upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Student performance (PISA 2018) |
| Teachers and teaching conditions, primary to upper secondary education (TALIS 2018) |
Profile View
Select first some countries to compare, choose the charts you wish to display and customise them.
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. (5.3 %, rank 39/42 , 2021) 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. (53.7 %, rank 3/44 , 2021) 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. (62.9 %, rank 5/43 , 2021) 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. (29 %, rank 5/44 , 2021) 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. (38.1 %, rank 4/43 , 2021) 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. (58.5 %, rank 4/43 , 2021) 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. (6.3 %, rank 39/42 , 2021) 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. (4.4 %, rank 38/42 , 2021) Download Indicator
Participation in education
The enrolment rate of 6-14 year-olds in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/43 , 2020) Download Indicator
The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/37 , 2020) Download Indicator
The percentage of students in public tertiary educational institutions is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (96.5 %, rank 5/42 , 2020) 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 19/22 , 2020) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the share of part-time students in short-cycle programmes is relatively large. (67.6 %, rank 3/28 , 2018) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the share of part-time students in master's programmes is relatively large. (44.3 %, rank 4/34 , 2018) Download Indicator
The percentage of 3-5 year-old children in early childhood and primary education in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/37 , 2020) Download Indicator
The share of upper secondary 15-19-year-old students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.6 %, rank 37/41 , 2020) Download Indicator
The share of students enrolled in school- and work-based programmes among all upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/22 , 2020) Download Indicator
The enrolment rate of students aged 17 in general upper secondary programmes in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (86.2 %, rank 3/42 , 2020) Download Indicator
The enrolment rate of students aged 17 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in Ireland is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.4 %, rank 5/30 , 2020) Download Indicator
The enrolment rate of students aged 17 in vocational upper secondary programmes in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.5 %, rank 35/38 , 2020) Download Indicator
The enrolment rate of students aged 20 in general upper secondary programmes in Ireland is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.2 %, rank 38/41 , 2020) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively high. (99.4 %, rank 1/36 , 2020) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at early childhood educational and development level is comparatively high. (100 %, rank 1/23 , 2020) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively high. (99.2 %, rank 1/43 , 2020) Download Indicator
Graduation
The share of doctorate graduates in public institutions is relatively high in Ireland. (100 %, rank 1/36 , 2020) 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. (53.8 %, rank 4/40 , 2020) 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. (63.6 %, rank 1/38 , 2020) Download Indicator
The share of female graduates among post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes in Ireland is relatively low. (41.8 %, rank 21/25 , 2020) Download Indicator
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. (0.5 %, rank 22/25 , 2020) Download Indicator
Graduation by age
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 (28.7 Years, rank 5/36 , 2020) 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. (8.6 %, rank 1/40 , 2020) 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. (2.1 %, rank 33/33 , 2020) 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. (37.3 %, rank 1/33 , 2020) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, aministration and law is relatively low. (8.5 %, rank 19/22 , 2020) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is relatively low. (5.5 %, rank 20/22 , 2020) 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. (6.4 %, rank 32/36 , 2020) Download Indicator
The percentage of students enrolled in the field of social sciences, journalism and information among all national tertiary students in Ireland is relatively low. (5.8 %, rank 32/35 , 2020) 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. (64.2 %, rank 30/33 , 2020) 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. (19.7 %, rank 32/36 , 2020) 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. (69.3 %, rank 27/30 , 2020) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (7.3 %, rank 5/33 , 2020) 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. (15.9 %, rank 4/74 , 2020) 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. (3.2 %, rank 36/36 , 2019) Download Indicator
In Ireland, expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (1 %, rank 36/36 , 2019) Download Indicator
In Ireland, expenditure on tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively low. (0.8 %, rank 35/36 , 2019) 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 36/36 , 2019) 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. (2.1 %, rank 40/40 , 2019) 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. (2.7 %, rank 40/40 , 2019) Download Indicator
In Ireland, total expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to 2010. (91 Index, rank 32/34 , 2019) Download Indicator
