| Early school leavers and other persons aged 18-24 by labour market status, Q2 2019 | |||
| Labour market status (%) | |||
| Employed | Unemployed | Inactive | |
| Early school leaver | 27 | 25 | 47 |
| Other persons aged 18-24 | 56 | 8 | 36 |
| All persons aged 18-24 | 54 | 9 | 36 |
Early school leavers were less likely to engage in the labour market in Q2 2019. An early school leaver is three times as likely to be unemployed than another person aged 18-24 who is not an early school leaver. In Q2 2019, 25% of early school leavers were unemployed compared to 8% of other persons aged 18-24. Conversely, other persons aged 18-24 were twice as likely to be employed than early school leavers. See Figure 1.
Higher educational attainment levels are linked with higher employment rates. Persons aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification are more than twice as likely to be employed (86%) than those with no formal education/primary education (40%) in Q2 2019. Conversely, those with no formal education/primary education were twice as likely to be unemployed (6%) than those with a third level qualification (3%). The proportion of those aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification was 47% in Q2 2019, while one in twenty (5%) reported that they had primary education/no formal education. See Summary table.
| Summary table Educational Attainment Q2 2019 | |||
| % | |||
| Highest level of education attained | Persons aged 25-64 | ||
| Percentage of total | Employment rate | Unemployment rate | |
| Primary or below | 5 | 40 | 6 |
| Lower secondary | 11 | 58 | 7 |
| Higher secondary | 22 | 73 | 5 |
| Post leaving certificate | 15 | 77 | 5 |
| Third level | 47 | 86 | 3 |
| Total persons aged 25 to 64 | 100 | 76 | 4 |
|
The results presented in this report incorporate adjustments to the historic LFS data series to take account of revisions to enable comparability with the new LFS for headline indicators. Data in this report also uses the new NUTS regional groupings which were introduced in Q1 2018. Due to changes to the questionnaire, the interview mode, the introduction of a new sample, data processing changes and other methodological enhancements there are changes in the levels of some series. Therefore, the Q2 2019 data may not be directly comparable to the Q2 2017 and earlier series, and users should therefore note this when examining annual changes over the time series. Further information is available in the background notes and information notes accompanying recent LFS releases. |
Younger age groups reported the highest levels of third level attainment, with over half of the 25-34 and 35-44 year olds in this category (55% and 54% respectively) compared to just three in ten (30%) 60-64 year olds. This reflects increased levels of participation in third level education over time. See Table 2.1 and Figure 2.
The gap between males and females is more evident in younger age groups. Females aged 20-24 and 25-34 years olds were more likely to have a third level qualification in Q2 2019 with rates of 30% and 58% respectively. The equivalent rates for males were 23% for the 20-24 age group and 51% for the 25-34 age group. This gender gap continues in older age groups but to a lesser extent. There was a 6 percentage point difference between the genders at the 45-54 age group and a 7 percentage point difference between the 60-64 age group. See Table 2.2.
One in seven persons (14%) aged 60-64 years old had primary education as their highest level of educational attainment or no formal education. Again there is a difference by gender, where 16% of males aged 60-64 years had primary education/no formal education only, compared to 13% of females.
| Highest level of education attained | Primary or below | Lower secondary | Higher secondary | Post Leaving Certificate | Third level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15-19 years | 24 | 52 | 22 | 1 | 0 |
| 20-24 years | 1 | 5 | 56 | 12 | 26 |
| 25-34 years | 2 | 6 | 22 | 15 | 55 |
| 35-44 years | 3 | 7 | 20 | 16 | 54 |
| 45-54 years | 6 | 13 | 22 | 16 | 43 |
| 55-59 years | 9 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 33 |
| 60-64 years | 14 | 21 | 23 | 12 | 30 |
| Primary or below | Lower secondary | Higher secondary | Post Leaving Certificate | Third level | |
| 15-19 years | 21 | 54 | 22 | 2 | 0 |
| 20-24 years | 1 | 4 | 55 | 12 | 27 |
| 25-34 years | 2 | 6 | 22 | 14 | 56 |
| 35-44 years | 3 | 9 | 19 | 16 | 54 |
| 45-54 years | 6 | 14 | 22 | 15 | 43 |
| 55-59 years | 10 | 20 | 23 | 14 | 33 |
| 60-64 years | 15 | 21 | 23 | 12 | 29 |
Over the last ten years, there has been an increase in the proportion of those aged 25-64 years old with a third level education, from 37% in Q2 2009 to 47% in Q2 2019. This has been accompanied by a steady decrease in the proportion with primary education/no formal education from 13% in Q2 2009 to 5% in Q2 2019. See Figure 3.
The percentage of males with primary education/no formal education decreased in the last ten years from 14% in Q2 2009 to 8% in Q2 2019. The corresponding proportion of females dropped from 11% to 6%.
| Highest level of education attained | Primary or below | Lower secondary | Higher secondary | Post Leaving Certificate | Third level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | 13 | 16 | 23 | 13 | 36 |
| 2010 | 11 | 14 | 24 | 12 | 38 |
| 2011 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 13 | 39 |
| 2012 | 10 | 14 | 23 | 13 | 40 |
| 2013 | 9 | 13 | 23 | 13 | 42 |
| 2014 | 8 | 13 | 24 | 14 | 41 |
| 2015 | 8 | 12 | 24 | 13 | 43 |
| 2016 | 6 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 45 |
| 2017 | 5 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 47 |
| 2018 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 15 | 47 |
| 2019 | 5 | 11 | 22 | 15 | 47 |
| Primary or below | Lower secondary | Higher secondary | Post leaving cert. | Third Level | |
| 2009 | 13 | 15 | 23 | 12 | 37 |
| 2010 | 11 | 14 | 24 | 12 | 39 |
| 2011 | 10 | 14 | 24 | 13 | 39 |
| 2012 | 10 | 14 | 22 | 13 | 41 |
| 2013 | 9 | 13 | 23 | 13 | 43 |
| 2014 | 7 | 13 | 23 | 15 | 43 |
| 2015 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 14 | 44 |
| 2016 | 6 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 45 |
| 2017 | 5 | 12 | 22 | 14 | 47 |
| 2018 | 5 | 12 | 21 | 15 | 47 |
Irish nationals had a lower educational attainment profile than non-Irish nationals. In Q2 2019, over four in ten Irish nationals (45%) aged 25-64 years old had a third level qualification. In comparison, the other EU15 states (excluding Ireland and the UK) had a third level attainment rate of 72% and other nationalities (non EU28 nationalities) were at 69%. The only nationality group with a lower rate of third level attainment than Irish nationals was the group of nationals from the EU15-28 member states at 40%. See Table 3 and Figure 4.
| Highest level of education attained | Primary or below | Lower secondary | Higher secondary | Post Leaving Certificate | Third level |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Irish | 6 | 12 | 21 | 15 | 45 |
| United Kingdom | 6 | 10 | 15 | 18 | 52 |
| EU-15 excl. Ire & UK | 0 | 1 | 13 | 14 | 72 |
| EU-15 to EU-28 | 3 | 7 | 33 | 18 | 40 |
| Other | 2 | 2 | 16 | 10 | 69 |
| Primary or below | Lower secondary | Higher secondary | Post Leaving Certificate | Third Level | |
| Irish | 6 | 13 | 21 | 15 | 45 |
| United Kingdom | 3 | 15 | 20 | 17 | 45 |
| EU-15 excl.Ire & UK | 0 | 1 | 10 | 6 | 83 |
| EU-15 to EU-28 | 2 | 6 | 29 | 20 | 44 |
| Other | 2 | 3 | 19 | 6 | 70 |
In Dublin, almost three in five persons (57%) aged 25-64 years old had a third level qualification in Q2 2019, but just over a third (36%) have a third level qualification in the Midlands. See Table 4 and Map 1.1.
