Cyprus: Cyprus recorded an early school leaving rate of 9.8% in education and training in 2025, remaining above the European target of 9% for 2030, according to data published on Thursday by Eurostat.
According to Cyprus News Agency, although the rate in Cyprus showed an improvement compared with 2024, when it stood at 11.3%, it remains higher than the European Union average, which reached 9.1% in 2025. The data refers to young people aged 18 to 24 who have left education or vocational training early.
Eurostat indicated that Cyprus is among the countries where the rate of early school leaving was higher in 2025 compared with 2015. Specifically, the rate increased by 4.6 percentage points over the decade, from 5.2% in 2015 to 9.8% in 2025, recording the largest increase among EU Member States. Germany followed with an increase of 3.0 percentage points and Austria with 2.7 percentage points.
At EU level, the early school leaving rate has steadily declined over the past ten years, from 11% in 2015 to 9.1% in 2025, moving closer to the 9% target set for 2030.
The data also shows that 17 Member States have already reached the European target of 9%. The lowest early school leaving rates in 2025 were recorded in Croatia at 2.1%, Greece at 3.0%, and Ireland at 3.6%.
At the other end of the scale, the highest rates were recorded in Romania at 15.5%, Germany at 13.1%, and Hungary at 12.8%.