Only 35% of EU regions have met the bloc’s higher education target

Just over a third of Europe’s regions have already achieved the European Union’s goal for higher education attainment among young adults, highlighting sharp regional disparities across

the bloc. Under the EU-wide target, at least 45% of people aged 25 to 34 should hold a tertiary qualification (ISCED levels 5–8) by 2030. In 2024, the EU came close to that benchmark, with 44.2% of young adults having completed higher education. However, progress varies widely at regional level.

Of the 242 NUTS 2 regions with available data, only 84—around 35%—had already met or exceeded the target. These regions are shown in teal on the map. At the top of the scale, 25 regions reported that at least 57.5% of people aged 25 to 34 had attained a tertiary qualification. Many of these areas are major economic hubs with strong universities and a focus on research and innovation.

They include the capital regions of Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, France, Lithuania, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovakia and Sweden. High-performing regions also include six additional areas in northern Spain, often specialised in advanced manufacturing and the automotive industry; both remaining regions of Ireland, with strengths in pharmaceuticals, life sciences and electronics; Utrecht and Groningen in the Netherlands, known for high-tech industries and green technologies; Brabant Wallon in Belgium, home to knowledge-intensive industries; Midi-Pyrénées in France, a centre for aerospace; as well as Cyprus and Luxembourg. At the opposite end of the spectrum, 24 regions recorded fewer than 26.5% of young adults with a tertiary qualification.

These regions—marked in dark gold on the map—are predominantly rural or geographically remote, with large agricultural sectors and limited demand for highly skilled labour. In many cases, vocational education pathways dominate, with young people entering the labour market through apprenticeships or training schemes rather than university degrees. Most of these low-attainment regions are located in eastern and southern EU countries.

They include seven of Romania’s eight regions (all except the capital, Bucureşti-Ilfov), six of Hungary’s eight regions (excluding Budapest and the surrounding Pest region), four regions in Italy—including the islands of Sicily and Sardinia—and two regions each in Czechia and France, among them Corse and the outermost region of Guyane. Three additional regions complete the group: Sterea Elláda in Greece, Panonska Hrvatska in Croatia, and the Azores in Portugal.