The proportion of young Europeans exiting education prematurely is declining, but regional differences and job market opportunities continue to influence the trend. How do EU countries measure up against one another?
According to the most recent Eurostat data, in 2025, 9.1% of young individuals aged 18 to 24 in the EU discontinued their schooling without engaging in further education or vocational training.
ADVERTISEMENT 
ADVERTISEMENT
Within the EU, the share of early school leavers in 2025 varied from a low of 2.1% in Croatia to a high of 15.5% in Romania.
Early dropouts tend to be more common among young men compared to young women.
This decline affects both genders, with a notable decrease in the number of early leavers.
Over the last decade, young men leaving education early dropped from 12.5% in 2015 to 10.6% in 2025, while the rate for young women decreased from 9.4% to 7.5% over the same period.
The EU targets reducing the rate of early school leavers below 9% by 2030; to date, 17 member states have achieved this milestone.
Countries with the smallest proportions of early education dropouts include Croatia, Greece, and Ireland.
Conversely, Romania, Germany, and Spain reported the highest percentages of early leavers in 2025.
Does the place of residence influence educational continuation?
Whether individuals reside in urban areas, suburbs, or rural locations can affect the likelihood of exiting education prematurely.
In 2025, urban areas in the EU recorded the lowest early leaving rate at 8%.
Suburban regions saw this figure rise to 10.1%, while rural zones had a rate of 9.6%.
Romania, Bulgaria, and Denmark showed the highest numbers of 18 to 24-year-olds living in rural settings who discontinued their studies after completing no more than lower secondary education.
Youth in Romania, Spain, and Germany were also among those dropping out early while residing in towns or suburban areas.
Are early school leavers facing employment difficulties?
Those who exit education and training prematurely may encounter obstacles when entering the job market.
In the previous year, 46.2% of early leavers were employed, 30.8% were unemployed but actively seeking work, and the remaining 23.1% were neither employed nor looking for employment.
Only in the Netherlands, Malta, Sweden, Cyprus, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Germany, and Latvia did half or more of early leavers hold jobs in 2025.
In most member states, early leavers predominantly remained unemployed, with the highest unemployment rates among them recorded in Lithuania (86.4%), Slovakia (77.9%), Bulgaria (76.7%), and Croatia (76.2%).