Early leavers from education and training in Bulgaria
8.6% of people aged 18 to 24 in Bulgaria had left education early in 2025.
Bulgaria, 2025
8.6%
Change from 2024
+0.4percentage points
European Union, 2025
9.1%
Median of European Union (27 countries), 2025
7.4%
Position in 2025
15th of 34
Early leavers from education and training in Bulgaria over time
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Bulgaria
European Union
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The chart loads when you scroll to it. The table below shows the same data.
The chart shows a calculation from the published values. The table below keeps the published values.
% of population aged 18 to 24. Source: Eurostat. Gaps mean no published value; points are not joined across missing years.
| Period | Bulgaria | European Union |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 8.6% | 9.1% |
| 2024 | 8.2%b (break in time series) | 9.6% |
| 2023 | 9.3% | 9.6% |
| 2022 | 10.3% | 9.6% |
| 2021 | 12.0%b (break in time series) | 9.7%b (break in time series) |
| 2020 | 12.8% | 10.0% |
| 2019 | 13.9%b (break in time series) | 10.1% |
| 2018 | 12.7% | 10.5% |
| 2017 | 12.7% | 10.5% |
| 2016 | 13.8% | 10.6% |
| 2015 | 13.4% | 11.0% |
| 2014 | 12.9%b (break in time series) | 11.1%b (break in time series) |
| 2013 | 12.5% | 11.8% |
| 2012 | 12.5% | 12.6% |
| 2011 | 11.8%b (break in time series) | 13.2% |
| 2010 | 12.6%b (break in time series) | 13.8% |
| 2009 | 14.7% | 14.0% |
| 2008 | 14.8% | 14.3% |
| 2007 | 14.9% | 14.7% |
| 2006 | 17.3%b (break in time series) | 15.2%b (break in time series) |
| 2005 | 20.4% | 15.6% |
| 2004 | 21.4% | 16.0% |
| 2003 | 21.9%b (break in time series) | 16.4%b (break in time series) |
| 2002 | 20.7% | 16.9% |
| 2001 | 20.5%b (break in time series) | – |
Flags: b break in time series . A dash means no value was published.
In short
- That is a change of +0.4 percentage points from 8.2% in 2024.
- Since 2015, when it was 13.4%, the figure has changed by −4.8 percentage points. The source marks a break in the series during this period, so part of the change may come from a change in method.
- Among the 34 countries with data for 2025, Bulgaria has the 15th highest value.
- The figure for the European Union in 2025 was 9.1%.
More for Bulgaria
All statistics for Bulgaria
Tertiary education attainment, ages 25 to 34
41.2%
2025 · Eurostat
NEET rate, ages 15 to 29
13.8%
2025 · Eurostat
Adult participation in learning
6.1%
2025 · Eurostat
ILO estimate of the youth NEET rate
10.6%
2025 · ILOSTAT
Primary completion (UIS)
99.0%
2021 · UNESCO UIS
Lower secondary completion
98.0%
2021 · UNESCO UIS