Giusi Princi· PPE

Nuanced

Three million young people have already abandoned school and training without a diploma or higher qualification.

Omissions

• The claim does not specify the age range (18-24) or the reference year (2024) for the statistic
• The precise figure based on 9.4% of the EU 18-24 population (approximately 30-31 million) would be roughly 2.8-2.9 million, making 'three million' a rounded estimate
• The data refers specifically to 'early leavers from education and training' as defined by Eurostat, which requires both low educational attainment AND not being in further education/training
• The rate has declined significantly from 16.9% in 2002 to 9.4% in 2024, showing substantial progress on this indicator

Sources

• PrimaryEurostat - Early leavers from education and trainingIn 2024, 9.4% of young people aged 18-24 in the EU were early leavers from education and training (10.9% for men, 7.7% for women)
• PrimaryEuropean Commission - Early school leaving in the EUThe EU's early leavers from education and training (ELET) rate dropped from 16.9% in 2002 to 9.4% in 2024