Online education has become increasingly popular across the European Union in 2023, with a two percentage point increase compared to the previous year, according to Eurostat, the EU Office for Statistics.
The report reveals that 30% of EU internet users over the age of 16 had engaged in online courses or used online educational materials in the last three months. This represents an increase from 28% in 2022. The Netherlands had the highest share of online learners at 54%, followed by Finland at 53% and Sweden at 48%. Spain and Estonia also had a significant share of people studying online, with 47% and 45% respectively.
Conversely, online education was less common in countries like Romania (10%), Cyprus (16%), Bulgaria (17%), Greece (17%), and Poland (18%). The Netherlands saw the most significant increase in online education participation compared to 2022, with a 12 percentage point increase. Sweden followed with a seven percentage point increase, while Malta, Estonia, and Croatia all recorded a five percentage point increase.
On the other hand, countries like Greece and Cyprus in Southeastern Europe saw decreases in online education participation. The Joint Research Centre (JRC) predicts that by 2023, almost half (45%) of 25-34-year-olds in Europe will have graduated, surpassing targets for higher education graduates set by the EU.
On the other hand, the EU aims to reduce the rate of early school leavers to below nine percent by 2030. Greece, Ireland, Poland, and Sweden have already achieved this goal, while Spain, Italy, and Hungary have yet to reach it.
It is important to note that while the COVID-19 pandemic did not significantly impact students’ decisions to continue or abandon their studies, the war in Ukraine had a negative effect on early school leavers and tertiary education attainment rates. This highlights the significant impact of global events on education across the EU.
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