Belgium has surpassed two education targets for 2020 set by the EU: having at least 40% of citizens aged 30-34 years with a higher-education diploma and limiting school dropout rates to 10%. Figures for 2018 published on Friday by Eurostat, the EU’s statistical office, show that close to 50% of Belgians in the 30-34 age group have a tertiary diploma, while fewer than 10% of young people leave school before time.
Both targets are part of the European Union’s Europe 2020 education strategy.
In 2018, the EU as a whole met its 40% target, achieving a rate of 40.7%. Sixteen member States have already met or surpassed their national targets for 2020: Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Denmark, Estonia, Greece, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia and Sweden.
At the same time, the school dropout rate for young people in the 18-24 age group was 10.6% Europe-wide, with women less affected by this phenomenon than men: 8.9% versus 12.2%. Thirteen member States have already attained their 2020 target in this area: Austria, Belgium, Croatia, Cyprus, France, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, the Netherlands and Slovenia.
The Brussels Times
