The latest available EU figures showed that, in 2019, 84% of all 20-24 year olds in the EU-28 member states had attained at least a higher secondary level of education. The corresponding figure for Ireland was 94%, ranking the country third among EU member states. Table 4.1 and Figure 4.1.
| Persons with at least a higher secondary education as a % of persons aged 20 - 24 | EU-28 | |
| Spain | 74 | 84 |
| Denmark | 75.6 | 84 |
| Germany | 77.5 | 84 |
| Luxembourg | 77.5 | 84 |
| Malta | 78.6 | 84 |
| Italy | 82 | 84 |
| Netherlands | 82.2 | 84 |
| Portugal | 82.9 | 84 |
| Romania | 83.4 | 84 |
| Bulgaria | 84.4 | 84 |
| Sweden | 84.6 | 84 |
| Estonia | 84.8 | 84 |
| Belgium | 85.6 | 84 |
| United Kingdom | 85.9 | 84 |
| Hungary | 86.6 | 84 |
| Latvia | 87.1 | 84 |
| Austria | 87.3 | 84 |
| Finland | 88.2 | 84 |
| Czechia | 88.3 | 84 |
| France | 88.5 | 84 |
| Slovakia | 89.9 | 84 |
| Poland | 90.8 | 84 |
| Cyprus | 92.3 | 84 |
| Slovenia | 92.4 | 84 |
| Lithuania | 92.5 | 84 |
| Ireland | 94.1 | 84 |
| Greece | 94.5 | 84 |
| Croatia | 97.3 | 84 |
You can access this data on the Eurostat website
The latest available EU figures (2019) show that 42% of 30-34 year olds had a third level qualification. Ireland had the fourth highest third level educational attainment level at 55%, behind Cyprus (59%), Lithuania (58%) and Luxembourg (56%). See Table 4.2 and Figure 4.2.
| Persons with a third level qualification as a % of persons aged 30 -34 | EU-28 | |
| Romania | 25.8 | 42 |
| Italy | 27.6 | 42 |
| Bulgaria | 32.5 | 42 |
| Croatia | 33.1 | 42 |
| Hungary | 33.4 | 42 |
| Czechia | 35.1 | 42 |
| Germany | 35.5 | 42 |
| Portugal | 36.2 | 42 |
| Malta | 37.8 | 42 |
| Slovakia | 40.1 | 42 |
| Austria | 42.4 | 42 |
| Greece | 43.1 | 42 |
| Spain | 44.7 | 42 |
| Slovenia | 44.9 | 42 |
| Latvia | 45.7 | 42 |
| Estonia | 46.2 | 42 |
| Poland | 46.6 | 42 |
| Finland | 47.3 | 42 |
| Belgium | 47.5 | 42 |
| France | 47.5 | 42 |
| Denmark | 49 | 42 |
| United Kingdom | 50 | 42 |
| Netherlands | 51.4 | 42 |
| Sweden | 52.5 | 42 |
| Ireland | 55.4 | 42 |
| Luxembourg | 56.2 | 42 |
| Lithuania | 57.8 | 42 |
| Cyprus | 58.8 | 42 |
You can access this data on the Eurostat website
The latest available EU figures showed that in 2019, 10% of all 18-24 year olds in the EU-28 member states were classified as early school leavers. The Irish equivalent rate was 5% in the same period. This ranked the country fifth lowest among EU member states. See Table 4.3 and Figure 4.3.
| Early school leavers as a % of persons aged 18-24 | EU-28 | |
| Croatia | 3 | 10 |
| Lithuania | 4 | 10 |
| Greece | 4.1 | 10 |
| Slovenia | 4.6 | 10 |
| Ireland | 5.1 | 10 |
| Poland | 5.2 | 10 |
| Sweden | 6.5 | 10 |
| Czechia | 6.7 | 10 |
| Luxembourg | 7.2 | 10 |
| Finland | 7.3 | 10 |
| Netherlands | 7.5 | 10 |
| Austria | 7.8 | 10 |
| France | 8.2 | 10 |
| Slovakia | 8.3 | 10 |
| Belgium | 8.4 | 10 |
| Latvia | 8.7 | 10 |
| Cyprus | 9.2 | 10 |
| Estonia | 9.8 | 10 |
| Denmark | 9.9 | 10 |
| Germany | 10.3 | 10 |
| Portugal | 10.6 | 10 |
| United Kingdom | 10.9 | 10 |
| Hungary | 11.8 | 10 |
| Italy | 13.5 | 10 |
| Bulgaria | 13.9 | 10 |
| Romania | 15.3 | 10 |
| Malta | 16.7 | 10 |
| Spain | 17.3 | 10 |
You can access this data on the Eurostat website
Go to next chapter: Background Notes
