Labor force with basic education in Ireland
Ireland: Labor force with basic education was 29.6% in 2024. ▼ Falling
Labor force with basic education in Ireland, 1992–2024
Source: Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO). Measured in % of total working-age population with basic education.
Analysis
In 2024, labor force with basic education in Ireland stood at 29.6%.
The figure is down 8.6% on the previous year and down 11.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, labor force with basic education in Ireland peaked at 51.6% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 28.7%, in 2020.
That places Ireland 107th out of 123 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 43.6% | 41.7% | 51.6% | 7 |
| 2000s | 43.5% | 40.1% | 51.1% | 10 |
| 2010s | 34.0% | 30.6% | 38.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 30.2% | 28.7% | 32.3% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Ireland
More work & labour data for Ireland
- Ratio of female to male labor force participation rate (%) 85.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 59.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15-6 77.2% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15-64) 81.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, female (% of female population ages 15 73.0% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, total (%) 53.6% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, male (% of male population ages 15+) 70.1% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, female (%) 53.5% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate for ages 15-24, male (%) 53.8% (2025)
- Labor force participation rate, total (% of total population ages 15+) 64.8% (2025)
Frequently asked questions
- What is labor force with basic education in Ireland?
- Labor force with basic education in Ireland was 29.6% in 2024, according to Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO).
- What is the highest labor force with basic education recorded in Ireland?
- The highest recorded value was 51.6% in 1999.
- What is the lowest labor force with basic education recorded in Ireland?
- The lowest recorded value was 28.7% in 2020.
- How does Ireland rank for labor force with basic education?
- Ireland ranks 107th out of 123 countries with data for 2024.
- Is labor force with basic education rising or falling in Ireland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Ireland data come from?
- The figures come from Education and Mismatch Indicators database (EMI), International Labour Organization (ILO), published as part of Labor force with basic education (% of total working-age population with basic education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The ratio of the labor force with basic education to the working-age population with basic education. Basic education comprises primary education or lower secondary education according to the International Standard Classification of Education 2011 (ISCED 2011).