Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Ireland

Ireland: Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes was 1.4% in 2018. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2018)
1.4%
Change on year
up 115.3%
World rank
140th
of 147 countries
All-time high
31.9%
in 1973
All-time low
0.5%
in 2016
Years of data
23
1973–2018

Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Ireland, 1973–2018

01020301973199520181973: 31.9 %1974: 29.3 %1986: 8.8 %1998: 13.4 %1999: 12.4 %2000: 12.2 %2001: 12.3 %2002: 11.1 %2003: 9 %2004: 6.6 %2005: 6.1 %2006: 9.7 %2007: 4.9 %2008: 7 %2009: 5.6 %2010: 2.6 %2011: 1.1 %2012: 1.2 %2014: 1.1 %2015: 0.886 %2016: 0.494 %2017: 0.633 %2018: 1.4 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2018, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Ireland stood at 1.4%.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 115.3% on the previous year and down 80.6% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Ireland peaked at 31.9% in 1973 and was at its lowest, 0.5%, in 2016.

Ireland ranks 140th of 147 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Ireland, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (%) in Ireland, 1973 to 2018.
Year % Change
1973 31.9%
1974 29.3% -8.2%
1986 8.8% -70.1%
1998 13.4% +53.0%
1999 12.4% -7.5%
2000 12.2% -1.8%
2001 12.3% +0.9%
2002 11.1% -9.9%
2003 9.0% -18.4%
2004 6.6% -26.6%
2005 6.1% -8.8%
2006 9.7% +59.8%
2007 4.9% -49.3%
2008 7.0% +43.3%
2009 5.6% -20.5%
2010 2.6% -54.2%
2011 1.1% -56.6%
2012 1.2% +11.1%
2014 1.1% -9.6%
2015 0.9% -20.6%
2016 0.5% -44.2%
2017 0.6% +28.1%
2018 1.4% +115.3%

Ireland compared with similar countries

  • Ireland's 1.4% is below the median for high income countries, which is 8.4%, 16% of the median. (62 countries reporting)
  • Ireland's 1.4% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.5%, 21% of the median. (43 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 30.6% 29.3% 31.9% 2
1980s 8.8% 8.8% 8.8% 1
1990s 12.9% 12.4% 13.4% 2
2000s 8.5% 4.9% 12.3% 10
2010s 1.2% 0.5% 2.6% 8

Countries ranked near Ireland

  1. 137 Israel 1.8% compare
  2. 138 Spain 1.7% compare
  3. 139 Belgium 1.5% compare
  4. 141 Sweden 1.3% compare
  5. 142 Belarus 1.3% compare
  6. 143 Estonia 1.2% compare

See the full ranking of 192 places →

More reference data data for Ireland

All data for Ireland →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Ireland?
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Ireland was 1.4% in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The highest recorded value was 31.9% in 1973.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes recorded in Ireland?
The lowest recorded value was 0.5% in 2016.
How does Ireland rank for out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes?
Ireland ranks 140th out of 147 countries with data for 2018.
Is out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes rising or falling in Ireland?
Over the last ten years it is down 80.6%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
Where does this Ireland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes in Ireland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-youth-of-upper-secondary-school-age-both-sexes-percent/ireland/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for youth of upper secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
192 places, 3,194 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of youth of official upper secondary school age who are not enrolled in upper secondary school expressed as a percentage of the population of official upper secondary school age.