The data shows that 9pc of young people in Ireland have dropped out of education or training in 2024, which is below the EU average.
Across the bloc as a whole, 14.2pc of people aged 15 to 34 said they had left a course or training programme without finishing it at least once.
Eurostat defines dropping out as leaving any formal education or training programme before completion, at any point in a person’s life.
This includes school, further education and higher education.
The figures show wide differences between EU countries.
In the Netherlands, more than three in 10 young people, or 32.2pc, reported dropping out at least once.
Denmark and Luxembourg also recorded high rates, both above 24pc.
In contrast, countries such as Romania, Greece and Bulgaria reported very low dropout levels, all below 4pc, Eurostat said.
Ireland sits closer to the lower end of the scale, continuing a trend of strong participation in education.
Across the EU, the most common reason for dropping out was difficulty with the course itself.
Students in Ireland are more likely to complete their courses than those in many other EU countries. Photo: Getty
More than four in 10 people said the programme was harder than expected or did not suit them. This was particularly common among those who left higher education courses, Eurostat said.
Personal or family reasons were the second most common factor, cited by nearly one in five people. These included health issues, caring responsibilities or changes in personal circumstances.
Choosing to work instead of continuing education was another significant reason for not continuing in a course, mentioned by around 14pc of respondents.
Money was less of a factor than might be expected with just over 5pc of people saying they dropped out mainly for financial reasons.
The data also shows that reasons for dropping out vary by education level.
People leaving university or college were more likely to cite academic pressure or studying a course that doesn’t match as a cause for leaving.
Those leaving school or lower-level education were more likely to point to personal or health-related issues.
Reducing dropout rates is a key policy goal for the EU. It wants to reduce early school leaving to below 9pc by 2030.
Ireland is already meeting that target, placing it among the stronger performers in the EU.
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