Brussels intends to reduce this figure to below 9% by the end of the decade. To date, 17 EU member states have already achieved this goal, according to Euronews.
At the same time, differences between countries remain significant. Croatia has the lowest rate of early school leaving at 2.1%. Greece and Ireland follow. At the opposite end of the spectrum is Romania, where the rate has reached 15.5%. In Spain and Germany, the rates stand at 13% and 11%, respectively.
Men Are More Likely to Drop Out
Statistics show that men are still more likely than women to drop out of school before earning a qualification. However, the situation has improved for both groups over the past ten years. Among men, the share of early leavers fell from 12.5% in 2015 to 10.6% in 2025. Among women, the rate dropped from 9.4% to 7.5%.
The decision to continue studying is also influenced by place of residence. In 2025, the lowest dropout rate was recorded in cities—8%. In suburban areas, the rate was 10.1%, and in rural areas, 9.6%.
Less Than Half Find Work
Despite the widespread belief that leaving school early allows young people to enter the labor market sooner, Eurostat data suggests the opposite. Less than half of young people who dropped out of school were employed last year. Of these, 46.2% were employed, another 30.8% were unemployed but looking for work, and 23.1% were neither working nor actively seeking employment.
The Netherlands, Malta, Sweden, Cyprus, Portugal, Spain, Denmark, Germany, and Latvia have been most successful in integrating these young people into the labor market, with at least half of those who dropped out of school finding employment.
In a number of countries, the situation remains significantly more challenging. The highest proportion of young people who had left the education system and were not working was recorded in Lithuania, Slovakia, Bulgaria, and Croatia.
The data confirms the continuing link between educational attainment and employment opportunities. The European Union considers reducing early school dropout rates to be one of the key tools for increasing youth employment and reducing social inequality.
