Brussels: Europe and the Arabs

In 2021, just over two-fifths (41.2%) of the EU population aged 25-34 had a high level of educational attainment (ISCED levels 5-8). Of the 240 NUTS Level 2 regions for which data are available, 72 have already reached or exceeded the EU policy target of having at least 45.0% of children have access to 25-34-year-olds will have access to higher education by 2030. By contrast, the proportion of 25-34-year-olds with a high level of educational attainment below the target was 45.0% in more than two-thirds of all regions of the Federation European.
At the end of the distribution, there were 22 regions in the EU where at least 55.0% of young people aged 25-34 had a higher level of education in 2021. Capital regions included Lithuania, France, Poland, Ireland, Luxembourg, Denmark, Hungary, Holland, Sweden, Czech Republic, Cyprus, Spain and Belgium.
Relatively high proportions of higher educational attainment have also been recorded in several regions specializing in research, innovation and/or high technology manufacturing activities, for example, Utrecht in the Netherlands, País Vasco in northern Spain, southern Ireland and Brough. Walloon Brabant in Belgium.
At the lower end of the distribution, there were 22 regions in the EU where less than a quarter of all people aged 25-34 had a high level of educational attainment in 2021. These regions were mainly concentrated in the east of the EU member states, Such as in addition to several predominantly southern regions of Italy, but also included the outer regions of Guyane (France) and Região Autónoma dos Açores (Portugal) among others. Many are classified as rural areas with a relatively large agricultural sector, with a low level of supply of high-skilled jobs. Others were distinguished by their relatively high specialization in vocational education programmes, where students moved into the labor market through apprenticeships and training schemes rather than as a result of acquiring academic qualifications.
The lowest regional levels of higher educational attainment among persons aged 25-34 years were recorded in three Romanian regions: Centru (17.5%), Sud-Est (15.9%) and Sud-Muntenia (15.3%).