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Early school leavers in the EU

The share of 'early school leavers,’ a term that refers to early leavers from education and training (aged 18-24), has steadily decreased in the European Union (EU) over the last 10 years (from 13.8% in 2010 to 9.9% in 2020).

More young men left education and training early than women in 2020 - 11.8% of men compared to 8.0% of women. Compared to 2019, the share of male early school leavers remained the same, while the share of female dropped slightly (by 0.4 percentage points).

The EU Member States have set themselves a target to reduce the rates of early school leavers to below 9% at the EU level by 2030.

Source: 
Eurostat, 24 June 2021