# EU education spending and Romanian academic crisis > Live situation record from CLSTR: https://clstr.news/situations/eu-public-education-spending-trends > Updated: 2026-09-10T14:02:09.000Z. Sources: 18. Developments: 7. Eurostat data indicates that public education spending across the European Union averaged 4.7% of GDP in 2023, totaling 806 billion euros. This represents a decline from the 4.96% recorded in 2014. Spending levels vary significantly by member state; Sweden allocates the highest proportion of its GDP to education at 6.8%, while Romania and Greece report the lowest levels, at approximately 2.97% and 3.33% respectively. Educational attainment remains a critical challenge. Romania has recorded the highest early school leaving and training rate in the EU at 15.5%, significantly exceeding the EU average of 9.1% for the 18–24 age group and the 2030 target of 9%. In Romania, public perception of the education system is declining, with 46.7% of respondents believing public education has deteriorated over the last four years. A 2026 audit from the Romanian Court of Accounts noted that curricular policies are updated without systematic consultation with employers, contributing to a disconnect from labor market requirements. Recent PISA test results from the OECD highlight a deepening crisis. While 2025 data showed approximately half of Romanian 15-year-old students failing to reach minimum competency, subsequent results indicate a significant decline in performance. Approximately half of students now fall into the category of ‘functional illiteracy,’ struggling with basic arithmetic and text comprehension. Average scores for science (425), reading (413), and mathematics (419) have dropped below OECD averages. A severe disparity exists between urban and rural students, with rural performance gaps reaching up to 109 points in mathematics. Furthermore, Eurostat confirms Romania maintains the highest student-to-teacher ratio in the EU for primary education, averaging 18.2 students per teacher. Following these results, public debate has intensified. ## Timeline ### 2026-09-10: Romanian education system criticized following PISA test results Following poor PISA test results, experts and commentators argue that Romania's education system, rather than the students, is responsible for high levels of functional illiteracy. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/romanian-education-system-criticized-following-pisa-test-results ### 2026-09-08: Romania education crisis as PISA scores show decline PISA test results reveal a decline in Romanian education, with half of students categorized as functionally illiterate and scores in science, reading, and math falling below OECD averages. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/romania-education-crisis-as-pisa-scores-show-decline ### 2026-09-04: Romania education audit reveals gap between school skills and labor market A Romanian Court of Accounts audit finds that high school curricula are poorly aligned with labor market needs due to a lack of systematic consultation with employers. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/romania-education-audit-reveals-gap-between-school-skills-and-labor-market ### 2026-09-02: Romania public education perception declines in APSAP study A study by the APSAP Training Center shows 46.7% of Romanians believe public education has declined, citing a curriculum disconnected from the labor market and high school dropout rates. 2 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/romania-public-education-perception-declines-in-apsap-study ### 2026-08-30: Romania faces high school dropout rates and low education spending Eurostat data shows Romania has the highest school dropout rate in the EU at 15.5% and among the lowest levels of public education spending at 2.97% of GDP. 3 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/romania-faces-high-school-dropout-rates-and-low-education-spending ### 2026-08-28: EU education spending reaches 4.7% of GDP in 2023 EU governments spent 4.7% of their GDP on education in 2023. Sweden leads investment at 6.8% of GDP, while Romania and Greece report the lowest shares. 5 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/eu-education-spending-reaches-47-of-gdp-in-2023 ### 2026-08-18: Romania records lowest EU public education spending at 3% of GDP Eurostat reports that Romania has the lowest public education spending in the EU at 3% of GDP, while the EU average stands at 4.7%. Sweden leads with the highest allocation at 6.8%. 11 sources. https://clstr.news/cluster/romania-records-lowest-eu-education-spending-as-percentage-of-gdp --- Cite as: EU education spending and Romanian academic crisis. CLSTR, https://clstr.news/situations/eu-public-education-spending-trends