Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in Ireland

Ireland: Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total was 5.7% in 2024. ▼ Falling

Latest (2024)
5.7%
Change on year
up 11.8%
World rank
118th
of 124 countries
All-time high
19.5%
in 2010
All-time low
5.1%
in 2023
Years of data
38
1983–2024

Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in Ireland, 1983–2024

51015201983200320241983: 15.9 % of youth population1984: 16.8 % of youth population1985: 18.1 % of youth population1986: 18.2 % of youth population1987: 17.8 % of youth population1988: 16.5 % of youth population1989: 15.2 % of youth population1990: 12.6 % of youth population1991: 14.7 % of youth population1992: 15.3 % of youth population1993: 15.4 % of youth population1994: 14.4 % of youth population1995: 12 % of youth population1996: 11.3 % of youth population1997: 10.8 % of youth population2002: 13.1 % of youth population2003: 8.9 % of youth population2004: 10.4 % of youth population2005: 10.5 % of youth population2006: 9.4 % of youth population2007: 10.1 % of youth population2008: 12.5 % of youth population2009: 18.3 % of youth population2010: 19.5 % of youth population2011: 19.2 % of youth population2012: 19.2 % of youth population2013: 16.4 % of youth population2014: 15.3 % of youth population2015: 14.3 % of youth population2016: 12.6 % of youth population2017: 11 % of youth population2018: 10.1 % of youth population2019: 10.2 % of youth population2020: 12.1 % of youth population2021: 7.2 % of youth population2022: 6.4 % of youth population2023: 5.1 % of youth population2024: 5.7 % of youth population

Source: Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of youth population.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in Ireland is 5.7%, measured in 2024.

That represents a change of up 11.8% on the previous year and down 62.9% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in Ireland peaked at 19.5% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 5.1%, in 2023.

That places Ireland 118th out of 124 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 38 years of available data.

Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population) in Ireland, 1983 to 2024.
Year % of youth population Change
1983 15.9%
1984 16.8% +5.8%
1985 18.1% +7.6%
1986 18.2% +0.7%
1987 17.8% -2.3%
1988 16.5% -6.9%
1989 15.2% -8.4%
1990 12.6% -16.7%
1991 14.7% +16.7%
1992 15.3% +4.0%
1993 15.4% +0.2%
1994 14.4% -6.5%
1995 12.0% -16.3%
1996 11.3% -6.3%
1997 10.8% -3.9%
2002 13.1% +20.9%
2003 8.9% -32.3%
2004 10.4% +17.1%
2005 10.5% +1.5%
2006 9.4% -10.7%
2007 10.1% +7.1%
2008 12.5% +24.4%
2009 18.3% +46.1%
2010 19.5% +6.3%
2011 19.2% -1.5%
2012 19.2% +0.2%
2013 16.4% -14.4%
2014 15.3% -7.0%
2015 14.3% -6.5%
2016 12.6% -11.6%
2017 11.0% -13.1%
2018 10.1% -7.9%
2019 10.2% +0.7%
2020 12.1% +18.9%
2021 7.2% -40.2%
2022 6.4% -11.0%
2023 5.1% -21.3%
2024 5.7% +11.8%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 5.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.1%, 56% of the median. (49 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 5.7% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10.2%, 55% of the median. (45 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1980s 16.9% 15.2% 18.2% 7
1990s 13.3% 10.8% 15.4% 8
2000s 11.6% 8.9% 18.3% 8
2010s 14.8% 10.1% 19.5% 10
2020s 7.3% 5.1% 12.1% 5

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 115 Cambodia 6.3% compare
  2. 116 Hong Kong, China 6.0% compare
  3. 117 Norway 5.8% compare
  4. 119 Sweden 5.6% compare
  5. 120 Macau, China 5.0% compare
  6. 121 Czechia 4.6% compare

See the full ranking of 143 places →

More work & labour data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in Ireland?
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in Ireland was 5.7% in 2024, according to Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO).
What is the highest share of youth not in education, employment or training, total recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 19.5% in 2010.
What is the lowest share of youth not in education, employment or training, total recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 5.1% in 2023.
How does Ireland rank for share of youth not in education, employment or training, total?
Ireland ranks 118th out of 124 countries with data for 2024.
Is share of youth not in education, employment or training, total rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 62.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO). Retrieved 16 September 2026, from https://labour.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-youth-not-in-education-employment-or-training-total-percent-of-youth-population-2/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of youth not in education, employment or training, total (% of youth population)
Unit
% of youth population
Source
Labour Force Statistics database (LFS), International Labour Organization (ILO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
143 places, 2,755 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

The share of youth not in education, employment or training (also known as “the NEET rate”) conveys the number of young persons not in education, employment or training as a percentage of the total youth population. Youth not in education are those who were neither enrolled in school nor in a formal training program (e.g. vocational training). For the purposes of this indicator, youth is defined as all persons between the ages of 15 and 24 (inclusive).