Early leavers from education and training in Ireland
3.6% of people aged 18 to 24 in Ireland had left education early in 2025.
Ireland, 2025
3.6%
Change from 2024
+0.8percentage points
European Union, 2025
9.1%
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2025
7.4%
Position in 2025
31st of 34
Early leavers from education and training in Ireland over time
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Ireland
European Union
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The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of population aged 18 to 24. Source: Eurostat. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | Ireland | European Union |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.6% | 9.1% |
| 2024 | 2.8%b (break in time series) | 9.6% |
| 2023 | 4.0% | 9.6% |
| 2022 | 3.7% | 9.6% |
| 2021 | 3.3%b (break in time series) | 9.7%b (break in time series) |
| 2020 | 5.0% | 10.0% |
| 2019 | 5.1% | 10.1% |
| 2018 | 5.0% | 10.5% |
| 2017 | 5.0%b (break in time series) | 10.5% |
| 2016 | 6.0% | 10.6% |
| 2015 | 6.8% | 11.0% |
| 2014 | 6.7%b (break in time series) | 11.1%b (break in time series) |
| 2013 | 8.7% | 11.8% |
| 2012 | 9.9% | 12.6% |
| 2011 | 11.1% | 13.2% |
| 2010 | 11.9% | 13.8% |
| 2009 | 11.8% | 14.0% |
| 2008 | 11.7% | 14.3% |
| 2007 | 12.0%b (break in time series) | 14.7% |
| 2006 | 12.3%b (break in time series) | 15.2%b (break in time series) |
| 2005 | 12.5% | 15.6% |
| 2004 | 13.1%b (break in time series) | 16.0% |
| 2003 | 13.1% | 16.4%b (break in time series) |
| 2002 | 14.6% | 16.9% |
Flags: b break in time series . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of +0.8 percentage points from 2.8% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 6.8%, the figure has changed by −3.2 percentage points. The source marks a break in the series during this period, so part of the change may come from a change in method.
- Among the 34 countries with data for 2025, Ireland has the 31st highest value.
- The figure for the European Union in 2025 was 9.1%.
More for Ireland
All statistics for Ireland
Tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34
66.8%
2025 · Eurostat
NEET rate, ages 15 to 29
8.1%
2025 · Eurostat
Adult participation in learning
14.6%
2025 · Eurostat
ILO estimate of the youth NEET rate
5.8%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Out-of-school children
1.8%nat_est (National estimate)
2022 · UNESCO UIS
Out-of-school adolescents
0.1%nat_est (National estimate)
2022 · UNESCO UIS