Average figures are not always helpful when there is so much variation between the countries that make up the European Union.
The European Union has set itself ambitious targets for education by 2030, aiming to improve access, skills and outcomes across its 27 member states, reports EuranetPlus. Its goals feed into the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 4, which is to improve ‘quality education’ for all ages of students.
The EU’s objectives for 2030 include:
- having at least 96% of children aged three and over enrolled in education
- reducing the share of 18- to 24-year-olds leaving education early to no more than 9%
- cutting the proportion of 15-year-olds with poor literacy, numeracy and scientific skills to under 15%
- ensuring that 45% of 25- to 34-year-olds hold a higher education qualification.
What’s working and what’s not
Good progress is being made in several areas, but things are changing over time, which makes sticking to initial goals more challenging.
For example, early childhood participation was already at around 93% in 2021-22, but population changes mean that there will be up to one million fewer young children in the EU in 2030, and so some education institutions for this age group may end up closing.
The trouble with basic skills
One area of concern across the EU is students under-achieving on basic skills and, in fact, the EU as a whole is in a worse place now than it was 10 years ago.
Challenges to supply high quality teaching equally across urban and rural or disadvantaged areas in every European country mean that success is patchy. Socio-economic background has a significant impact on educational success, with disadvantaged pupils more likely to underperform.
The higher education goals are also uneven. In 2024, it was recorded that around 44% of adults in capital cities and urban areas had degrees, but some regions (especially eastern and southern Europe) had fewer than 27% who had completed higher education.
It’s clear that using average figures is problematic due to the vast differences between cultures and demographics across the 27 countries of the EU. Having a shared ambition is good, but there will need to be more targeted efforts support under-performing regions and disadvantaged learners if the goals for 2030 are to be met.
References
- Education goals in the EU: so close, yet so far. Available at: https://euranetplus-inside.eu/education-goals-in-the-eu-so-close-yet-so-far/ (Accessed 4 February 2026)