One in ten persons (10%) aged 25-64 years old in the Border region had a primary level education or no formal education in Q2 2019. Conversely, only 4% of persons had a primary education level or below in the Mid-East. See Table 4 and Map 1.2.
Employment rates for those aged 25-64 years old increased as the level of education attained increased and this relationship is stronger for females than for males. In Q2 2019, females aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification were over three times more likely to be employed (82%) compared to females with a primary education or no formal education (26%). On the other hand, males aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification were almost twice as likely to be employed (91%) than those with a primary education or no formal education (51%). See Table 5.1 and Figure 5.1.
Unemployment rates for those aged 25-64 years old clearly decreased as the level of education attained increased. In Q2 2019, males aged 25-64 years old with a primary education or below were four times as likely to be unemployed (8%) compared to males with a third level qualification (2%). The corresponding values for females in Q2 2018 were 2% and 3%. See Table 5.2 and Figure 5.2.
The labour force participation rate is the number of persons in the labour force expressed as a percentage of the total population. In Q2 2019, females aged 25-64 years old with a third level qualification were over three times as likely to be in the labour force (84%) compared to females with a primary education or below (27%). The corresponding values for males in Q2 2019 were 93% and 55% respectively. See Table 5.3.
| Male | Female | Total | |
| Primary or below | 51 | 26 | 40 |
| Lower secondary | 71 | 41 | 58 |
| Higher secondary | 82 | 63 | 73 |
| Post leaving cert. | 87 | 67 | 77 |
| Third level | 91 | 82 | 86 |
| Highest level of education attained | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary or below | 44 | 26 | 35 |
| Lower secondary | 73 | 41 | 61 |
| Higher secondary | 81 | 61 | 71 |
| Post leaving cert. | 83 | 68 | 76 |
| Third level | 90 | 82 | 85 |
| All education levels | 82 | 69 | 75 |
| Male | Female | Total | |
| Primary or below | 8 | 2 | 6 |
| Lower secondary | 7 | 7 | 7 |
| Higher secondary | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| Post leaving cert. | 5 | 7 | 5 |
| Third level | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Highest level of education attained | Male | Female | Total |
|---|---|---|---|
| Primary or below | 15 | 11 | 14 |
| Lower secondary | 7 | 8 | 7 |
| Higher secondary | 5 | 6 | 5 |
| Post leaving cert. | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Third level | 4 | 4 | 4 |
| All educational levels | 5 | 5 | 5 |
The latest available EU figures showed that in 2018 11% 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 fourth lowest among EU member states. See Table 6.1 and Figure 6.1.
In Q2 2019, 5% of those aged 18-24 were defined as early school leavers, a decrease from 14% in Q2 2004. In Q2 2019, females aged 18-24 years old were less likely than males to be classified as early school leavers (4% versus 6%). See Table 6.2 and Figure 6.2.
| Early school leavers as a % of persons aged 18-24 | EU-28 | |
| Croatia | 3 | 11 |
| Slovenia | 4 | 11 |
| Greece | 5 | 11 |
| Ireland | 5 | 11 |
| Lithuania | 5 | 11 |
| Poland | 5 | 11 |
| Czechia | 6 | 11 |
| Luxembourg | 6 | 11 |
| Austria | 7 | 11 |
| Netherlands | 7 | 11 |
| Cyprus | 8 | 11 |
| Finland | 8 | 11 |
| Latvia | 8 | 11 |
| Belgium | 9 | 11 |
| France | 9 | 11 |
| Slovakia | 9 | 11 |
| Sweden | 9 | 11 |
| Denmark | 10 | 11 |
| Germany | 10 | 11 |
| Estonia | 11 | 11 |
| United Kingdom | 11 | 11 |
| Portugal | 12 | 11 |
| Bulgaria | 13 | 11 |
| Hungary | 13 | 11 |
| Italy | 15 | 11 |
| Romania | 16 | 11 |
| Malta | 18 | 11 |
| Spain | 18 | 11 |
| Early school leavers as a % of persons aged 18-24 | EU-28 2017 average | |
| Croatia | 3.1 | 10.6 |
| Slovenia | 4.3 | 10.6 |
| Poland | 5 | 10.6 |
| Ireland | 5.1 | 10.6 |
| Lithuania | 5.4 | 10.6 |
| Greece | 6 | 10.6 |
| Czechia | 6.7 | 10.6 |
| Netherlands | 7.1 | 10.6 |
| Luxembourg | 7.3 | 10.6 |
| Austria | 7.4 | 10.6 |
| Sweden | 7.7 | 10.6 |
| Finland | 8.2 | 10.6 |
| Cyprus | 8.5 | 10.6 |
| Latvia | 8.6 | 10.6 |
| Denmark | 8.8 | 10.6 |
| Belgium | 8.9 | 10.6 |
| France | 8.9 | 10.6 |
| Slovakia | 9.3 | 10.6 |
| Germany | 10.1 | 10.6 |
| United Kingdom | 10.6 | 10.6 |
| Estonia | 10.8 | 10.6 |
| Hungary | 12.5 | 10.6 |
| Portugal | 12.6 | 10.6 |
| Bulgaria | 12.7 | 10.6 |
| Italy | 14 | 10.6 |
| Malta | 17.7 | 10.6 |
| Romania | 18.1 | 10.6 |
| Spain | 18.3 | 10.6 |
You can access this data on the Eurostat website.
| Male | Female | Total | |
| 2004 | 17 | 10 | 14 |
| 2005 | 16 | 9 | 12 |
| 2006 | 17 | 9 | 13 |
| 2007 | 15 | 8 | 12 |
| 2008 | 15 | 7 | 11 |
| 2009 | 15 | 7 | 11 |
| 2010 | 14 | 9 | 12 |
| 2011 | 13 | 8 | 11 |
| 2012 | 12 | 8 | 10 |
| 2013 | 11 | 6 | 8 |
| 2014 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| 2015 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| 2016 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
| 2017 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| 2018 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| 2019 | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Male | Female | Total | |
| 2004 | 17 | 10 | 14 |
| 2005 | 16 | 9 | 12 |
| 2006 | 17 | 9 | 13 |
| 2007 | 15 | 8 | 12 |
| 2008 | 15 | 7 | 11 |
| 2009 | 15 | 7 | 11 |
| 2010 | 14 | 9 | 12 |
| 2011 | 13 | 8 | 11 |
| 2012 | 12 | 8 | 10 |
| 2013 | 11 | 6 | 8 |
| 2014 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| 2015 | 8 | 5 | 6 |
| 2016 | 7 | 4 | 6 |
| 2017 | 7 | 4 | 5 |
| 2018 | 6 | 3 | 5 |
Just under half (47%) of all early school leavers were not economically active compared to just over a third (36%) of other persons aged 18-24 in Q2 2019. Just over one in four (27%) early school leavers were employed in Q2 2019 with 25% unemployed. Early school leavers had a much lower rate of employment in Q2 2019 compared with other persons aged 18-24 (27% compared to 56%). The unemployment rate for early school leavers was three times that for other persons aged 18-24 (25% compared to 8%). See Table 6.3.
The latest available EU figures showed that in 2018, 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 second among EU member states. See Table 7.1 and Figure 7.1.
