Comparative report
Chapter 6. Adult learning
EU-level 2025 target: ‘At least 47% of adults aged 25-64 should have participated in learning during the last 12 months242 by 2025’.
EU-level 2030 target: ‘At least 60% of adults aged 25-64 should have participated in learning during the last 12 months243 by 2030’.
6.1. Adult learning in the last 4 weeks
As there is still a lack of data underpinning the 2025 and 2030 adult learning targets (Box 19), this section looks at all formal learning244 and non-formal learning in the 4 weeks before respondents took part in the EU Labour Force Survey. The participation of 25-64-year-olds stood at 11.9% in 2022, up from 10.8% in 2021. The picture remains particularly diverse across EU countries (Figure 36). Adult learning is negligible in Bulgaria (1.4%), Greece (3.5%), and Croatia (4.4%), whereas at the other extreme Sweden (36.2%), Denmark (27.9%), the Netherlands (26.4%), and Finland (25.2%) stand out. Participation rates have increased since 2021 in most EU countries, with only Finland dropping by more than 5 percentage points.
Figure 36. Adult learning in the last 4 weeks is up in most EU countries, though some still lag far behind.
There continues to be a higher proportion of women taking part in adult learning (12.9%) than men (10.8%), and the gap has increased since 2021245. Only in Romania and Slovakia do men record slightly higher adult learning rates than women. The female lead is over 8 percentage points in Sweden (13.8), Finland (8.8), Estonia (8.8), and Denmark (8.6). While the prevalence of adult learning goes down with age in all EU countries246, women record higher average participation rates than men across all age groups247. Interestingly, as the share of formal and non-formal learning increases with levels of educational attainment for adults248, the gap between women and men does so too249. Figure 37 summarises these findings at the EU average level.
Figure 37. Adult learning in the last 4 weeks is particularly low among adults who are older, less educated, outside the labour force and in living in rural areas.
Adult participation in formal and non-formal learning in the 4 weeks preceding the survey is, on average, less common in rural areas (9.0%) than it is in cities (14.6%) or towns and suburbs (10.6%)250. The average gap between women and men is about 2 percentage points across all degrees of urbanisation251. When it comes to occupational status, higher female participation rates are found among employed adults252 and unemployed adults253, though not among adults outside the labour force (inactive)254.
The average share for people born outside the EU who took part in adult learning in the past 4 weeks (11.8%) is almost identical to the average share for adults born in the reporting country (11.9%)255. However, for EU countries with available data256, the picture is diverse. The participation rates for adults born outside the EU are comparatively low in Slovenia (13.0% versus 23.5% for adults born in the reporting country), Estonia (14.3% versus 22.0%), and Italy (4.7% versus 10.5%). On the other hand, the participation rates for adults born outside the EU are comparatively high in Finland (33.7% versus 24.4%), Ireland (15.5% versus 10.8%), and Poland (11.4% versus 7.6%).
6.2. Adult learning in the last 12 months
Data underpinning the 2025 and 2030 adult learning targets have not been made available (Box 19), but a different source from 2016 (the Adult Education Survey) can be used as it includes data on adult learning with a 12-month reference period as used in defining the targets. The two reference periods (12 months versus 4 weeks) and the 6 years between measurements are two differences between the sources prohibiting direct comparison. Naturally, when using the 12-month window, average participation rates are considerably higher.
Box 19. Data underpinning the 2025 and 2030 adult learning targets.
The May 2021 Porto summit and the June 2021 European Council welcomed three headline targets for social policy as proposed in the European Pillar of Social Rights action plan. One EU-level target is that 60% of adults should take part in learning in the last 12 months by 2030. This target builds upon the 2025 EU-level target of 47% included in the 2021 EEA strategic framework Resolution. Indeed, the European Commission now regards the 2025 EU-level target on adult learning as a milestone towards achieving the 2030 EU-level target.
The momentum for adult learning continued to build with the 2022 publication of national 2030 targets, set by EU countries, as well as the announcement by European Commission President von der Leyen of a European Year of Skills, addressing the skills and labour shortages on the EU labour market, taking place from May 2023 to May 2024.
However, data underpinning the adult learning targets are yet to be made available. The most up-to-date data on adults taking part in learning concern their participation in the last 4 weeks, stemming from the 2022 annual EU Labour Force Survey. The 2022 questionnaire also asked respondents about their participation in learning in the last 12 months, which is a new biennial question that is intended to underpin the adult learning targets. Results are still being processed and analysed.
Data using the 4-week reference period are not fit to monitor the adult learning targets, which both refer to a 12-month period. The data using the 4-week reference period have the advantage of an historical series, providing an insight into the trends in general participation and its comparison against several individual background characteristics, while the 12-month reference period increases the quality and comparability of the results.
The patterns illustrated in the previous section were already evident in the 2016 data. Differences in participation rates by sex, age, and degree of urbanisation are replicated, but the gaps appear smaller overall257.
