Romania faces high school dropout rates and low education spending

New data from Eurostat reveals significant challenges within the European Union's education systems, particularly regarding dropout rates and public spending. Romania recorded the highest educational dropout rate among EU member states at 15.5%, surpassing Germany (13.1%) and Spain (12.8%). This figure significantly exceeds the EU's target of 9% set for 2030. While the EU average for the 18–24 age group was 9.1%, the dropout rate remains notably higher for males than females across most member states.

Regarding financial investment, EU governments spent approximately 806 billion euros on education in 2023, representing 4.7% of the bloc's GDP. Sweden allocated the highest proportion of its GDP to education at 6.8%, followed by Finland, Iceland, Belgium, and Denmark. In contrast, Romania and Greece reported some of the lowest levels of public spending, with Romania allocating 2.97% and Greece 3.33% of its GDP to education.