Share of young population with higher education in Romania is half of EU average

Romania is at the bottom of the European ranking in terms of the share of higher education graduates among the young population aged between 25 and 34, according to data from Eurostat, the European statistical office, quoted by Ziarul Financiar.

Data come amid a reversal in the trends for university admissions, driven by demographic shifts (compared to the communist period and the first decade after) and intense competition among universities for the dwindling pool of high-school graduates.

Romanian universities’ weak integration with the labour market and the better outlook provided by a degree from a foreign university aggravate the situation.

With a share of 23.2% of higher education graduates in this population segment, Romania is well below the European Union average of 44.1% and is last in the ranking, far behind countries such as Ireland or Luxembourg, where over 60% of young people have a university degree.

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