Romania, first in the EU for school dropout: A young person out of six drops out of studies

Romania recorded in 2025 the highest school dropout rate in the European Union, according to the latest data published by Eurostat. Statistics show that 15.5% of young people aged between 18 and 24 have left the education and vocational training system early, well above the European average of 9.1%. After Romania, the highest dropout rates were reported in Germany and Spain. Eurostat warns that young people who drop out of studies early often face difficulties in the labor market, with only 46.2% of them being employed in 2025.