In Q2 2019, over nine out of ten (94%) of those aged 20-24 years old had attained at least a higher secondary level of education in Ireland. The proportion has increased from 84% in Q2 2000. In Q2 2019, females aged 20-24 years old were more likely than males to have attained at least a higher secondary level education (95% versus 93%). See Table 7.2 and Figure 7.2.
| Persons with at least a higher secondary education as a % of persons aged 20 - 24 | EU-28 | |
| Spain | 73 | 84 |
| Denmark | 75 | 84 |
| Germany | 77 | 84 |
| Luxembourg | 77 | 84 |
| Malta | 77 | 84 |
| Italy | 81 | 84 |
| Portugal | 81 | 84 |
| Romania | 82 | 84 |
| Estonia | 83 | 84 |
| Netherlands | 83 | 84 |
| Belgium | 85 | 84 |
| Hungary | 85 | 84 |
| Sweden | 85 | 84 |
| Bulgaria | 86 | 84 |
| United Kingdom | 86 | 84 |
| Finland | 87 | 84 |
| Austria | 88 | 84 |
| France | 88 | 84 |
| Latvia | 88 | 84 |
| Slovakia | 89 | 84 |
| Czechia | 90 | 84 |
| Poland | 91 | 84 |
| Cyprus | 92 | 84 |
| Lithuania | 92 | 84 |
| Slovenia | 92 | 84 |
| Greece | 94 | 84 |
| Ireland | 94 | 84 |
| Croatia | 96 | 84 |
| Persons with at least a higher secondary education as a % of persons aged 20-24 | EU-28 2017 average | |
| Spain | 71.7 | 83.2 |
| Denmark | 74.5 | 83.2 |
| Luxembourg | 75.3 | 83.2 |
| Germany | 77.5 | 83.2 |
| Malta | 78.0 | 83.2 |
| Portugal | 78.5 | 83.2 |
| Romania | 79.8 | 83.2 |
| Italy | 81.8 | 83.2 |
| Netherlands | 81.9 | 83.2 |
| Hungary | 84.3 | 83.2 |
| Estonia | 85.0 | 83.2 |
| Sweden | 85.6 | 83.2 |
| United Kingdom | 85.6 | 83.2 |
| Belgium | 85.7 | 83.2 |
| Bulgaria | 85.8 | 83.2 |
| Latvia | 87.3 | 83.2 |
| Finland | 87.3 | 83.2 |
| Austria | 87.4 | 83.2 |
| France | 87.8 | 83.2 |
| Slovakia | 88.9 | 83.2 |
| Czechia | 89.2 | 83.2 |
| Cyprus | 89.8 | 83.2 |
| Poland | 90.6 | 83.2 |
| Slovenia | 91.2 | 83.2 |
| Lithuania | 91.3 | 83.2 |
| Greece | 92.4 | 83.2 |
| Ireland | 94.2 | 83.2 |
| Croatia | 96.3 | 83.2 |
You can access this data on the Eurostat website.
| Male | Female | Total | |
| 2000 | 80 | 87 | 84 |
| 2001 | 81 | 89 | 85 |
| 2002 | 80 | 89 | 84 |
| 2003 | 82 | 90 | 86 |
| 2004 | 82 | 90 | 86 |
| 2005 | 83 | 90 | 87 |
| 2006 | 81 | 90 | 86 |
| 2007 | 84 | 91 | 87 |
| 2008 | 84 | 92 | 88 |
| 2009 | 85 | 92 | 89 |
| 2010 | 86 | 93 | 90 |
| 2011 | 87 | 92 | 90 |
| 2012 | 87 | 92 | 90 |
| 2013 | 89 | 94 | 92 |
| 2014 | 92 | 95 | 93 |
| 2015 | 92 | 95 | 94 |
| 2016 | 92 | 96 | 94 |
| 2017 | 93 | 96 | 94 |
| 2018 | 93 | 96 | 95 |
| 2019 | 93 | 95 | 94 |
| Male | Female | Total | |
| 2000 | 80 | 87 | 84 |
| 2001 | 81 | 89 | 85 |
| 2002 | 80 | 89 | 84 |
| 2003 | 82 | 89 | 86 |
| 2004 | 82 | 89 | 86 |
| 2005 | 83 | 90 | 87 |
| 2006 | 81 | 90 | 86 |
| 2007 | 84 | 91 | 87 |
| 2008 | 84 | 92 | 88 |
| 2009 | 85 | 93 | 89 |
| 2010 | 86 | 93 | 90 |
| 2011 | 87 | 92 | 90 |
| 2012 | 87 | 92 | 90 |
| 2013 | 89 | 94 | 92 |
| 2014 | 92 | 95 | 93 |
| 2015 | 92 | 95 | 94 |
| 2016 | 92 | 96 | 94 |
| 2017 | 93 | 96 | 94 |
| 2018 | 93 | 96 | 95 |
The latest available EU figures (2018) show that 41% of 30-34 year olds had a third level qualification. Ireland had the third highest third level educational attainment level at 56%, behind Cyprus (57%) and Lithuania (58%). See Table 8.1 and Figure 8.1.
The proportion of the 30-34 age group with a third level qualification has slowly increased in recent years. In Q2 2019, 55% of persons aged 30-34 years old had a third level qualification. In Q2 2000, the equivalent figure was 28%. See Table 8.2 and Figure 8.2.
From 2003, a gap between the genders has emerged, resulting in three in five females (60%) with a third level qualification compared to half (50%) of males.
| Persons with a third level qualification as a % of persons aged 30 -34 | EU-28 | |
| Romania | 25 | 41 |
| Italy | 28 | 41 |
| Bulgaria | 34 | 41 |
| Croatia | 34 | 41 |
| Czechia | 34 | 41 |
| Hungary | 34 | 41 |
| Malta | 34 | 41 |
| Portugal | 34 | 41 |
| Germany | 35 | 41 |
| Slovakia | 38 | 41 |
| Austria | 41 | 41 |
| Spain | 42 | 41 |
| Latvia | 43 | 41 |
| Slovenia | 43 | 41 |
| Finland | 44 | 41 |
| Greece | 44 | 41 |
| France | 46 | 41 |
| Poland | 46 | 41 |
| Estonia | 47 | 41 |
| Belgium | 48 | 41 |
| Denmark | 49 | 41 |
| Netherlands | 49 | 41 |
| United Kingdom | 49 | 41 |
| Sweden | 52 | 41 |
| Ireland | 56 | 41 |
| Luxembourg | 56 | 41 |
| Cyprus | 57 | 41 |
| Lithuania | 58 | 41 |
| Persons with a third level qualification as a % of persons aged 30-34 | EU-28 2017 average | |
| Romania | 26.3 | 39.9 |
| Italy | 26.9 | 39.9 |
| Croatia | 28.7/td> | 39.9 |
| Hungary | 32.1 | 39.9 |
| Bulgaria | 32.8 | 39.9 |
| Malta | 33.5 | 39.9 |
| Portugal | 33.5 | 39.9 |
| Germany | 34.0 | 39.9 |
| Czechia | 34.2 | 39.9 |
| Slovakia | 34.3 | 39.9 |
| Austria | 40.8 | 39.9 |
| Spain | 41.2 | 39.9 |
| Greece | 43.7 | 39.9 |
| Latvia | 43.8 | 39.9 |
| France | 44.3 | 39.9 |
| Finland | 44.6 | 39.9 |
| Poland | 45.7 | 39.9 |
| Belgium | 45.9 | 39.9 |
| Slovenia | 46.4 | 39.9 |
| Netherlands | 47.9 | 39.9 |
| UK | 48.3 | 39.9 |
| Estonia | 48.4 | 39.9 |
| Denmark | 48.8 | 39.9 |
| Sweden | 51.3 | 39.9 |
| Luxembourg | 52.7 | 39.9 |
| Ireland | 53.4 | 39.9 |
| Cyprus | 55.9 | 39.9 |
| Lithuania | 58.0 | 39.9 |
You can access this data on the Eurostat website.
