Over half of adults (52%) aged 25-69 reported participating in lifelong learning (formal and/or non-formal education) in the reference period of 2022.
One in ten adults (10%) aged 25-69 participated in formal education in 2022.
Almost half of all adults aged 25-69 (48%) received some form of non-formal education.
Over half (54%) of adults aged 25-69 reported participating in at least one informal learning activity.
Over six in ten (64%) of those aged 25-34 reported participating in lifelong learning compared to 35% of the 55-69 year old group.
Regionally Dublin reported the highest participation in lifelong learning with 59% of adults aged 25-69 participating compared to 40% in the Border (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan and Sligo) area.
Those with a third-level qualification were almost twice as likely to have participated in lifelong learning compared to those whose highest level of attainment was higher secondary or lower.
Ireland is ranked 6th in the EU-27 for participation in lifelong learning for 2022.
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Statistician's Comment
The Central Statistics Office (CSO) has today (30 April 2024) released the Adult Education Survey.
Commenting on the release Kevin Healy, Statistician in the Social Analysis Division, said: “This is the second in a series of publications looking at adult education. This release was compiled using data collected from Irish households in Q3 and Q4 2022. Our analysis shows that in 2022, persons aged 25-69 in Ireland had a lifelong learning participation rate of 52%. This was a higher rate of lifelong learning than the EU-27 average of 44% in the same year. Ireland ranked 6th in the EU-27 for participation in lifelong learning in 2022.
Looking at the data by age and employment breakdown we can see in 2022, younger age groups reported higher levels of lifelong learning where more than six in ten adults (64%) aged 25-34 participated in lifelong learning compared with 35% of persons aged 55-69. Employed persons aged 25-69 were more likely to have participated in lifelong learning than those who were unemployed (62% versus 35%).
Regional differences were also evident in lifelong learning rates. Nearly six in ten people (59%) aged 25-69 in the Dublin area (Dublin City, Dún Laoghaire-Rathdown, Fingal, and South Dublin) reported participating in lifelong learning in the reference period while this fell to 40% for those living in the Border region (Cavan, Donegal, Leitrim, Monaghan, and Sligo).”