In Ireland, expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP for tertiary education is low compared to 2015. (82 Index, rank 31/34 , 2019) Download Indicator
In Ireland, expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP for primary to tertiary education is low compared to 2015. (88 Index, rank 32/34 , 2019) 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 low. (2.1 %, rank 28/29 , 2019) Download Indicator
From 2012 to 2018, the average annual growth in the number of full-time equivalent student from primary to tertiary education is one of the largest in Ireland among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.5 %, rank 4/38 , 2019) 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. (2.9 %, rank 26/27 , 2019) Download Indicator
The private expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds on tertiary education is relatively low in Ireland. (0 %, rank 26/28 , 2019) Download Indicator
Public and private expenditure in education
In Ireland, the relative share of public expenditure from initial source of funds on tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (89.5 %, rank 4/27 , 2019) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the relative share of private expenditure from initial source of funds on tertiary education is comparatively small. (5.6 %, rank 24/27 , 2019) Download Indicator
Teachers
The number of days of instruction in a school year in lower secondary school is especially low. (164 Days, rank 31/31 , 2021) Download Indicator
The number of days of instruction in a school year in upper secondary school is especially low. (164 Days, rank 31/31 , 2021) Download Indicator
Who the teachers are
The share of women among teaching staff in tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (53.6 %, rank 3/38 , 2020) Download Indicator
The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is especially high. (66.3 %, rank 3/37 , 2019) Download Indicator
The percentage of primary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (17 %, rank 35/38 , 2019) Download Indicator
The percentage of upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (25.9 %, rank 33/37 , 2019) Download Indicator
The percentage of primary to upper secondary teachers older than 50 is especially low. (20.9 %, rank 34/37 , 2019) Download Indicator
Teachers' salaries
The ratio of primary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.99 Ratio, rank 4/23 , 2021) Download Indicator
The ratio of lower secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.03 Ratio, rank 4/23 , 2021) Download Indicator
The salaries of 25-34 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is high in Ireland. (1.08 Ratio, rank 3/19 , 2021) Download Indicator
The average actual salaries of 55-64 year-old lower-secondary teachers is one of the highest in Ireland. (74028 USD Equivalent, rank 3/21 , 2021) Download Indicator
Principals' salaries
Lower-secondary school heads' salaries relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education is high in Ireland. (1.77 Ratio, rank 4/20 , 2021) Download Indicator
The average lower secondary school heads' actual salary is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (105795 USD Equivalent, rank 3/22 , 2021) Download Indicator
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. (92159 USD Equivalent, rank 3/15 , 2021) Download Indicator
The average actual salaries of 55-64 year-old lower secondary school heads is one of the highest in Ireland. (110115 USD Equivalent, rank 3/20 , 2021) 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. (22.4 Ratio, rank 4/33 , 2020) Download Indicator
In Ireland, the number of students per teacher in public institutions tertiary education is one of the highest among countries with available data. (22.4 Ratio, rank 4/35 , 2020) Download Indicator
Employment and educational attainment
The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is compartively low in Ireland. (44.7 %, rank 40/42 , 2021) 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. (55.9 %, rank 40/42 , 2021) Download Indicator
Unemployment and educational attainment
The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is high in Ireland. (47.2 %, rank 2/41 , 2021) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in Ireland. (2.7 %, rank 11/11 , 2021) Download Indicator
Earnings and educational attainment
In Ireland, the share of workers earning more than twice the median among those with a bachelor's or equivalent education degree is comparatively high. (26.5 %, rank 5/28 , 2020) Download Indicator
Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds with below secondary education compared to those of adults with an upper secondary education are relatively high in Ireland. (98.4 %, rank 2/37 , 2020) Download Indicator
Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (54.4 %, rank 34/37 , 2020) Download Indicator
Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (60.8 %, rank 33/37 , 2020) Download Indicator
Participation in education by gender
The share of female students entering doctoral or equivalent programmes in Ireland is one of the largest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (54.4 %, rank 5/38 , 2020) Download Indicator
Entrance
In Ireland, the percentage of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes younger than 25 is relatively low. (25.1 %, rank 31/32 , 2020) Download Indicator
General findings
- Tertiary attainment has increased strongly in most OECD countries among 25-34 year olds. The average share of younger adults with a tertiary degree has increased from 27% in 2000 to 48% in 2021.
- Higher educational attainment leads to better labour-market outcomes including higher wages and higher employment rates.
- Expenditure on tertiary education accounts for 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on average across OECD countries or 30% of all education funding allocated to educational institutions.