| Male | Female | Total | |
| 2000 | 26 | 29 | 28 |
| 2001 | 29 | 31 | 30 |
| 2002 | 31 | 34 | 32 |
| 2003 | 36 | 35 | 35 |
| 2004 | 37 | 41 | 39 |
| 2005 | 38 | 43 | 41 |
| 2006 | 36 | 46 | 41 |
| 2007 | 37 | 48 | 42 |
| 2008 | 40 | 52 | 46 |
| 2009 | 43 | 55 | 49 |
| 2010 | 46 | 57 | 51 |
| 2011 | 45 | 57 | 51 |
| 2012 | 46 | 59 | 53 |
| 2013 | 47 | 59 | 53 |
| 2014 | 46 | 62 | 54 |
| 2015 | 45 | 61 | 53 |
| 2016 | 47 | 60 | 54 |
| 2017 | 48 | 63 | 55 |
| 2018 | 53 | 60 | 57 |
| 2019 | 50 | 60 | 55 |
| Male | Female | Total | |
| 2000 | 26 | 29 | 28 |
| 2001 | 29 | 31 | 30 |
| 2002 | 31 | 34 | 32 |
| 2003 | 36 | 35 | 35 |
| 2004 | 37 | 41 | 39 |
| 2005 | 38 | 43 | 40 |
| 2006 | 36 | 46 | 41 |
| 2007 | 38 | 49 | 43 |
| 2008 | 41 | 53 | 47 |
| 2009 | 44 | 56 | 50 |
| 2010 | 46 | 57 | 51 |
| 2011 | 45 | 57 | 51 |
| 2012 | 46 | 59 | 53 |
| 2013 | 47 | 59 | 53 |
| 2014 | 46 | 62 | 54 |
| 2015 | 45 | 61 | 53 |
| 2016 | 47 | 60 | 54 |
| 2017 | 48 | 63 | 55 |
| 2018 | 53 | 60 | 57 |
| Table 1 Percentage of persons aged 15-64, classified by sex and the highest level of education attained, Q2 2016 - Q2 2019 | ||||||
| % of persons | ||||||
| Highest level of education attained | NFQ | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Males aged 15 to 64 | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 8 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 18 | 18 | 17 | 16 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 26 | 26 | 26 | 26 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 13 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 35 | 37 | 37 | 37 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 17 | 18 | 18 | 18 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 10 | |
| All males aged 15 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | ||
| Females aged 15 to 64 | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 13 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 23 | 23 | 24 | 23 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 43 | 45 | 44 | 43 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 3 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 9 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 21 | 21 | 22 | 21 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 11 | 12 | 12 | 11 | |
| All females aged 15 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | ||
| All persons aged 15 to 64 | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 7 | 6 | 6 | 7 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 16 | 16 | 15 | 15 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 25 | 24 | 25 | 25 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 13 | 13 | 13 | 14 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 39 | 41 | 40 | 40 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 2 | 2 | 1 | 1 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 9 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 19 | 20 | 20 | 20 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 10 | 11 | 10 | 11 | |
| All persons aged 15 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | ||
| Table 2.1 Highest level of education attained by persons aged 15-64, classified by age group, Q2 2016 - Q2 2019 | ||||||||||
| % of persons | ||||||||||
| Highest level of education attained/NFQ | ||||||||||
| Third Level, of which: | Total | |||||||||
| Primary or below | Lower secondary | Higher secondary | Post Leaving Certificate | Third level (in total) | Higher Certificate or equivalent | Ordinary Degree or equivalent | Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | Postgraduate qualification | ||
| None/1/2 | 3 | 4/5 | 4/5/6 | 6/7/8/9/10 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9/10 | ||
| April to June 2016 | ||||||||||
| 15-19 years | 17 | 58 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 20-24 years | 2 | 4 | 49 | 13 | 33 | 2 | 6 | 21 | 3 | 100 |
| 25-34 years | 2 | 6 | 23 | 15 | 54 | 3 | 9 | 28 | 14 | 100 |
| 35-44 years | 3 | 9 | 20 | 15 | 53 | 3 | 12 | 24 | 15 | 100 |
| 45-54 years | 7 | 16 | 23 | 15 | 39 | 3 | 9 | 17 | 10 | 100 |
| 55-59 years | 11 | 21 | 25 | 13 | 31 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 7 | 100 |
| 60-64 years | 18 | 22 | 23 | 11 | 27 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 6 | 100 |
| All persons aged 15 to 64 | 7 | 16 | 25 | 13 | 39 | 2 | 8 | 19 | 10 | 100 |
| April to June 2017 | ||||||||||
| 15-19 years | 18 | 58 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 20-24 years | 1 | 4 | 53 | 11 | 31 | 2 | 5 | 21 | 3 | 100 |
| 25-34 years | 2 | 6 | 23 | 14 | 56 | 2 | 9 | 31 | 14 | 100 |
| 35-44 years | 3 | 9 | 20 | 14 | 54 | 3 | 11 | 24 | 16 | 100 |
| 45-54 years | 5 | 15 | 22 | 15 | 43 | 3 | 10 | 19 | 12 | 100 |
| 55-59 years | 10 | 20 | 22 | 14 | 34 | 2 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 100 |
| 60-64 years | 16 | 22 | 23 | 10 | 29 | 2 | 7 | 12 | 8 | 100 |
| All persons aged 15 to 64 | 6 | 16 | 24 | 13 | 41 | 2 | 8 | 20 | 11 | 100 |
| April to June 2018 | ||||||||||
| 15-19 years | 21 | 54 | 22 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 20-24 years | 1 | 4 | 55 | 12 | 27 | 1 | 6 | 18 | 2 | 100 |
| 25-34 years | 2 | 6 | 22 | 14 | 56 | 1 | 10 | 30 | 15 | 100 |
| 35-44 years | 3 | 9 | 19 | 16 | 54 | 2 | 11 | 26 | 16 | 100 |
| 45-54 years | 6 | 14 | 22 | 15 | 43 | 2 | 10 | 20 | 11 | 100 |
| 55-59 years | 10 | 20 | 23 | 14 | 33 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 8 | 100 |
| 60-64 years | 15 | 21 | 23 | 12 | 29 | 2 | 8 | 13 | 7 | 100 |
| All persons aged 15 to 64 | 6 | 15 | 25 | 13 | 40 | 1 | 8 | 20 | 10 | 100 |
| April to June 2019 | ||||||||||
| 15-19 years | 24 | 52 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 20-24 years | 1 | 5 | 56 | 12 | 26 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 100 |
| 25-34 years | 2 | 6 | 22 | 15 | 55 | 1 | 9 | 29 | 16 | 100 |
| 35-44 years | 3 | 7 | 20 | 16 | 54 | 1 | 12 | 25 | 16 | 100 |
| 45-54 years | 6 | 13 | 22 | 16 | 43 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 11 | 100 |
| 55-59 years | 9 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 33 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 100 |
| 60-64 years | 14 | 21 | 23 | 12 | 30 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 100 |
| All persons aged 15 to 64 | 7 | 15 | 25 | 14 | 40 | 1 | 9 | 20 | 11 | 100 |
| Table 2.2 Highest level of education attained by persons aged 15-64, classified by age group and sex, Q2 2019 | ||||||||||
| % of persons | ||||||||||
| Highest level of education attained /NFQ | ||||||||||
| Third Level, of which: | Total | |||||||||
| Primary or below | Lower secondary | Higher secondary | Post Leaving Certificate | Third level (in total) | Higher Certificate or equivalent | Ordinary Degree or equivalent | Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | Postgraduate qualification | ||
| None/1/2 | 3 | 4/5 | 4/5/6 | 6/7/8/9/10 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9/10 | ||
| Males aged 15 to 64 | ||||||||||
| 15-19 years | 25 | 51 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 20-24 years | 1 | 6 | 61 | 10 | 23 | 1 | 5 | 15 | 2 | 100 |
| 25-34 years | 2 | 7 | 25 | 15 | 51 | 1 | 9 | 27 | 14 | 100 |
| 35-44 years | 3 | 8 | 23 | 17 | 48 | 1 | 11 | 23 | 14 | 100 |
| 45-54 years | 8 | 16 | 21 | 15 | 40 | 1 | 9 | 19 | 11 | 100 |
| 55-59 years | 9 | 23 | 19 | 16 | 33 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 100 |
| 60-64 years | 16 | 24 | 21 | 13 | 26 | 1 | 7 | 11 | 7 | 100 |
| All males aged 15 to 64 | 8 | 16 | 26 | 13 | 37 | 1 | 8 | 18 | 10 | 100 |
| Females aged 15 to 64 | ||||||||||
| 15-19 years | 23 | 54 | 21 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 20-24 years | 1 | 4 | 50 | 15 | 30 | 1 | 6 | 21 | 2 | 100 |
| 25-34 years | 2 | 4 | 19 | 16 | 58 | 1 | 9 | 31 | 17 | 100 |
| 35-44 years | 2 | 6 | 18 | 14 | 59 | 2 | 13 | 27 | 18 | 100 |
| 45-54 years | 5 | 11 | 22 | 17 | 46 | 2 | 11 | 21 | 11 | 100 |
| 55-59 years | 9 | 17 | 24 | 16 | 34 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 8 | 100 |
| 60-64 years | 13 | 17 | 26 | 11 | 33 | 2 | 8 | 16 | 7 | 100 |
