Comparative report

The 2025 Education and Training Monitor's comparative report tracks the progress towards reaching EU-level targets, most notably the ones adopted under the 2021 EEA strategic framework Resolution.

This year’s edition of the report also presents key values, trends, and country differences for the targets proposed by the European Commission in the 2025 Union of Skills Communication and suggested in the interim evaluation of the 2021-2030 European Education Area Strategic Framework.

While progress is being made on achieving the EU-level targets, the report highlights substantial variability between EU education systems as illustrated by Figure 39.

Looking more closely at the improvements made, the proportion of children between the age of 3 and the start of compulsory primary education enrolled in early childhood education and care increased significantly between 2022 and 2023, inching closer to the 2030 EU-level target of at least 96% with a rate of 94.6%. Ensuring high-quality provision remains essential for participation to have a positive impact. Early school leaving is also on track to meet the 2030 EU-level target of less than 9% with the 2024 rate being 9.4%. Further decreases in the rate can be achieved through sustained, cross-sectoral and multi-targeted strategies, focused on teacher preparation, inclusive schooling, and support to specific groups at risk of drop-out.

The areas of VET and higher education report successes as well. Exposure to work-based learning in VET (65.2% in 2024) exceeds the 2025 EU-level target of at least 60%, although a high variability across countries has been recorded. The tertiary educational attainment rate among 25–34-year-olds stands at 44.1%, nearing the 2030 EU-level target of at least 45%. Broadening participation and addressing the needs of a more varied student population will help achieve higher tertiary attainment rates. 

However, some EU-level targets are highly unlikely to be reached without a renewed momentum. The situation is particularly worrying for underachievement in basic skills (Figure 40). Record-high underachievement rates in reading (26.2%), mathematics (29.5%), and science (24.2%), as well as in digital skills (42.5%), are far above the 2030 EU-level target of rates below 15%. Turning around these negative trends requires tackling drivers such as digital distractions, teacher shortages, waning parental involvement, and enhancing teacher capacity and access to digital infrastructure. Additionally, with a rate of only 39.5%, adult learning participation is significantly below the 47% EU-level target for 2025. Adult learning will have to increase across the board, but particularly among key target groups most in need of reskilling and upskilling – for whom adult learning rates remain far below average.

The Monitor also shows that there is scope to increase STEM enrolment in particular by encouraging female enrolment. Higher enrolment figures would ensure a stronger STEM supply in the coming years, capable of supporting the ambition of strengthening EU’s competitiveness, resilience and prosperity.

Equity in schools is a critical issue for EU education systems requiring cross-sectoral actions that address school segregation in combination with remedial policies, as this is a problem deeply rooted in broader societal inequalities. Enhancing teacher capacity can help all students succeed, but also increase the share of top performers in basic skills and of students with an adequate level of civic knowledge. On a more positive note, the report shows an encouraging trend regarding inward mobile tertiary graduates from outside the EU. Further improvements can be achieved by enhancing research and teaching quality and funding schemes and providing conditions for staying after graduation.   

However, although some progress has been made towards achieving certain targets, this brief summary masks substantial variations within EU education systems as well as pronounced disparities by sex, degree of urbanisation, country of birth, disability, and socio-economic background. Combined with the worrying outcomes in basic skills, these differences call for more research to address knowledge gaps, more targeted measures and stronger policy focus to enhance effectiveness and ensure continued progress.  

The European Commission supports EU countries in their efforts to improve the performance of their education systems as education and training are key enablers for the EU’s competitiveness, preparedness and long-term resilience, as highlighted by the Union of Skills.

In terms of policy cooperation, the interim evaluation of the EEA has concluded that European cooperation under the EEA has helped to increase the ownership and understanding of common priorities in education and training across EEA actors and stakeholders in the wider education and training community. Based on the findings of the interim evaluation, the European Commission put forward a proposal on the development of the EEA. This was prepared in view of the Council’s review of the strategic framework for European cooperation towards the EEA and beyond, ahead of the EEA’s second cycle (2026-2030).

To provide knowledge and resources to identify how to make EU education systems more effective, efficient and equitable, the European Commission launched the Learning Lab on Investing in Quality Education and Training in 2022. The Learning Lab proposes training courses on education policy evaluation methodologies to policymakers at all levels (national, regional, and local) and education practitioners; collaborative work among Member States; and, evaluation of education policies. The Learning Lab also conducts its own policy-oriented research on education policies to further expand the evidence available to support EU and national policy making.

In addition, the EU provides funding for research in education under Horizon Europe, the EU research and innovation programme. In 2023-24, Horizon Europe allocated funding to conduct innovative research in three under-explored areas of education policy: efficiency and effectiveness of investment, mapping of longitudinal data and assessment of inequalities, and education and labour market transitions of young people. Several research projects are already under way. In 2025, Horizon Europe funding is focussing on two educational research areas: evaluation and use of evidence in policy and practice, and impact of the learning environment and digital tools.

EU funds for education and training have tripled in the 2021-27 funding period, with a total allocation exceeding EUR 100 billion. In particular, the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) provides unprecedented opportunities to EU countries to implement major reforms and investments in education and training. Overall, EUR 75 billion are allocated in the RRF to address key challenges faced by education and training systems and the EU’s Technical Support Instrument has accompanied national reforms in these areas through more than 145 projects. In addition, Member States and regions have allocated EUR 42 billion under the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+) and EUR 8.9 billion under the European Regional Development Fund. The European Commission’s proposal for the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028-2034) maintains high ambitions for education, by proposing EUR 40 billion, nearly the double value of the 2021-2027 period, for Erasmus+. Moreover, at least 14% of National and Regional Partnership Plans would be dedicated to social expenditure, including for education and training. Boosting investment in education and training pays off by enhancing human capital, increasing productivity, resilience and preparedness. Moreover, education and training are central to addressing Europe's demographic transition, including the challenge of skills shortages. This makes education and training not just a social good, but a strategic economic asset.