The participation rate of all 16 to 19-year olds in education and vocational training in 2022/23 is 77%

Date published: 03 April 2025

Official statistics published today by NISRA statisticians in the Department for the Economy reveal 77% of 16-19 year olds in Northern Ireland participated in education or vocational training during 2022/23, with females (80%) showing higher engagement than males (75%).

Key findings

• School remains the most common form of participation in 2022/23, accounting for 33% of all 16-19 year olds (30,513 pupils)
• Overall participation rates have fallen slightly from 79% in 2018/19 to 77% in 2022/23
• The participation rate peaks at age 16 with 95% engagement, before declining to 58% by age 18
• Further Education College participation has decreased by 4 percentage points since 2018/19 (from 26% to 22%)
• Higher Education Institution participation has increased slightly from 17% to 18%, with more students choosing to study in Northern Ireland (up from 11% to 13%) while fewer study in Great Britain (down from 6% to 5%)
• Females have higher participation rates in Schools and Higher Education, while males participate more in Further Education Colleges and Other Training
• Participation in Other Training has increased from 3% to 4% between 2018/19 and 2022/23

About this publication

This report presents key statistics on participation by 16-19 year olds in education and vocational training across Northern Ireland, including pupils in Schools, students in Further Education colleges, Higher Education Institutions and participants in Other Training.

Further Information

Read the full report: Participation in education and vocational training 2018/19 to 2022/23