| All females aged 15 to 64 | 6 | 13 | 23 | 14 | 43 | 1 | 9 | 21 | 11 | 100 |
| All persons aged 15 to 64 | ||||||||||
| 15-19 years | 24 | 52 | 22 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 100 |
| 20-24 years | 1 | 5 | 56 | 12 | 26 | 1 | 5 | 18 | 2 | 100 |
| 25-34 years | 2 | 6 | 22 | 15 | 55 | 1 | 9 | 29 | 16 | 100 |
| 35-44 years | 3 | 7 | 20 | 16 | 54 | 1 | 12 | 25 | 16 | 100 |
| 45-54 years | 6 | 13 | 22 | 16 | 43 | 1 | 10 | 20 | 11 | 100 |
| 55-59 years | 9 | 20 | 22 | 16 | 33 | 2 | 8 | 14 | 9 | 100 |
| 60-64 years | 14 | 21 | 23 | 12 | 30 | 1 | 7 | 14 | 7 | 100 |
| All persons aged 15 to 64 | 7 | 15 | 25 | 14 | 40 | 1 | 9 | 20 | 11 | 100 |
| Table 3 Highest level of education attained by persons aged 25-64, classified by nationality, Q2 2016 - Q2 2019 | ||||||||
| % of persons | ||||||||
| Nationality | ||||||||
| Irish | Non - Irish | United Kingdom | EU-15 excl. Ire & UK | EU-15 to EU-28 | Other | All nationalities | ||
| Highest level of education attained | NFQ | April to June 2016 | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 7 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 6 |
| Lower secondary | 3 | 14 | 4 | 12 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 12 |
| Higher secondary | 4/5 | 22 | 23 | 18 | 10 | 33 | 18 | 22 |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 14 | 14 | 13 | 5 | 21 | 7 | 14 |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 43 | 56 | 54 | 82 | 40 | 72 | 45 |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 3 |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 9 | 11 | 13 | 13 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 20 | 26 | 24 | 40 | 16 | 38 | 21 |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 11 | 16 | 14 | 27 | 11 | 20 | 12 |
| All persons aged 25 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Highest level of education attained | NFQ | April to June 2017 | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 3 | 3 | 5 |
| Lower secondary | 3 | 13 | 4 | 11 | 1 | 4 | 2 | 12 |
| Higher secondary | 4/5 | 21 | 23 | 17 | 9 | 35 | 16 | 22 |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 14 | 12 | 11 | 6 | 18 | 6 | 14 |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 45 | 58 | 58 | 83 | 40 | 74 | 47 |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 3 | 2 | 3 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 22 | 26 | 26 | 41 | 16 | 37 | 22 |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 12 | 18 | 15 | 32 | 12 | 23 | 13 |
| All persons aged 25 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Highest level of education attained | NFQ | April to June 2018 | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 6 | 2 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 2 | 5 |
| Lower secondary | 3 | 13 | 6 | 15 | 1 | 6 | 3 | 12 |
| Higher secondary | 4/5 | 21 | 22 | 20 | 10 | 29 | 19 | 21 |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 15 | 14 | 17 | 6 | 20 | 6 | 15 |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 45 | 56 | 45 | 83 | 44 | 70 | 47 |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 2 | 1 | 2 |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 9 | 13 | 11 | 16 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 36 | 16 | 35 | 23 |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 12 | 18 | 12 | 31 | 14 | 22 | 13 |
| All persons aged 25 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Highest level of education attained | NFQ | April to June 2019 | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 6 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 3 | 2 | 5 |
| Lower secondary | 3 | 12 | 5 | 10 | 1 | 7 | 2 | 11 |
| Higher secondary | 4/5 | 21 | 22 | 15 | 13 | 33 | 16 | 22 |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 15 | 15 | 18 | 14 | 18 | 10 | 15 |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 45 | 55 | 52 | 72 | 40 | 69 | 47 |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 9 | 13 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 16 | 10 |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 22 | 24 | 24 | 33 | 17 | 29 | 22 |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 12 | 17 | 14 | 24 | 10 | 24 | 13 |
| All persons aged 25 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | |
| Table 4 Highest level of education attained by persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and NUTS3 region1, Q2 2019 | |||||||||||
| % of persons | |||||||||||
| NUTS3 region | |||||||||||
| Highest level of education attained | NFQ | Border | Dublin | Mid-East | Midland | Mid-West | South-East | South-West | West | State | |
| Males aged 25 to 64 | |||||||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 13 | 5 | 4 | 9 | 6 | 5 | 6 | 6 | 6 | |
| Lower secondary | 3 | 16 | 9 | 14 | 16 | 14 | 16 | 15 | 13 | 13 | |
| Higher secondary | 4/5 | 21 | 19 | 27 | 25 | 25 | 22 | 21 | 25 | 22 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 18 | 11 | 15 | 19 | 16 | 24 | 18 | 14 | 16 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 31 | 56 | 41 | 31 | 39 | 33 | 41 | 42 | 43 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 9 | 11 | 10 | 7 | 10 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 9 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 14 | 27 | 19 | 16 | 20 | 16 | 20 | 17 | 21 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 7 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 8 | 12 | 12 | 12 | |
| Total males aged 25 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | ||
| Females aged 25 to 64 | |||||||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 7 | 4 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 5 | |
| Lower secondary | 3 | 10 | 9 | 10 | 12 | 10 | 10 | 10 | 7 | 9 | |
| Higher secondary | 4/5 | 22 | 16 | 24 | 26 | 21 | 24 | 19 | 26 | 21 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 18 | 13 | 15 | 15 | 17 | 19 | 16 | 12 | 15 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 43 | 58 | 47 | 41 | 49 | 42 | 51 | 51 | 50 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 2 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 8 | 10 | 11 | 13 | 11 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 21 | 26 | 24 | 23 | 24 | 20 | 25 | 22 | 24 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 9 | 20 | 11 | 9 | 14 | 9 | 11 | 14 | 14 | |
| Total females aged 25 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | ||
| All Persons aged 25 to 64 | |||||||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 10 | 5 | 4 | 7 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | 5 | |
| Lower secondary | 3 | 13 | 9 | 12 | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 11 | |
| Higher secondary | 4/5 | 22 | 18 | 25 | 26 | 23 | 23 | 20 | 25 | 22 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 18 | 12 | 15 | 17 | 16 | 21 | 17 | 13 | 15 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 37 | 57 | 44 | 36 | 44 | 37 | 46 | 47 | 47 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 2 | 1 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 10 | 11 | 11 | 7 | 9 | 9 | 9 | 12 | 10 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 18 | 27 | 22 | 19 | 22 | 18 | 23 | 20 | 22 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 8 | 19 | 11 | 8 | 11 | 8 | 12 | 13 | 13 | |
| Total persons aged 25 to 64 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | 100 | ||
| 1 Please see background notes for details on the new NUTS3 regions. | |||||||||||
| Table 5.1 Employment rates of persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and highest level of education attained, Q2 2016 - Q2 2019 | ||||||
| % of persons | ||||||
| Highest level of education attained | NFQ | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Male employment rate | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 45 | 42 | 44 | 51 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 70 | 70 | 73 | 71 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 77 | 79 | 81 | 82 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 81 | 82 | 83 | 87 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 87 | 89 | 90 | 91 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 84 | 82 | 91 | 83 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 84 | 86 | 88 | 87 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 87 | 90 | 90 | 91 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 94 | |
