Early school leaving decreased from 17% in 2002 to 9% in 2024.

Omissions

• The exact 2024 figure is 9.4% (not 9%), with 10.9% for young men and 7.7% for young women
• The exact 2002 figure is 16.9% (not 17%)
• The EU target for early school leaving is less than 9%, which has not yet been achieved at the aggregate EU level

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission - Education and TrainingEU's early leavers from education and training (ELET) rate dropped from 16.9% in 2002 to 9.4% in 2024
• PrimaryEurostat - Statistics Explained (PDF)In 2024, 10.9% of young men and 7.7% of young women in the EU were early leavers from education and training