At an overall level, over eight in ten (81.6%) persons aged 18 years and over hold a current driving licence of some sort (full/provisional/non-Irish issued). More females than males aged 25 years to 34 hold a driving licence. Nearly nine in ten (85.4%) females aged 25 to 34 years hold a current driving licence of some sort for a car, compared with just over eight in ten (81.2%) males in this age group. For persons aged 75 years and over, 84% of males hold a current driving licence, compared with over half of females (51.7%) in this age group. See Table 7.1 and Figure 7.1.
| 25-34 | 35-44 | 45-54 | 55-64 | 65-74 | 75+ | |
| Male | 81.2 | 89.5 | 91.3 | 89.9 | 88.5 | 84 |
| Female | 85.4 | 89.7 | 89.2 | 80.8 | 76.7 | 51.7 |
Licensed drivers were asked for the type of driving licence they possess. For those with a licence, Irish issued full driving licence is held by 91.3% of persons aged 18 years and over, a decrease of over two percentage points on the same period in 2019 (93.7%). During the COVID-19 pandemic, driver testing was suspended for a period, with resulting backlogs in driver theory test and driving tests. During the survey data collection period, restrictions had eased, and testing resumed, but there were significant delays due to COVID-19. There was little change in non-Irish issued driving licences held by persons aged 18 years and over – 2.9% in 2021 compared with 3% in 2019. See Table 7.2.
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