| Total male employment rate | 78 | 80 | 82 | 83 | ||
| Female employment rate | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 25 | 24 | 26 | 26 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 39 | 39 | 41 | 41 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 59 | 58 | 61 | 63 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 64 | 64 | 68 | 67 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 79 | 81 | 82 | 82 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 66 | 74 | 67 | 71 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 74 | 75 | 76 | 78 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 80 | 81 | 83 | 82 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 83 | 85 | 86 | 85 | |
| Total female employment rate | 65 | 67 | 69 | 69 | ||
| All persons employment rate | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 36 | 34 | 35 | 40 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 57 | 57 | 61 | 58 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 68 | 69 | 71 | 73 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 73 | 73 | 76 | 77 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 82 | 84 | 85 | 86 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 74 | 78 | 77 | 75 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 79 | 80 | 81 | 82 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 83 | 85 | 86 | 86 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 86 | 87 | 88 | 89 | |
| Total persons employment rate | 72 | 74 | 75 | 76 | ||
| Table 5.2 Unemployment rates of persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and highest level of education attained, Q2 2016 - Q2 2019 | ||||||
| % of persons | ||||||
| Highest level of education attained | NFQ | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Male unemployment rate | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 21 | 15 | 15 | 8 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 13 | 11 | 7 | 7 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 10 | 7 | 5 | 5 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 2 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 8 | 8 | 0 | 7 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 7 | 5 | 4 | 3 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 4 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | |
| Total male unemployment rate | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | ||
| Female unemployment rate | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 17 | 11 | 11 | 2 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 11 | 9 | 8 | 7 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 5 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 10 | 9 | 6 | 7 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 6 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 13 | 5 | 9 | 3 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 5 | 3 | 5 | 4 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 6 | 3 | 3 | 3 | |
| Total female unemployment rate | 7 | 5 | 5 | 4 | ||
| All persons unemployment rate | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 19 | 14 | 14 | 6 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 13 | 10 | 7 | 7 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 9 | 7 | 5 | 5 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 5 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 11 | 7 | 5 | 5 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 6 | 4 | 4 | 4 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 5 | 3 | 4 | 3 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 5 | 3 | 3 | 2 | |
| Total unemployment rate | 8 | 6 | 5 | 4 | ||
| Table 5.3 Labour force participation rates of persons aged 25-64, classified by sex and the highest level of education attained, Q2 2016 - Q2 2019 | ||||||
| % of persons | ||||||
| Highest level of education attained | NFQ | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Male participation rate | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 57 | 49 | 51 | 55 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 80 | 79 | 78 | 76 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 85 | 85 | 86 | 86 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 88 | 87 | 88 | 91 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 92 | 92 | 93 | 93 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 91 | 89 | 91 | 89 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 90 | 91 | 91 | 90 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 91 | 93 | 94 | 93 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 94 | 94 | 94 | 95 | |
| Total male participation rate | 86 | 86 | 86 | 87 | ||
| Female participation rate | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 30 | 27 | 29 | 27 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 44 | 42 | 45 | 44 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 64 | 62 | 65 | 67 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 71 | 71 | 72 | 71 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 83 | 83 | 85 | 84 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 76 | 77 | 74 | 73 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 78 | 78 | 80 | 81 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 84 | 84 | 86 | 84 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 88 | 87 | 89 | 88 | |
| Total female participation rate | 70 | 71 | 73 | 72 | ||
| All persons particpation rate | ||||||
| Primary or below | None/1/2 | 45 | 40 | 41 | 42 | |
| Lower Secondary | 3 | 65 | 64 | 65 | 63 | |
| Higher Secondary | 4/5 | 75 | 74 | 75 | 77 | |
| Post Leaving Certificate | 4/5/6 | 80 | 79 | 80 | 81 | |
| Third Level, of which: | 6/7/8/9/10 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 88 | |
| Higher Certificate or equivalent | 6 | 83 | 83 | 81 | 79 | |
| Ordinary Degree or equivalent | 7 | 84 | 84 | 85 | 85 | |
| Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | 8 | 87 | 88 | 90 | 88 | |
| Postgraduate qualification | 9/10 | 90 | 90 | 91 | 91 | |
| Total participation rate | 78 | 78 | 79 | 79 | ||
| Table 6.1 Early school leavers1 as a percentage of persons aged 18-24 in EU member states, classified by sex, 2018 | |||
| % of persons | |||
| Country | Males | Females | Total |
| EU-28 | 12 | 9 | 11 |
| Austria | 9 | 6 | 7 |
| Belgium | 11 | 7 | 9 |
| Bulgaria | 13 | 13 | 13 |
| Croatia | 4 | 3 | 3 |
| Cyprus | 10 | 6 | 8 |
| Czechia | 6 | 6 | 6 |
| Denmark | 13 | 8 | 10 |
| Estonia | 16 | 6 | 11 |
| Finland | 9 | 7 | 8 |
| France | 11 | 7 | 9 |
| Germany | 12 | 9 | 10 |
| Greece | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Hungary | 13 | 12 | 13 |
| Ireland | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Italy | 17 | 12 | 15 |
| Latvia | 11 | 5 | 8 |
| Lithuania | 6 | 3 | 5 |
| Luxembourg | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Malta | 19 | 16 | 18 |
| Netherlands | 9 | 5 | 7 |
| Poland | 6 | 4 | 5 |
| Portugal | 15 | 9 | 12 |
| Romania | 17 | 16 | 16 |
| Slovakia | 8 | 9 | 9 |
| Slovenia | 5 | 3 | 4 |
| Spain | 22 | 14 | 18 |
| Sweden | 10 | 8 | 9 |
| United Kingdom | 12 | 9 | 11 |
| Source: Eurostat | |||
| The Eurostat figures for Ireland are derived on an annual average for 2018 and so may differ slightly from the values in Table 6.2. | |||
| 1 See background notes for definition of an early school leaver. | |||
| * Data not available | |||
| Table 6.2 Early school leavers1 as a percentage of 18-24 year olds, classified by sex, Q2 2004 - Q2 2019 | ||||||||||||||||
| % of persons | ||||||||||||||||
| 2004 | 2005 | 2006 | 2007 | 2008 | 2009 | 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Male | 17 | 16 | 17 | 15 | 15 | 15 | 14 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 8 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 6 | 6 |