In 2016, learning activities in the preceding 12 months among adults with low educational attainment were least common in Greece (2.8%), Poland (4.6%), Czechia (5.5%), and Croatia (6.2%). The respective EU average was 17.9% and out of the 23 EU countries with available data258, five recorded participation rates above 30% even in the group of less educated adults259. Comparatively, adult learning in the last 4 weeks among adults with low educational attainment is least prevalent in Greece (0.4%), Croatia (0.5%), Poland (1.2%), Romania (1.3%) and Cyprus (1.5%). Using the 4-week window, 14 EU countries out of 25 with available data260 record participation rates below 5%, with the respective EU average at 4.7%.
The available evidence suggests that action is needed in all EU countries when it comes to (re)engaging marginalised learners. Such action is all the more urgent to make sure everyone retains an active role in the labour market and across society during the green and digital transitions. Priority groups comprise adults who are older, have low educational attainment, live in rural areas or are outside the labour force261. Currently, various country-level and EU-level measures are contributing to the progress being made towards achieving the EU-level adult learning targets262 and to the general notion of upskilling and reskilling, which is at the core of the European Year of Skills.
In a nutshell
Data underpinning the targets for adult participation in lifelong learning are not yet available. Nonetheless, all the available evidence shows there are a few salient points that will require more attention from policymakers, particularly in the context of upskilling and reskilling promoted by the European Year of Skills. Action is needed to (re)engage all adults of working age, but particularly adults who are older, less educated, outside the labour force, and living in rural areas. Up-to-date adult learning data will provide new insights into how to steer future reforms.
Notes
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242.Data underpinning the 2025 target have not been made available (see Box 19). Instead, this chapter uses EU Labour Force Survey data referring to a 4-week window, alongside data from the 2016 Adult Education Survey.
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243.The ambitious 2030 EU-level target reflects the need to empower workers and adapt the workforce to changing skills needs, while supporting economic growth. Upskilling and reskilling have a big role to play in this regard, which is all the more evident in view of the persistent labour and skills shortages, as well as the green and digital transitions. Data underpinning the 2030 target have not been made available (see Box 19). Instead, this chapter uses EU Labour Force Survey data referring to a 4-week window, alongside data from the 2016 Adult Education Survey.
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244.Participation in formal education (last 4 weeks) is uncommon (3.3%), especially in the older age brackets. For formal learning among all 25-64-year-olds on average, only one EU country manages to retain double digits (Finland at 11.5%), due to higher participation rates among women (13.6%) than men (9.4%). Monitor Toolbox
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246.On average, participation rates in the last 4 weeks (2022) are 19.2% among 25-34-year-olds, 12.3% among 35-44-year-olds, 10.3% among 45-54-year-olds and 6.7% among 55-64-year-olds. Monitor Toolbox
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248.On average, participation rates in the last 4 weeks (2022) are only 4.7% among adults with an education level below below upper secondary, versus 19.8% among adults with tertiary educational attainment. Adults who have attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education have an average adult learning rate of 9.0%, reaching 14.4% when it concerns general education and 7.6% when it concerns vocational education. Monitor Toolbox
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249.The gap is almost non-existent among adults who have attained at most lower secondary education and reaches 3.5 percentage points on average among adults with tertiary educational attainment. Monitor Toolbox
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252.Among employed adults, participation in learning stands at 14.5% for women and 11.0% for men (a total average of 12.6%). Monitor Toolbox
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253.Among unemployed adults, participation in learning stands at 15.1% for women and 11.3% for men (a total average of 13.2%). Monitor Toolbox
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254.Among inactive adults, participation in learning stands at 8.0% for women and 9.7% for men (a total average of 8.6%). Monitor Toolbox
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256.This excludes Bulgaria, Romania, and Slovakia.
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258.Respective Adult Education Survey 2016 data (12-month window) are not available for Bulgaria, Lithuania, Romania, and Slovakia.
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259.Hungary (41.2%), Sweden (40.2%), Finland (35.4%), the Netherlands (32.9%) and Denmark (31.6%). Monitor Toolbox
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260.Respective EU Labour Force Survey 2022 data (four-week window) are not available for Bulgaria and Latvia.
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261.The 2023 evaluation of the Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways suggests that measures to support lower education adults have had limited impact so far, due to projects often being small scale and fragmented rather than mainstream, coordinated activities.
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262.In response to the 2022 Council Recommendation, as of the summer of 2023, close to half of the EU countries are working on schemes of individual learning accounts, often starting with a pilot project before embarking on full-scale implementation. The 2022 Council Recommendation on a European approach to micro-credentials provides a framework to guide EU countries and education and training providers, including VET stakeholders, in their discussions on how to make the most of such credentials to promote upskilling and reskilling. The 2016 Council Recommendation on Upskilling Pathways supports lower-skilled adults to acquire minimum levels of literacy, numeracy, and digital skills and empowers them to take up further upskilling opportunities according to their needs. At EU level, as part of the Pact for Skills, 18 large-scale partnerships in all sectors of the EU industrial strategy have committed to reskilling more than 10 million workers. The net-zero academies are being set up under the green deal industrial plan to equip workers with the skills needed in emerging sectors such as solar energy and hydrogen technology.
Publication details
- Catalogue numberNC-AJ-23-001-EN-Q
- ISBN978-92-68-02336-5
- ISSN2466-9997
- DOI10.2766/341695