Which European countries are achieving the highest education levels?
In 2014, just over a quarter (26%) of EU citizens aged 25–74 had completed higher education. By 2024, that share had risen to 33.5%.
Ireland, Luxembourg and Cyprus lead the pack, with more than 60% of young adults (25–34) holding university degrees. Romania sits at the other end of the spectrum, with fewer than 30% of that age group pursuing higher levels of education, the lowest rate in the EU.
The figures reveal shifting attitudes toward education across generations. Among adults aged 25–54, 82.7% have completed at least upper-secondary education, compared with 70.4% of those aged 55–74.
Young people are nearly twice as likely to have finished higher education (39.8%) as their older counterparts (23.9%).
Differences in vocational qualifications between age groups vary sharply by country. In Luxembourg, in both older and younger generations with medium levels of education, vocational paths dominate (over 96%).
In Portugal, only 13.5% of older adults with medium-level education hold a vocational qualification, versus 37.2% of younger adults.
Similar generational leaps in vocational uptake are observed in Greece, Ireland, Cyprus and Spain, signalling a broader European shift toward skills-focused education.
Across Europe, women are outpacing men in educational attainment.
In 2024, nearly half (49.9%) of women aged 25–34 had completed higher education.
Men also progressed, but more slowly, reaching 38.7% in the same age group. That gap widened by just over 1% in 10 years.
For upper-secondary education, 86.8% of women aged 20–24 had completed at least this level, compared with 81.8% of men.
Only in Romania did men slightly outperform women.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
France 24
3 days ago
- France 24
New York's Met museum sheds new light on African art collection
After a four-year renovation with a $70 million price tag, the reopening of the Michael C. Rockefeller Wing comes amid heated debate over the representation of cultural diversity in Western museums and the return of works to their countries of origin. The reopening should be "an opportunity to recognize that the achievements of artists in this part of the world (sub-Saharan Africa) are equal to those of other major world traditions," Alisa LaGamma, the Met's curator for African art, told AFP. In a spacious gallery bathed in light, visitors are greeted by a monumental Dogon sculpture -- "a heroic figure, likely a priest," LaGamma explained. Next to it sits a clay sculpture of a curled body from the ancient city of Djenne-Djenno, in present-day Mali, which is believed to be one of the oldest pieces in the collection, dating back to the 13th century. 'Complex history' The exhibit does not present the works of sub-Saharan Africa as a single unit, but in chapters to better distinguish between the various cultures. "We don't want people to oversimplify their understanding of an incredibly complex history," LaGamma said. "There are over 170 different cultures represented among the 500 works of African art on display," she pointed out. "That gives you a sense of how many different stories there are to tell in this presentation." The museum wing, which also displays arts of Oceania and the "ancient Americas" -- prior to European colonization -- opened in 1982 after former Republican vice president and philanthropist Nelson Rockefeller donated his monumental collection. It is named for his son. "This is a collection that was formed essentially following independence in a lot of what were new nations across sub-Saharan Africa," LaGamma said. "It doesn't have necessarily the heavy weight of a collection that was formed under colonialism," she said, hinting at the pressure faced by many museums to respond to questions about the origins of works on display. 'African Spirits' A third of the works shown here were newly acquired. The museum was thus able to benefit from a donation of thousands of photographs from the renowned Arthur Walther collection. Among the vast trove of pieces donated is a 2008 series of self-portraits entitled "African Spirits" by Fosso, a Cameroonian-Nigerian photographer. Among Africa's leading photographers, Fosso poses as major figures in African independence and civil rights struggles, from Congolese independence leader and first prime minister Patrice Lumumba, to Nelson Mandela and Malcolm X. Through around a dozen films directed by Ethiopian-American artist Sosena Solomon, visitors can also explore iconic cultural sites across the continent, like Tsodilo rock paintings in Botswana, the rock-hewn churches of Lalibela and Tigray in Ethiopia, and the tombs of Buganda kings at Kasubi in Uganda. "In an art museum like this, it is important that rock paintings should be reflected," said Phillip Segadika, chief curator for archeology and monuments at Botswana's national museum, in residence at the Met to participate in the project. "It tells us that what we are seeing today, whether it's in European art, medieval art, whatever -- it has a history, it also has an antiquity."