| Female | 10 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 7 | 7 | 9 | 8 | 8 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 4 | 4 | 3 | 4 |
| Total | 14 | 12 | 13 | 12 | 11 | 11 | 12 | 11 | 10 | 8 | 6 | 6 | 6 | 5 | 5 | 5 |
| 1 See background notes for definition of an early school leaver. | ||||||||||||||||
| Table 6.3 Percentage of early school leavers1 and other persons aged 18-24, classified by labour market status, Q2 2010 - Q2 2019 | ||||||||||
| % of persons | ||||||||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Early school leaver | ||||||||||
| Employed | 41 | 31 | 30 | 35 | 31 | 29 | 43 | 34 | 28 | 27 |
| Unemployed | 37 | 42 | 43 | 39 | 33 | 40 | 23 | 24 | 18 | 25 |
| In labour force | 78 | 73 | 74 | 74 | 64 | 69 | 66 | 57 | 46 | 53 |
| Inactive | 22 | 27 | 26 | 26 | 36 | 31 | 34 | 43 | 54 | 47 |
| Other persons aged 18-24 | ||||||||||
| Employed | 52 | 50 | 48 | 50 | 49 | 52 | 57 | 56 | 56 | 56 |
| Unemployed | 18 | 17 | 20 | 18 | 15 | 12 | 12 | 9 | 9 | 8 |
| In labour force | 70 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 64 | 64 | 69 | 65 | 65 | 64 |
| Inactive | 30 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 36 | 36 | 31 | 35 | 35 | 36 |
| All persons aged 18-24 | ||||||||||
| Employed | 51 | 48 | 46 | 49 | 48 | 51 | 57 | 55 | 55 | 54 |
| Unemployed | 20 | 20 | 22 | 20 | 16 | 13 | 12 | 10 | 9 | 9 |
| In labour force | 71 | 68 | 68 | 68 | 64 | 64 | 69 | 65 | 64 | 64 |
| Inactive | 29 | 32 | 32 | 32 | 36 | 36 | 31 | 35 | 36 | 36 |
| 1 See background notes for definition of an early school leaver and labour market (ILO employment) status. | ||||||||||
| Table 7.1 Percentage of persons aged 20-24 with at least a higher secondary education1 in EU member states, classified by sex, 2018 | |||
| % of persons | |||
| Country | Males | Females | Total |
| EU-28 | 81 | 86 | 84 |
| Austria | 86 | 90 | 88 |
| Belgium | 82 | 88 | 85 |
| Bulgaria | 86 | 86 | 86 |
| Croatia | 97 | 96 | 96 |
| Cyprus | 90 | 93 | 92 |
| Czechia | 89 | 91 | 90 |
| Denmark | 70 | 80 | 75 |
| Estonia | 77 | 88 | 83 |
| Finland | 87 | 88 | 87 |
| France | 85 | 91 | 88 |
| Germany | 75 | 80 | 77 |
| Greece | 92 | 96 | 94 |
| Hungary | 85 | 85 | 85 |
| Ireland | 94 | 95 | 94 |
| Italy | 79 | 84 | 81 |
| Latvia | 84 | 93 | 88 |
| Lithuania | 90 | 94 | 92 |
| Luxembourg | 73 | 80 | 77 |
| Malta | 75 | 79 | 77 |
| Netherlands | 79 | 86 | 83 |
| Poland | 90 | 93 | 91 |
| Portugal | 77 | 85 | 81 |
| Romania | 82 | 82 | 82 |
| Slovakia | 90 | 89 | 89 |
| Slovenia | 90 | 94 | 92 |
| Spain | 68 | 78 | 73 |
| Sweden | 83 | 87 | 85 |
| United Kingdom | 84 | 88 | 86 |
| Source: Eurostat | |||
| The Eurostat figures for Ireland are derived on an annual average for 2018 and so may differ slightly from the values in Table 7.2. | |||
| 1 See background notes for definition of "at least a higher secondary education". | |||
| Table 7.2 Percentage of 20-24 year olds with at least a higher secondary level education1, classified by sex, Q2 2010 - Q2 2019 | ||||||||||
| % of persons | ||||||||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Male | 86 | 87 | 87 | 89 | 92 | 92 | 92 | 93 | 93 | 93 |
| Female | 93 | 92 | 92 | 94 | 95 | 95 | 96 | 96 | 96 | 95 |
| All persons | 90 | 90 | 90 | 92 | 93 | 94 | 94 | 94 | 95 | 94 |
| 1 See background notes for definition of "at least a higher secondary education". | ||||||||||
| Table 8.1 Percentage of persons aged 30-34 with a third level qualification1 in EU member states, classified by sex, 2018 | |||
| % of persons | |||
| Country | Males | Females | Total |
| EU-28 | 36 | 46 | 41 |
| Austria | 37 | 44 | 41 |
| Belgium | 41 | 55 | 48 |
| Bulgaria | 27 | 41 | 34 |
| Croatia | 27 | 42 | 34 |
| Cyprus | 49 | 64 | 57 |
| Czechia | 27 | 41 | 34 |
| Denmark | 42 | 57 | 49 |
| Estonia | 38 | 58 | 47 |
| Finland | 36 | 53 | 44 |
| France | 41 | 51 | 46 |
| Germany | 35 | 35 | 35 |
| Greece | 38 | 51 | 44 |
| Hungary | 27 | 41 | 34 |
| Ireland | 52 | 60 | 56 |
| Italy | 22 | 34 | 28 |
| Latvia | 31 | 55 | 43 |
| Lithuania | 48 | 68 | 58 |
| Luxembourg | 53 | 60 | 56 |
| Malta | 32 | 37 | 34 |
| Netherlands | 46 | 53 | 49 |
| Poland | 36 | 56 | 46 |
| Portugal | 24 | 43 | 34 |
| Romania | 21 | 28 | 25 |
| Slovakia | 31 | 45 | 38 |
| Slovenia | 32 | 56 | 43 |
| Spain | 36 | 49 | 42 |
| Sweden | 45 | 59 | 52 |
| United Kingdom | 46 | 52 | 49 |
| Source: Eurostat | |||
| The Eurostat figures for Ireland are derived on an annual average for 2018 and so may differ slightly from the values in Table 8.2. | |||
| 1 See background notes for definition of a "third level qualification". | |||
| Table 8.2 Percentage of 30-34 year olds with a third level qualification1, classified by sex, Q2 2010 - Q2 2019 | ||||||||||
| % of persons | ||||||||||
| 2010 | 2011 | 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | 2019 | |
| Male | 46 | 45 | 46 | 47 | 46 | 45 | 47 | 48 | 53 | 50 |
| Female | 57 | 57 | 59 | 59 | 62 | 61 | 60 | 63 | 60 | 60 |
| All persons | 51 | 51 | 53 | 53 | 54 | 53 | 54 | 55 | 57 | 55 |
| 1 See background notes for definition of a "third level qualification". | ||||||||||
The Labour Force Survey (LFS) replaced the Quarterly National Household Survey (QNHS) at the beginning of Q3 2017. The survey meets the requirements of Council Regulation (EC) No. 577/98, adopted in March 1998, which requires the introduction of quarterly labour force surveys in EU member states.
The primary purpose of the LFS is the production of quarterly labour force estimates. Questions on educational attainment are included in the core LFS questionnaire each quarter. This report is based on those questions.
Since the publication of the Educational Attainment Thematic Report 2017, the LFS dataset has been adjusted to mitigate the effect of the introduction of the LFS on the coherence of the historic data series. Scaling factors for regions, occupation groups and highest level of education completed were created and applied to the previously published LFS data.
You can find greater detail in the following information notes:
Information Notice - Labour Force Survey Quarter 3 2017
Information Notice - Labour Force Survey Quarter 1 2018
This report is based on both rounds of back-casted QNHS data which was also adjusted for the 2016 Census data.
For this release, educational attainment results are presented for each year using data from Quarter 2 (i.e. April-June).
Percentage breakdowns exclude cases where the interviewee did not state their educational attainment.
The sum of row or column percentages in the tables in this report may not add up to 100 due to rounding.
Many international statistical organisations use the 15-64 years age range as a standard working age population. However, the majority of persons aged 15-24 years old are students and this cohort has been steadily increasing as most continue their studies into tertiary education. Data presented in this report will mainly focus on the educational attainment of the 25-64 year age group, unless otherwise specified.
Early school leavers are defined as persons aged 18 to 24 whose highest level of education attained is lower secondary or below and have not received education (either formal or non-formal) in the four weeks prior to the survey.
This classification is derived from a single question and refers to educational standards that have been attained and can be compared in some measurable way. The question is included in the core LFS questionnaire on an ongoing basis and is phrased as follows: “What is the highest level of education or training you have ever successfully completed?”.
There are two methods of presenting results for educational attainment; the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) and the National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ).
ISCED:
UNESCO developed the International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) to facilitate comparisons of education statistics and indicators across countries on the basis of uniform and internationally agreed definitions. The current revision of ISCED used in this release is ISCED 2011 (ISCED11).
