EU graduate employment rate reaches 83% in 2025, Malta tops the list

Eurostat reported that the employment rate of recent graduates aged 20‑34 in the European Union rose to 83.0% in 2025, up from 82.3% in 2024, marking a 7.5‑percentage‑point increase over the past 11 years. Graduates with tertiary education enjoyed a higher rate (87.0%) than those with secondary education (77.2%).

Malta led the EU with a 91.0% employment rate, followed by Germany (90.6%) and the Netherlands (90.1%). At the opposite end, Greece posted the lowest rate at 62.4%, with Italy (71.8%) and Romania (72.7%) also trailing.

Gender differences showed 84.4% employment for men versus 81.5% for women. The highest male rates were recorded in the Czech Republic (92.4%), the Netherlands (92.1%) and Germany (92.0%). Women fared best in Malta (90.5%), Germany (89.0%) and Austria (88.8%). The largest gender gaps in favour of men were observed in the Czech Republic, Latvia and Slovenia, while Greece, Estonia and Finland showed the biggest gaps in favour of women.