Over half of Irish adults have third-level education – CSO

Michael Bolton

Over half (54 per cent) of adults aged between 25-64 have received a third-level education, according to new figures from the Central Statistics Office (CSO).

The data shows Ireland's figure is well above the EU average for adults with a third-level degree (34 per cent).

Secondary school was the highest level of education noted for just over a quarter of Irish adults (28 per cent), and 3 per cent of people did not advance beyond primary level.

Among women aged 25-65, 85 per cent with a third-level qualification were employed, with the figure increasing to 92 per cent among men with the same level of qualification.

Of those aged 35-44, 60 per cent had a third-level qualification, as did 61 per cent of people aged 25-34. The lowest rate of third-level attainment was among those aged 60-64, at 35 per cent.

In Dublin, 62 per cent of people aged 25-64 had a third level qualification as of the second quarter of this year, while the South East has the lowest percentage of third-level attainment at 45 per cent.