For information on the ISCED11 classification, see:
International Standard of Education (ISCED)
NFQ:
The NFQ was launched in 2003 and it is now the single structure mechanism for recognising all education and training in Ireland. All framework awards now have an NFQ Level, numbered from 1 to 10, which tells you about the standard of learning and an NFQ Award-Type which tells you about the purpose, volume and progression opportunities associated with a particular award. Quality and Qualifications Ireland (QQI) has responsibility to develop, promote and maintain the Irish NFQ.
In this release educational attainment results are presented using a descriptive name and the corresponding NFQ levels.
For information on the NFQ see:
National Framework of Qualifications (NFQ)
In previous educational attainment releases the educational attainment variable was presented using ISCED 1997 while, in this release, the response levels are grouped together into educational attainment levels using the NFQ. The table below gives education qualifications alongside the corresponding ISCED level, NFQ level and the educational attainment level reported in this release.
Table A1 Educational qualifications and corresponding ISCED 11 level, NFQ level and Educational attainment level
| Education Qualification | ISCED11 Level | NFQ Level | Educational Attainment Level | |
| No formal education or training | 0 | Primary or below | ||
| Pre-primary education/Primary education (or FETAC Certificate at NFQ level 1 or 2) | 100 | 1/2 | Primary or below | |
| Lower Secondary | Junior Certificate | 200 | 3 | Lower secondary |
| Intermediate Certificate | 200 | 3 | ||
| Group Certificate | 200 | 3 | ||
| FÁS Introductory Skills Certificate | 200 | 3 | ||
| NCVA Foundation Certificate | 200 | 3 | ||
| FETAC Certificate at NFQ level 3 | 200 | 3 | ||
| Equivalent Qualification at NFQ level 3 | 200 | 3 | ||
| Transition Year | 200 | Lower secondary | ||
| Higher Secondary | Leaving Certificate (Traditional) | 304 | 4/5 | Higher secondary |
| Leaving Certificate Vocational Programme (LCVP) | 303 | 4/5 | ||
| Leaving Certificate Applied (LCA) | 303 | 4/5 | ||
| Equivalent Qualification at NFQ level 4/5 | 300 | 4/5 | ||
| Technical or Vocational | Secretarial | 400 | 4/5 | Post leaving cert |
| Certificate in Hotel Operations | 400 | 4/5 | ||
| PLC (Post Leaving Certificate Course) | 400 | 4/5 | ||
| FÁS National Skills Certificate | 400 | 4/5 | ||
| FÁS Specific Skills Certificate | 400 | 4/5 | ||
| FETAC level Certificate at NFQ level 4 | 400 | 4 | ||
| FETAC level Certificate at NFQ level 5 | 400 | 5 | ||
| Equivalent qualification at NFQ level 4/5 | 400 | 4/5 | ||
| Advance Certificate | Completed apprenticeships | 400 | 6 | Post leaving cert |
| Teagasc farming or horticulture Certificate/Diploma | 400 | 6 | ||
| National Craft Certificate | 400 | 6 | ||
| FETAC advanced Certificate at NFQ level 6 | 400 | 6 | ||
| Equivalent Qualification at NFQ level 6 | 400 | 6 | ||
| Higher Certificate | National Certificate (NCEA/DIT/IOT) | 500 | 6 | Higher certificate and equivalent |
| Cadetship (army, air corps or naval service) | 500 | 6 | ||
| HETAC/DIT Higher Certificate at NFQ level 6 | 500 | 6 | ||
| Equivalent qualification at NFQ level 6 | 500 | 6 | ||
| Diploma | National Diploma (HETAC/NCEA e.g. 3 year diploma) | 500 | 7 | Ordinary degree or equivalent |
| Bachelor Degree (DIT) | 500 | 7 | ||
| Equivalent qualification at NFQ level 7 | 600 | 7 | ||
| Ordinary Bachelor Degree at NFQ level 7 | 600 | 7 | Ordinary degree or equivalent | |
| Honours Bachelor Degree, Graduate Diploma or Higher Diploma at NFQ level 8 | 600 | 8 | Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | |
| Professional (Honours Bachelor Degree equivalent or higher) | 600 | 8 | Honours bachelor degree or equivalent | |
| Post-Graduate (e.g. Post Graduate Diploma or Masters degree at NFQ level 9) | 700 | 9 | Postgraduate qualification | |
| Doctorate or higher (e.g. Doctoral Degree/higher Doctorate at NFQ level 10) | 800 | 10 | Postgraduate qualification | |
The primary classification used for the QNHS results is the ILO (International Labour Office) Labour Force classification. The ILO classification distinguishes the following main subgroups of the population aged 15 and over:
In Employment: Persons who worked in the week before the survey for one hour or more for payment or profit, including work on the family farm or business and all persons who had a job but were not at work because of illness, holidays etc. in the week.
Unemployed: Persons who, in the week before the survey, were without work and available for work within the next two weeks, and had taken specific steps, in the preceding four weeks, to find work.
Inactive Population (not in labour force): All other persons.
The rates given in this release are based on the ILO classification.
The Principal Economic Status (PES) classification is based on a single question in which respondents are asked what is their usual situation with regard to employment and given the following response categories:
The regional classifications in this release is based on the NUTS (Nomenclature of Territorial Units) classification used by Eurostat. Until Q4 2017, the NUTS3 regions corresponded to the eight Regional Authorities established under the Local Government Act, 1991 (Regional Authorities) (Establishment) Order, 1993, which came into operation on 1 January 1994 while the NUTS2 regions, which were proposed by Government and agreed by Eurostat in 1999, were groupings of those historic NUTS3 regions.
However, the NUTS3 boundaries were amended on 21st of November 2016 under Regulation (EC) No. 2066/2016 and have come into force from Q1 2018. These new groupings are reflected in the LFS results from Q1 2018 onwards. The changes resulting from the amendment are that County Louth has moved from the Border to the Mid-East and what was formerly South Tipperary has moved from the South-East to the Mid-West, resulting in the new NUTS2 and NUTS3 regions:
| Northern & Western NUTS2 Region | Southern NUTS2 Region | Eastern & Midland NUTS2 Region | |||
| Border | Cavan | Mid-West |
Clare |
Dublin | Dublin City |
| Donegal | Limerick City & County | Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown | |||
| Leitrim | Tipperary | Fingal | |||
| Monaghan | South Dublin | ||||
| Sligo | South-East | Carlow | |||
| Kilkenny | Mid-East | Kildare | |||
| West | Galway City | Waterford City & County | Meath | ||
| Galway County | Wexford | Wicklow | |||
| Mayo | Louth | ||||
| Roscommor | South-West | Cork City | |||
| Cork County | Midland | Laois | |||
| Kerry | Longford | ||||
| Offaly | |||||
| Westmeath | |||||
The EU-28 comprises the following 28 countries:
| Austria | Germany | Poland |
| Belgium | Greece | Portugal |
| Bulgaria | Hungry | Romania |
| Croatia | Ireland | Slovak Republic |
| Cyprus | Italy | Slovenia |
| Czechia | Latvia | Spain |
| Denmark | Lithuania | Sweden |
| Estonia | Luxembourg | United Kingdom |
| Finland | Malta | |
| France | Netherlands |
The EU-15 is a subset of the EU-28 and includes the following 15 countries:
| Austria | Germany | Netherland |
| Belgium | Greece | Portugal |
| Denmark | Ireland | Spain |
| Finland | Italy | Sweden |
| France | Luxembourg | United Kingdom |
The Central Statistics Office wishes to thank the participating households for their co-operation in agreeing to take part in the survey and for facilitating the collection of the relevant data.
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Show Table 1 Percentage of persons aged 15-64, classified by sex and the highest level of education attained, Q2 2016 - Q2 2019
Hide Table 1 Percentage of persons aged 15-64, classified by sex and the highest level of education attained, Q2 2016 - Q2 2019