EU countries by early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24

Spain had the highest early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24 of 27 EU countries in 2014, at 21.9%. Croatia had the lowest, at 2.8%. The median was 8.7% and the figure for the European Union (27) was 11.1%. Source: Eurostat, European Commission.

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Highest21.9Spain
Lowest2.8Croatia
Median8.727 EU countries
European Union (27)11.1History

Map of EU countries, 2014

Austria: 7 %Belgium: 9.8 %Bulgaria: 12.9 %Cyprus: 6.8 %Czechia: 5.5 %Germany: 9.5 %Denmark: 8.1 %Estonia: 12 %Spain: 21.9 %Finland: 9.5 %France: 8.8 %Greece: 9 %Croatia: 2.8 %Hungary: 11.4 %Ireland: 6.7 %Italy: 15 %Lithuania: 5.9 %Luxembourg: 6.1 %Latvia: 8.5 %Malta: 17 %Netherlands: 8.7 %Poland: 5.4 %Portugal: 17.3 %Romania: 18.1 %Sweden: 6.7 %Slovenia: 4.4 %Slovakia: 6.7 %
  • Under 6.2
  • 6.2 to 7.4
  • 7.4 to 9.3
  • 9.3 to 13
  • 13 and over
%, 2014. Source: Eurostat, Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14). Boundaries: Natural Earth (public domain).

All EU countries, 2014

Spain: 21.9 %Spain21.9Romania: 18.1 %Romania18.1Portugal: 17.3 %Portugal17.3Malta: 17 %Malta17Italy: 15 %Italy15Bulgaria: 12.9 %Bulgaria12.9Estonia: 12 %Estonia12Hungary: 11.4 %Hungary11.4Belgium: 9.8 %Belgium9.8Finland: 9.5 %Finland9.5Germany: 9.5 %Germany9.5Greece: 9 %Greece9France: 8.8 %France8.8Netherlands: 8.7 %Netherlands8.7Latvia: 8.5 %Latvia8.5Denmark: 8.1 %Denmark8.1Austria: 7 %Austria7Cyprus: 6.8 %Cyprus6.8Ireland: 6.7 %Ireland6.7Slovakia: 6.7 %Slovakia6.7Sweden: 6.7 %Sweden6.7Luxembourg: 6.1 %Luxembourg6.1Lithuania: 5.9 %Lithuania5.9Czechia: 5.5 %Czechia5.5Poland: 5.4 %Poland5.4Slovenia: 4.4 %Slovenia4.4Croatia: 2.8 %Croatia2.8Spain: 21.9 %Spain21.9Romania: 18.1 %Romania18.1Portugal: 17.3 %Portugal17.3Malta: 17 %Malta17Italy: 15 %Italy15Bulgaria: 12.9 %Bulgaria12.9Estonia: 12 %Estonia12Hungary: 11.4 %Hungary11.4Belgium: 9.8 %Belgium9.8Finland: 9.5 %Finland9.5Germany: 9.5 %Germany9.5Greece: 9 %Greece9France: 8.8 %France8.8Netherlands: 8.7 %Netherlands8.7Latvia: 8.5 %Latvia8.5Denmark: 8.1 %Denmark8.1Austria: 7 %Austria7Cyprus: 6.8 %Cyprus6.8Ireland: 6.7 %Ireland6.7Slovakia: 6.7 %Slovakia6.7Sweden: 6.7 %Sweden6.7Luxembourg: 6.1 %Luxembourg6.1Lithuania: 5.9 %Lithuania5.9Czechia: 5.5 %Czechia5.5Poland: 5.4 %Poland5.4Slovenia: 4.4 %Slovenia4.4Croatia: 2.8 %Croatia2.8
%. Source: Eurostat, Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Full ranking

