Education in Southern, Ireland: official figures
The share of adults aged 25 to 64 with a degree-level (tertiary) education was 54.8% in 2025, against 58.7% for Ireland and 36.9% across the EU; 2nd highest of 3 regions in Ireland.
What percentage of people have a degree in the Southern Region?
32.6% of people aged 15 and over in the Southern Region held at least an ordinary bachelor degree or national diploma in Census 2022, the 2nd highest of 3 regions and below the national 36.0%.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyHow do children get to school in the Southern Region?
63.6% of pupils and students in the Southern Region travelled to school, college or childcare by car in Census 2022, while 19.2% walked or cycled; nationally the car share was 54.3%.
Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copyHow many young people in Southern leave school early?
The early school leaving rate was 5.2% in 2019 (18 to 24-year-olds with no upper secondary qualification who are not in education or training) (Ireland: 5.1%; EU: 10.1%). In 2012 it was 10.4%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many young people in Southern are NEET?
7.3% of young people aged 15 to 29 were neither in work nor in education or training (NEET) in 2025, compared with 8.1% nationally and 11.0% in the EU. In 2015 it was 17.2%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Southern are in education or training?
12.9% of adults aged 25 to 64 had taken part in education or training in the previous four weeks in 2025, compared with 14.6% nationally and 13.7% in the EU. In 2015 it was 5.7%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many adults in Southern have no qualifications?
In 2025, 10.3% of 25 to 64-year-olds had left education with at most a lower secondary education, compared with 9.4% nationally and 18.8% in the EU. In 2015 it was 20.5%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat education do adults in Southern have?
34.9% of adults aged 25 to 64 had an upper secondary or post-secondary (non-degree) education as their highest level in 2025, compared with 31.9% nationally and 44.3% in the EU. In 2015 it was 39.3%.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many pupils and students are there in Southern?
Schools in Southern taught 180,270 primary pupils and 167,655 secondary pupils in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyMore figures
- 11.0% of adults in the Southern Region had a postgraduate diploma, master's degree or doctorate in Census 2022 (13.2% nationally), including 11,014 people with a PhD or higher. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- 10.5% of people aged 15 and over in the Southern Region had no formal education or primary education only in Census 2022, the 2nd highest of 3 regions (Ireland: 10.5%). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- Women in the Southern Region were more likely than men to hold a degree in Census 2022: 36.3% of women aged 15+ against 28.7% of men, a gap of 7.6 percentage points. Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
- 150,743 people aged 15 and over in the Southern Region were students in Census 2022, 11.0% of that age group (11.1% nationally). Source: Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland · saved copy
How Southern compares with other statistical regions
People aged 15+ with a degree or higher (%) (2022)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People aged 15+ with a degree or higher (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 39.9% |
| 2 | Southern | 32.6% |
| 3 | Northern and Western | 32.1% |
People aged 15+ with a postgraduate qualification (%) (2022)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People aged 15+ with a postgraduate qualification (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 15.6% |
| 2 | Southern | 11.0% |
| 3 | Northern and Western | 10.9% |
People aged 15+ with primary education or less (%) (2022)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | People aged 15+ with primary education or less (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 12.8% |
| 2 | Southern | 10.5% |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 9.7% |
Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) (2019)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Early leavers from education and training (age 18-24) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 6.2% |
| 2 | Southern | 5.2% |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 4.7% |
Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training (2025)
Southern ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Young people (15-29) not in employment, education or training |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 9.2% |
| 2 | Eastern and Midland | 8.3% |
| 3 | Southern | 7.3% |
Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks (2025)
Southern ranks 3 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) in education or training in the last 4 weeks |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Eastern and Midland | 16.1% |
| 2 | Northern and Western | 13.0% |
| 3 | Southern | 12.9% |
Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education (2025)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) with at most lower secondary education |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 11.6% |
| 2 | Southern | 10.3% |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 8.1% |
Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary (2025)
Southern ranks 2 of 3, highest first.
| Rank | Region | Adults (25-64) whose highest level is upper secondary |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northern and Western | 35.2% |
| 2 | Southern | 34.9% |
| 3 | Eastern and Midland | 28.9% |
More on Southern: overview · economy and jobs · health · poverty and living standards · government and politics · Ireland
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Adults (25-64) with a degree-level education, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 6ff9f4bfff72…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_16: Early leavers from education and training by sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c3cc66b98a4a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset trng_lfse_04: Participation rate of adults in education and training (last 4 weeks) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 42ceced85786…)
- Central Statistics Office (CSO), Ireland: Census 2022 Small Area Population Statistics (SAPS), all themes, by administrative county and city, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 32250e98c48a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_22: Young people neither in employment nor in education and training (NEET) by NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 1467a7225373…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset educ_uoe_enra11: Pupils and students enrolled by education level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 20b6224cca4f…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset edat_lfse_04: Population aged 25-64 by educational attainment level, sex and NUTS 2 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 63810622cd71…)
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