Euronews
6 days ago
- Euronews
Which European countries are achieving the highest education levels?
In 2014, just over a quarter (26%) of EU citizens aged 25–74 had completed higher education. By 2024, that share had risen to 33.5%. Ireland, Luxembourg and Cyprus lead the pack, with more than 60% of young adults (25–34) holding university degrees. Romania sits at the other end of the spectrum, with fewer than 30% of that age group pursuing higher levels of education, the lowest rate in the EU. The figures reveal shifting attitudes toward education across generations. Among adults aged 25–54, 82.7% have completed at least upper-secondary education, compared with 70.4% of those aged 55–74. Young people are nearly twice as likely to have finished higher education (39.8%) as their older counterparts (23.9%). Differences in vocational qualifications between age groups vary sharply by country. In Luxembourg, in both older and younger generations with medium levels of education, vocational paths dominate (over 96%). In Portugal, only 13.5% of older adults with medium-level education hold a vocational qualification, versus 37.2% of younger adults. Similar generational leaps in vocational uptake are observed in Greece, Ireland, Cyprus and Spain, signalling a broader European shift toward skills-focused education. Across Europe, women are outpacing men in educational attainment. In 2024, nearly half (49.9%) of women aged 25–34 had completed higher education. Men also progressed, but more slowly, reaching 38.7% in the same age group. That gap widened by just over 1% in 10 years. For upper-secondary education, 86.8% of women aged 20–24 had completed at least this level, compared with 81.8% of men. Only in Romania did men slightly outperform women.
Local France
17-05-2025
- Local France
Worry for orcas in French marine park spikes after video
France has been struggling to find a new home for mother and son after their owner, a marine park on the French Riviera, closed down over a law banning shows featuring marine mammals. Founded in the city of Antibes in 1970, Marineland closed to the public in January following a drop in attendance and the 2021 law. In February, the park's management submitted a request to urgently transfer the two orcas -- also known as killer whales -- and 12 dolphins to two parks in Spain, but the move was blocked by Spanish authorities saying the facilities were adapted for them. "The situation at Marineland Antibes is an emergency," said Canada-based NGO TideBreakers in a social media post after publishing the video. "Leaving them in a shut-down facility, confined to a crumbling, decrepit tank, is simply not an option," it said. Should the two orcas fall ill, they "will likely be euthanised or succumb to the deteriorating environment". The video, shot by drone early this month, shows the two orcas and dolphins in tanks the edges of which are green with algae, amid installations previously used for other marine animals in brackish water. Contacted by AFP, the park management said that the orca and dolphin pools remained well-maintained and that about 50 employees were still working for the animals' wellbeing. The algae visible in the images were a normal phenomenon, it said, explaining that algae pores present in the filtered seawater that fills the pools developed each spring as the water warms up. They were not harmful to the animals and were regularly removed by brushing, management said. Advertisement 'Alternative solutions' This explanation was backed up by Mike Riddell, who managed the park for 26 years before being dismissed in an ownership change in 2006. AFP pictures taken in May 2020 during a press visit showed similar fine algae covering the edges of the the pool. But the TideBreakers footage prompted strong reactions which, according to the park's management, even included death threats against staff. Officials said they share the NGO's concerns, but the park's attempts to find an emergency solution together with the staff of France's environment minister Agnes Pannier-Runacher have come to nothing. Contacted by AFP, ministry officials said authorities were "ensuring that the animals continue to be housed under good conditions, pending their future destination", and that the park was seeking "alternative solutions" moving forward. Advertisement Following the Spanish ban decision, Marineland had hoped to transfer the orcas to a park in Japan. But the move was blocked by the French government, which demanded a transfer to a European park with higher welfare standards. But a solution involving the only such facility, in Tenerife, Spain, was vetoed last month by the Spanish government which said the facilities there "did not meet the requirements", according to French officials. NGOs including One Voice and Sea Shepherd have requested permission to send specialists to Marineland to check on the orcas. Born in captivity, the two mammals are unable to survive alone. The longer term, the French ministry and NGOs agree, should see the establishment of a marine sanctuary where orcas and dolphins could be cared for in semi-wild conditions. Such a solution would cost two to three million euros ($2.2-3.3 million) per year, according to Riddell. It is estimated that Wikie and Keijo still have decades to live, under adequate conditions.