RankEU countries2014 (%)Change on 2013
1Spain Series break21.9-1.7 pts
2Romania Series break18.1+0.8 pts
3Portugal Series break17.3-1.4 pts
4Malta Series break17-0.1 pts
5Italy Series break15-1.8 pts
6Bulgaria Series break12.9+0.4 pts
7Estonia Series break12+2.3 pts
8Hungary Series break11.4-0.5 pts
9Belgium Series break9.8-1.2 pts
10Finland Series break9.5+0.2 pts
10Germany Series break9.5-0.3 pts
12Greece Series break9-1.1 pts
13France Series break8.8-0.9 pts
14Netherlands Series break8.7-0.6 pts
15Latvia Series break8.5-1.3 pts
16Denmark Series break8.1-0.1 pts
17Austria Series break7-0.5 pts
18Cyprus Series break6.8-2.3 pts
19Ireland Series break6.7-2 pts
19Slovakia Series break6.7+0.3 pts
19Sweden Series break6.7-0.4 pts
22Luxembourg Series break6.10 pts
23Lithuania Series break5.9-0.4 pts
24Czechia Series break5.5+0.1 pts
25Poland Series break5.4-0.2 pts
26Slovenia Series break4.4+0.5 pts
27Croatia Low reliability2.8-1.5 pts

Other periods

About this ranking

People aged 18 to 24 who have completed lower secondary education at most (ISCED 2011 levels 0 to 2) and received no formal or non-formal education or training in the four weeks before the survey, as a percentage of all people aged 18 to 24 (EU Labour Force Survey).

A survey measure, not a dropout count from school records. The EU target is below 9% by 2030.

Every value in the ranking comes from the same publisher and the same period, so the EU countries are compared on one definition. Equal values share a rank.

How to cite

Eurostat. Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_14/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Citation styles

The publisher is the author. Invokely is named only as the place the figures were read, where a style asks for it.

APA 7

Eurostat, European Commission. (2026). Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14) (EU countries by early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24, 2014) [Data set]. Retrieved October 12, 2026, from https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_14/default/table

MLA 9

Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14), EU countries by early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24, 2014. Eurostat, European Commission, 10 Sept. 2026, https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_14/default/table. Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/early-leavers-education-training/eu-countries?period=2014. Accessed 12 Oct. 2026.

Chicago (author-date)

Eurostat, European Commission. 2026. Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14). EU countries by early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24, 2014. Dataset. Accessed October 12, 2026. https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_14/default/table. Also distributed by Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/early-leavers-education-training/eu-countries?period=2014.

Harvard

Eurostat, European Commission (2026) Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14), EU countries by early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24, 2014 [Dataset]. Available at: https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_14/default/table, via Invokely: https://invokely.ai/rankings/early-leavers-education-training/eu-countries?period=2014 (Accessed: 12 October 2026).

BibTeX
@misc{eurostat_eu_countries_by_early_2014,
  author = {{Eurostat, European Commission}},
  title = {{Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat\_lfse\_14): EU countries by early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24, 2014}},
  year = {2026},
  howpublished = {Data set},
  url = {https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_14/default/table},
  urldate = {2026-10-12},
  note = {Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/early-leavers-education-training/eu-countries?period=2014. Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat\_lfse\_14). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat\_lfse\_14/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.},
}
RIS
TY  - DATA
AU  - Eurostat, European Commission
TI  - Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14): EU countries by early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24, 2014
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/10
PB  - Eurostat, European Commission
DB  - Invokely
UR  - https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_14/default/table
L2  - https://invokely.ai/rankings/early-leavers-education-training/eu-countries?period=2014
Y2  - 2026/10/12
N1  - Accessed via Invokely, https://invokely.ai/rankings/early-leavers-education-training/eu-countries?period=2014.
N1  - Publisher attribution: Eurostat. Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14). https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/view/edat_lfse_14/default/table. Retrieved 2026-10-12.
ER  - 
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Questions

Which EU country has the highest early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24?

Spain, with 21.9% in 2014, according to Eurostat, European Commission.

Which EU country has the lowest early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24?

Croatia, with 2.8% in 2014.

Where does this ranking come from?

Every value comes from one source and one period, so the places are comparable: Eurostat, European Commission, Early leavers from education and training by labour status, all persons, 18 to 24 years (edat_lfse_14). Retrieved 2026-10-12.

Early leavers from education and training, ages 18 to 24: other rankings

EU countries: more rankings