Ireland’s ELT sector reports modest growth in student numbers but weeks are down amid “real and consequential” challenges

The English Language Training (ELT) sector in Ireland delivered 609,734 weeks of English instruction to 124,789 students in 2025. This amounts to a +2% increase in student numbers, but – owing to a significant decrease in the average length of study – an -18% decline in total student weeks.

These are the topline findings from the Annual Report on English Language Training in Ireland 2025, released this week by peak body English Education Ireland.

That +2% growth, says English Education Ireland CEO Lorcan O’Connor Lloyd, is "a meaningful achievement in a challenging environment, and a testament to Ireland's enduring reputation for quality, safety, and a genuinely welcoming student experience."

"Yet the challenges we faced were real and consequential. Stricter visa and immigration policies, rising costs of living, and broader pressures on global student mobility combined to reduce average programme duration significantly, from 6.4 weeks in 2024 to 4.9 weeks in 2025. Total student weeks fell by 18%, and the financial impact was felt acutely by schools whose revenue is tied to length of stay. The sector's direct economic contribution rose to €817.6 million, but that figure masks the pressure many of our members experienced at the operational level."

Shifting market segments

Junior programmes accounted for 57% of enrolments in 2025, but only 20% of student weeks. The more detailed breakdown in the table below makes it clear that there are important shifts within those two broad categories, with shorter mini-stay programmes gaining in popularity in contrast with significant declines in student weeks for the high-school and adult segments.

"One of the most significant structural shifts visible in this year's data is the continued movement away from adult learners toward younger students," says Mr O’Connor Lloyd. "Adult students, while still generating 80% of student weeks, have been in gradual decline for several years, as rising English proficiency in key source markets, greater price sensitivity, and evolving immigration conditions have made longer adult stays more difficult to sustain. This is not a trend unique to Ireland, and our data places us alongside comparable European destinations such as the UK and Malta in navigating this shift."

Where do students come from?

As we see in the additional table below, the top ten sending countries for Irish ELT accounted for 80% of the market in 2025.

Looking just at student weeks, eight out of those top ten markets were either flat or declining last year. Mr O’Connor Lloyd adds:

"Alongside these pressures, the data points to areas of real strength and emerging opportunity. Italy consolidated its position as our largest source market, sending 47,693 students, a 5% increase. Japan delivered one of the standout performances of the year, with adult enrolments rising 47% and junior enrolments up 59%. Argentina, South Korea, Taiwan, Malaysia, and Hong Kong all improved their positions, pointing to a broadening of Ireland's international appeal and offering a clear direction for future market diversification."

For additional background, please see:

• "Irish higher education reports a fourth straight year of foreign enrolment growth"
• "Global ELT volumes dipped in 2024"
• "Irish ELT sector sounds note of 'cautious stability' for 2024"