Ireland – Levels of Education of Population

 

Persons, Males and Females Aged 15 Years and Over Classified by Highest Level of Education Completed, 2006.

			Males	Females	Persons
Total aged 15 years and over			1,678,127	1,697,272	3,375,399
Total whose full-time education has ceased			1,425,964	1,424,369	2,850,333
Highest level of education completed	Primary (incl. no formal education)		268,716	245,369	514,085
	Lower secondary		304,732	268,679	573,411
	Upper secondary		409,558	393,910	803,498
	Third Level	Non-degree	127,965	173,362	301,327
		Degree or higher	249,442	278,333	527,775
	Not stated		65,521	64,716	130,237
Total whose full-time education not ceased			252,163	272,903	525,065
Economic status	Total at school, university, etc.		164,638	184,958	349,596
	Other		87,525	87,945	175,470

http://www.cso.ie/statistics/pmfageover15edcompleted.htm

Those aged 15 years and older who are currently at School / University:
Males        164,638
Females     184,958
Total         349,596
http://www.cso.ie/statistics/pmfageover15edcompleted.htm
 

% of persons 15 years and older who have left education with a third level qualification:
In 2005, The Combat Poverty Agency published a report of the spatial distribution of Poverty called `Mapping Poverty, Local Regional and County Patterns´.  This report highlights a breakdpwn of the percentage of those 15 years and older who have left school with a third level qualification.    While the percentage varies across the country the mean average works out at 23.77% of the population having a third level qualification.
http://www.cpa.ie/povertyinireland/maps/Map2.13_PercentWithThirdLevelEducation.JPG

The Central Statistics Office (CSO) figures for 2006 show a slight increase in this % with a total of 829,102 of the population aged 15 years and over having completed Third Level college.  This accounts for 24.56% of the 15+ population.
http://www.cso.ie/statistics/pmfageover15edcompleted.htm