Teenagers face uneven risks of missing school across the EU

Out-of-school rates rose in Bulgaria, Estonia and Sweden in 2025. Bulgaria’s upper-secondary-age rate reached 12.44%, while Finland’s lower-secondary-age rate fell to 0.63%.

  • Bulgaria: The out-of-school rate rose, reaching 12.44% among upper-secondary-age teenagers in 2025.
  • Sweden: Out-of-school rates rose, with the upper-secondary-age rate reaching 3.33% in 2025.
  • Estonia: Out-of-school rates rose in 2025.
  • Finland: The lower-secondary-age out-of-school rate fell to 0.63% in 2025.

The figures show an uneven picture across the EU, with rising out-of-school rates in some countries and improvement in Finland.