Employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and in Ireland
Ireland: Employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and was 83.99 Percentage of population in the same subgroup in 2025. ▲ Rising
Employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and in Ireland, 1989–2025
Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development. Measured in Percentage of population in the same subgroup.
Analysis
In 2025, employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and in Ireland stood at 83.99 Percentage of population in the same subgroup.
The figure is down 0.1% on the previous year and up 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and in Ireland peaked at 84.09 Percentage of population in the same subgroup in 2024 and was at its lowest, 65.6 Percentage of population in the same subgroup, in 1989.
Ireland ranks 10th of 37 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 31 years of available data.
Employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and in Ireland, year by year
| Year | Percentage of population in the same subgroup | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1989 | 65.6 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | — |
| 1991 | 65.95 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 66.48 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +0.8% |
| 1994 | 69.84 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +5.0% |
| 1995 | 71.77 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +2.8% |
| 2000 | 82.21 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +14.6% |
| 2001 | 81.89 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2002 | 80.6 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -1.6% |
| 2003 | 80.3 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -0.4% |
| 2004 | 80.82 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +0.6% |
| 2005 | 81.64 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +1.0% |
| 2006 | 81.98 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +0.4% |
| 2007 | 81.6 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 79.8 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -2.2% |
| 2009 | 73.59 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -7.8% |
| 2010 | 71.48 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -2.9% |
| 2011 | 69.4 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -2.9% |
| 2012 | 70.15 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +1.1% |
| 2013 | 71.15 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +1.4% |
| 2014 | 72.23 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +1.5% |
| 2015 | 74.04 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +2.5% |
| 2016 | 75.25 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +1.6% |
| 2017 | 78.4 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +4.2% |
| 2018 | 79.86 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +1.9% |
| 2019 | 80.39 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +0.7% |
| 2020 | 77.38 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -3.8% |
| 2021 | 80.88 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +4.5% |
| 2022 | 82.82 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +2.4% |
| 2023 | 83 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +0.2% |
| 2024 | 84.09 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | +1.3% |
| 2025 | 83.99 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | -0.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 65.6 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 65.6 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 65.6 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 1 |
| 1990s | 68.51 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 65.95 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 71.77 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 4 |
| 2000s | 80.44 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 73.59 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 82.21 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2010s | 74.23 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 69.4 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 80.39 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 10 |
| 2020s | 82.03 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 77.38 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 84.09 Percentage of population in the same subgroup | 6 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
- 7 Hungary 84.67 Percentage of population in the same subgroup compare
- 8 Luxembourg 84.41 Percentage of population in the same subgroup compare
- 8 Türkiye 65.21 Percentage of population in the same subgroup compare
- 9 Norway 84.15 Percentage of population in the same subgroup compare
- 11 Germany 82.95 Percentage of population in the same subgroup compare
- 12 New Zealand 82.72 Percentage of population in the same subgroup compare
- 13 Austria 82.57 Percentage of population in the same subgroup compare
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes, annual -0.4488 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male, annual growth -0.4574 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female, annual growth -0.4405 % change on previous year (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population, annual growth rate -1.23 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population, annual growth rate 0.9335 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Urban population 4,354 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Rural population 1,447 1000 No (2050)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Female 2,638 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Male 2,649 1000 No (2100)
- Population - Est. & Proj. — Total Population - Both sexes 5,286 1000 No (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and in Ireland?
- Employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and in Ireland was 83.99 Percentage of population in the same subgroup in 2025, according to Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development.
- What is the highest employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 84.09 Percentage of population in the same subgroup in 2024.
- What is the lowest employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 65.6 Percentage of population in the same subgroup in 1989.
- How does Ireland rank for employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and?
- Ireland ranks 10th out of 37 countries with data for 2025.
- Is employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, published as part of Employment rates of adults, by educational attainment, age group and gender. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
This dataset contains data on employment rates by educational attainment level, age group and gender. The default table displays 2025 data (or the latest available year) on the employment rates of 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary, upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary, or tertiary attainment. The selection can be changed to display data by more detailed educational attainment level, by programme orientation, by gender and by age group. Filter the time period to display historical data. Data for the latest available year are preliminary. Final data will be released on September 29, 2026. For more information, please consult the Education at a Glance web page and the OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics: Concepts, Standards, Definitions and Classifications.