Early school leavers are young people who leave education without completing at least a HAVO or VWO education or a basic vocational education (MBO-2). The number of early school leavers decreased steadily until 2021 but has increased again in recent years.
In the 27 EU member states (EU-27), an average of 9.5% of 18 to 25-year-olds were early school leavers. This percentage has decreased in recent years. The increase in the Netherlands since 2021 has not been seen in the EU-27 as a whole. Among member states, Romania had the highest percentage of early school leavers at 16.6%.
Youth in the Netherlands follow education more often than the EU average
Children in the Netherlands can start school at age 4, and compulsory education begins at age 5. Over 95% of 4- to 12-year-olds attended government-funded education in the 2023/’24 school year. For 12- to 15-year-olds, this was 99%. As young people get older, this percentage decreases. Many complete their education, are no longer subject to compulsory education, and enter the labor market.
Among 15- to 25-year-olds in the Netherlands, 73% followed education in 2023. This share is larger than the EU-27 average, which was 66%. Only in Slovenia and Greece was youth education participation higher than in the Netherlands.
The Netherlands leads in formal childcare for children
Children who are not yet in school can attend childcare. In 2023, 72% of children aged 0 to 3 in the Netherlands attended formal childcare for at least 1 hour per week. In the EU-27, this was an average of 37%. In recent years, the Dutch have increasingly used formal childcare: in 2013, less than half (46%) of 0- to 3-year-olds attended childcare.
Parents in Denmark also make relatively high use of formal childcare; in 2023, 70% of 0- to 3-year-olds attended childcare. While most children in the Netherlands went to childcare for between 1 and 30 hours, in Denmark, it was usually more than 30 hours per week. Formal childcare is less common in Eastern European countries. In Slovakia and the Czech Republic, less than 5% of 0- to 3-year-olds attended childcare.