Over the past 40 years, 17 million young people have participated in Erasmus.

Omissions

• Erasmus+ participants are not only 'young people': the programme also covers university staff, teachers, adult learners, VET learners and youth workers, so describing the 17 million as 'young people' overstates the youth share.
• The period is 1987–2026, i.e. about 39 years, not a full 40 years; the programme's 40th anniversary is in 2027.
• European Commission pages do not all give the same cumulative figure: the Erasmus+ programme-level overview states 18 million participants since 1987, while the Erasmus+ statistics page refers to 'over 16 million people', so the exact cumulative total is approximate and depends on the update date.
• Sources explicitly stating 'over 17 million' are secondary (national agency press releases, university news, news outlets) and were published in 2026, i.e. before the session date of 21 October 2026; no primary Commission document using the exact 17 million figure was located within the search limit.

Sources

• PrimaryEuropean Commission – Erasmus+ programme-level overview of project data'Today, it is one of the European Union's most visible success stories with 18 million people participating since 1987.'
• PrimaryEuropean Commission – Erasmus+ annual reports, factsheets and statistics'Erasmus+ is a lasting EU success story, with nearly 40 years of impact on the personal and professional growth of over 16 million people.'
• SecondaryDAAD (German National Agency for Erasmus+) press release'Since the programme's launch in 1987, more than 17 million students and university staff across Europe have taken part in Erasmus+.'
• SecondaryRuhr-Universität Bochum news portal'Total participants: over 17 million people since 1987'
• SecondaryPhileNews (citing EP/Erasmus+ reporting)'Since its creation in 1987, around 17 million people have taken part in the programme. Its 40th anniversary will come in 2027.'