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- Tertiary attainment has increased strongly in most OECD countries among 25-34 year-olds. The average share of younger adults with a tertiary degree has increased from 27% in 2000 to 48% in 2021. In this age group, the share of individuals with tertiary attainment is 7 percentage points higher than the share of individuals with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment on average across OECD countries. If current trends continue, a tertiary education will be the most common attainment among working-age adults on average across OECD countries within a few years.
- Higher educational attainment leads to better labour-market outcomes. In 2021, on average, employment rates for tertiary-educated young adults (25-34 year-olds) are 8 percentage points higher than those who have attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education and 26 percentage points higher than those who have attained below upper secondary education across OECD countries.
- Greater educational attainment yields better earnings and this holds true for higher levels of tertiary attainment in most countries. On average across the OECD, full-time full-year workers who attained short-cycle tertiary education earned 20% more than those with upper secondary attainment in 2020. This earnings advantage increases to 44% among those who attained a bachelor's or equivalent qualification and to 88% among those with a master's or doctoral or equivalent degree.
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- On average, the vast majority (88%) of children between the age of 3 and 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (ECE) across the OECD. In a few countries, it is also common for younger children between the age of 0 and 2 to participate in ECE and over 50% of children in this age group are enrolled. However, only 27% of under-threes are enrolled in ECE on average across the OECD.
- In almost all countries with available data, the majority of upper secondary graduates from general programmes are women. Men dominate graduation from vocational programmes in almost three-quarters of the countries.
- While the average age of first-time graduates from general upper secondary education does not differ much across countries, the difference widens in vocational education, ranging from 16 to 34 years.
- Around one-fifth of tertiary students are enrolled on a part-time basis, but large differences exist across OECD countries. Studying part-time is especially common in many Nordic countries, Australia, New Zealand and the United States, where more than 30% of students study part-time. However, in some countries like the Czech Republic, and Greece, less than 5% of students study part-time.
- Students are more likely to cross borders to pursue their studies as they reach more advanced levels of education. Internationally mobile students account for only 7% of bachelor's students, but 17% of master's students and 26% of doctoral students on average in OECD countries.
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- Total public spending on education (from primary to tertiary level) averages 10.6% of total government expenditure across OECD countries, from around 7% to 17%. The largest share of government funding is devoted to primary and secondary levels, explained by near-universal enrolment rates at those levels of education and the greater contribution of private sources at tertiary level.
- On average across OECD countries, expenditure on primary education amounts to 30% of the funding for educational institutions, while secondary education accounts for 39%.
- In 2019, OECD countries spent an average of USD 17 559 per student per year at the tertiary level. However, this average is driven up by high values in a few countries, reaching over USD 25 000 in Luxembourg, Norway, Sweden, the United Kingdom and the United States.
- On average across OECD countries, 63% of total expenditure on tertiary educational institutions goes to core services (e.g. teachers' salaries, school buildings, teaching materials and administration), 33% on research and development activities, and 4% on ancillary services (e.g. meals and transport).
- Expenditure on tertiary education accounts for 1.5% of gross domestic product (GDP) on average across OECD countries or 30% of all education funding allocated to educational institutions.
- On average across OECD countries, public funds account for 83% of total spending on educational institutions. Private sources are more important at the tertiary level, where they make up 31% of all expenditure compared to just 10% at the non-tertiary levels (primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary).
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- Teachers' actual salaries at pre-primary, primary and general secondary level are 4-14% lower than the earnings of tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries and other participants. School heads' actual salaries are substantially higher than those of teachers across primary and secondary education.
- Teachers in public schools in OECD and partner countries are required to teach on average 987 hours per year at pre-primary level, 784 hours at primary level, 711 hours at lower secondary level (general programmes) and 684 hours at upper secondary level (general and vocational programmes).
- Typically, the duration of initial teacher education programmes varies from 3 years to 6.5 years, for prospective lower secondary teachers of general subjects. A tertiary qualification is awarded upon completion of the programme in most countries, regardless of the level of education at which the teacher will teach.
- Continuing professional development is compulsory to some extent for teachers of general subjects at least at one level of education in most countries with data, except Denmark, Italy, the Netherlands and New Zealand. It can be either generally compulsory for all teachers as a regular part of their work, or for some teachers for specific purposes such as promotion or salary increases, or in some cases, both.
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> Notes on the education system in Ireland
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 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 2021 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.