Ireland vs United Kingdom: Labour force participation rates by educational attainment level
Ireland
78.4%
in 2025
United Kingdom
78.1%
in 2019
Ireland rank
19th
United Kingdom rank
20th
Labour force participation rates by educational attainment level over time
- Ireland
- United Kingdom
How they compare
Ireland currently reports 78.4% against 78.1% in United Kingdom, a difference of 0.3%.
The two have swapped places 2 times across 21 shared years of data; in 1999 it was United Kingdom ahead.
Ireland ranks 19th and United Kingdom ranks 20th of 48 countries.
United Kingdom has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Ireland | United Kingdom | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.4% | 75.0% | 8.6% | United Kingdom |
| 2000s | 70.6% | 75.3% | 4.7% | United Kingdom |
| 2010s | 72.1% | 76.8% | 4.7% | United Kingdom |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher labour force participation rates by educational attainment level, Ireland or United Kingdom?
- Ireland, at 78.4% against 78.1% in United Kingdom as of 2025.
- What is the difference in labour force participation rates by educational attainment level between Ireland and United Kingdom?
- 0.3%, with Ireland ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Ireland and United Kingdom?
- 21 years are reported by both, from 1999 to 2019.
- How do Ireland and United Kingdom rank globally for labour force participation rates by educational attainment level?
- Ireland ranks 19th and United Kingdom ranks 20th of 48 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Eurostat, published as Labour force participation rates by educational attainment level, citizenship and NUTS 2 region. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.