Number with third level education has grown significantly

The number of people with third level qualifications has increased significantly over the last three years, according to new figures released yesterday by the Central Statistics Office.

The new figures also reveal that almost 12 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds leave school early. However, the numbers leaving school early have fallen from more than 14 per cent over the last three years.

The Quarterly National Household Survey, conducted in the second quarter of last year, found that almost 25 per cent of those aged 15-64 had a third level qualification.

"In 2005, over 325,000 males and 373,000 females had a third level qualification, reflecting increases of 22.6 per cent and 24.3 per cent respectively on the corresponding 2002 figure," the CSO report states.

It says that excluding 15- to 24-year-olds - the age group most likely to still be in education - just over 28 per cent of those in the 25-64 age category had a third level qualification. This compared with 24.4 per cent in 2002.

"Almost 40 per cent of all 25- to 34-year-olds declared having a third level qualification in 2005 compared to a figure of just over 34 per cent three years previously," the report states. It says that more than 120,000 males and 147,000 females aged 25-34 held a third level qualification in 2005, whereas in 2002 the comparable figures were 96,600 and 116,400.

The report also says that in 2005 16 per cent of persons aged 15-64 had not progressed beyond primary level education. This was down from a figure of 19.5 per cent in 2002.

The report states that the level of participation in the work force was far higher for those with a third level degree than for those with primary education at most.

"In the second quarter of 2005, almost 76 per cent of persons aged 25-64 were in the labour force. The labour force participation rate for persons with a third level degree or above was 90.4 per cent compared to a participation rate of just 52.6 per cent for persons whose highest level of education attained was, at most, primary.

"Conversely, the unemployment rate for those aged 25-64 with a degree or above was just 1.8 per cent compared with 7.4 per cent for persons whose highest educational attainment level was primary or below," the report states.

It says the number of early school leavers stood at 54,600, or 11.9 per cent of all persons aged 18-24. Ireland is 15th in the ranking of EU states for early school leavers.

CSO report: main points

28 per cent of the population aged 25-64 have a third-level qualification - up from 24.4 per cent in 2002.

Almost 40 per cent of all 25- to 34-year-olds have a third-level qualification compared with 34 per cent three years previously.

The number of persons aged 15-64 who have received education to higher secondary level or above increased from 57 per cent to 61 per cent between 2002 and 2005.

The number of persons aged 15-64 who had not received education beyond primary level reduced from 19 per cent to 16 per cent between 2002 and 2005.

Almost 12 per cent of 18- to 24-year-olds leave school early. This is down from more than 14 per cent in 2002.

16 per cent of early school leavers were unemployed in 2005.