Georgiana Teodorescu· ECR

Confirmed

Romania has one of the highest rates of early school leaving.

Omissions

• The MEP stated 'one of the highest' but Romania actually had THE highest rate in the EU in 2024, not just 'one of' the highest.
• The data refers to 2024, which is the most recent complete year available before the session date of 2026-02-11. The data period covers young people aged 18-24 who had completed at most a lower secondary education and were not in further education or training.
• The EU average for early school leaving in 2024 was 9.4%, making Romania's rate (16.8%) nearly double the EU average.

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - Early leavers from education and training Statistics ExplainedIn 2024, the proportion of early leavers in the EU ranged from 2.0% in Croatia to 16.8% in Romania. Romania had the highest rate of early school leaving in the EU.
• PrimaryEurostat - Early leavers from education and training Statistics Explained (web version)In 2024, 9.4% of 18-24-year-olds in the EU were early leavers from education and training (EU average), with Romania recording the highest rate at 16.8%.
• SecondaryEuropean Commission - Education and Training Monitor 2025 - Romania Country ReportRomania still has the highest rate of early school leaving in the EU. In 2024, the percentage of early leavers from education and training among 18-24 years old in Romania was 16.8%.