According to the EU statistical service, last year 13.7% of the European Union's population aged 25 to 64 reported receiving formal or non-formal education and training.
Eurostat notes that this growth is steady, with the exception of a slight temporary decrease in 2020, which was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic and related mitigation measures.
Among EU countries, Sweden (38.2%), Denmark (31.0%), and Finland (28.1%) showed the highest rates of adult education in 2025. Conversely, Greece (5.2%), Bulgaria (6.1%), and Croatia (6.5%) recorded the lowest percentages.
Portugal showed that 16.9% of adults aged 25 to 64 were receiving education in 2025, significantly higher than the 9.8% rate in 2015, placing it 10th among member states.
When comparing by gender in the EU, more women (14.9%) were studying or undergoing training than men (12.4%). Furthermore, participation in adult education programs is higher in cities and suburbs (12.3%) than in rural areas (10.3%).