Countries by Adult Participation in Lifelong Learning: 2026 Eurostat Snapshot
EU adult learning participation rate: Eurostat AES 2022 benchmark
Sweden leads this EU ranking with 73.9% of adults aged 25-64 participating in formal or non-formal education and training during the previous 12 months. Greece is the lowest listed EU Member State at 16.6%. The metric is a participation rate, the source year is 2022, and the table covers 27 EU Member States only, not a global country ranking.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!This page is a 2026 snapshot based on the latest comparable official Eurostat Adult Education Survey country table for this indicator. It should not be read as measured 2025 or 2026 performance. All rows use observed Eurostat AES values; no forecasts, estimates or calculated future values are included.
Numeric source: Eurostat Data Browser dataset trng_aes_100, participation rate in education and training by sex, total adults aged 25-64, formal and non-formal learning in the last 12 months. The dataset has coverage from 2007 to 2022; Eurostat lists the last data update as 6 January 2026 at 14:00 and the last structure update as 22 April 2026 at 02:00. Data were checked for this page on 28 June 2026.
Answer-first summary: highest participation: Sweden, 73.9%; lowest participation: Greece, 16.6%; coverage: 27 EU Member States; unit: percent of adults aged 25-64; source year: Eurostat AES 2022; main limitation: the ranking measures participation, not training quality, learning hours, skill gains or labour-market outcomes.
Sweden ranks first among EU Member States in the Eurostat AES 2022 country table.
Greece is the lowest listed EU Member State in this 27-country ranking.
The page covers EU Member States only and excludes EU aggregates and non-EU countries.
Eurostat trng_aes_100 data coverage; data checked on 28 June 2026.
The median of the 27 country values is Estonia's 48.1%.
Eurostat reports the EU adult-learning participation rate for adults aged 25-64 in 2022 at 46.6%.
Overview: what this EU adult learning ranking measures
Adult participation in lifelong learning is a skills and labour-market readiness indicator. In this table it measures the share of adults aged 25-64 who participated in formal or non-formal education and training during the previous 12 months. Higher participation ranks higher.
The table should be read as a participation-rate ranking, not as a judgement of training quality. A country can rank high because adult learning is widely available through employers, public programmes, vocational systems, adult education providers or private training markets. The ranking does not measure learning hours, course completion, wage effects, skill gains or adult literacy.
The page uses the AES last-12-month indicator only. It does not mix AES values with the EU Labour Force Survey adult-learning indicators, including LFS 2024 or 2025 series, because those indicators have different survey design, reference periods and reported levels.
Top 10 EU countries by adult participation in lifelong learning
The leading group is headed by Sweden, the Netherlands and Hungary. Germany and Austria are also above 58%, while Ireland and Slovakia share the same one-decimal value and are ordered alphabetically after the value tie.
Top 10 EU Member States by adult participation in education and training, Eurostat AES 2022
| Rank | Entity | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Sweden | 73.9% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #2 | Netherlands | 65.2% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #3 | Hungary | 62.4% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #4 | Germany | 60.4% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #5 | Austria | 58.0% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #6 | Ireland | 54.8% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #7 | Slovakia | 54.8% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #8 | Finland | 53.1% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #9 | Denmark | 53.0% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #10 | Latvia | 52.2% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
Common row definition: Eurostat trng_aes_100; AES 2022; total sex; adults aged 25-64; formal and non-formal learning in the last 12 months. Ranking is descending by value; one-decimal value ties are ordered alphabetically by country name.
Chart: Top 20 EU countries in the AES 2022 benchmark
The HTML bar chart uses the same values as the ranking table. It shows a clear leading tier above 60%, a broad middle group around 40-55%, and a lower group below 30% near the bottom of the full EU table.
Methodology
The metric is the participation rate in formal or non-formal education and training from Eurostat dataset trng_aes_100. The unit is percent of adults aged 25-64. The source year is 2022, which is the latest comparable AES country benchmark for the selected indicator at the time of this 2026 snapshot.
Metric and unit
Metric: participation in formal or non-formal education and training during the previous 12 months. Unit: percent of adults aged 25-64.
Direction and rank
Descending order is used: higher participation ranks higher. The rank is calculated from the displayed one-decimal Eurostat percentage. Value ties are ordered alphabetically for stable display.
Coverage and inclusion
The table includes the 27 EU Member States with Eurostat AES 2022 values for the selected 25-64 indicator. EU aggregates, euro area aggregates and non-EU countries are excluded.
Observation type
All country rows use observed Eurostat AES values. The table does not include forecasts, author-made estimates, synthetic 2026 values or missing-value replacements.
AES 2022 comparability note: the broader AES 2022 survey framework covers adult participation in education and training and, from the 2022 wave onward, Eurostat documentation describes datasets sent by countries as representative for ages 18-69. This ranking deliberately uses the published Eurostat indicator cut for adults aged 25-64 so the country values remain comparable with the selected table definition.
AES versus EU-LFS note: Eurostat also publishes adult-learning indicators from the EU Labour Force Survey. Those LFS indicators, including more recent 2024 and 2025 series, should not be merged with this AES table. AES is a specialised adult education survey with a 12-month reference period for formal and non-formal learning, while LFS indicators have different survey design, data collection logic and interpretation.
Source hierarchy: the numeric ranking uses Eurostat Data Browser trng_aes_100. Eurostat Statistics Explained, Eurostat microdata documentation and AES metadata are used only for definitions, comparability notes and interpretation. Conflicting sources are not averaged, and missing values are not filled.
Formula: no projection formula is applied. The ranking value is the Eurostat percentage for total adults aged 25-64. Display rounding follows the one-decimal source format. The metric does not measure learning hours, skill gains, training quality, credentials, adult literacy, employer spending, public spending or productivity effects.
Why adult learning participation differs across EU countries
Employer training and labour-market structure
Countries with stronger employer-sponsored training, larger professional-service sectors or more structured workplace learning can show higher participation because more adults report non-formal job-related training during the year.
Public systems and access routes
Participation can also reflect public adult education, vocational upskilling, active labour-market programmes, subsidised courses and easier access to short non-formal learning opportunities.
Survey and reporting effects
AES is a survey indicator. National implementation, response patterns, how guided on-the-job training is reported and break-in-series flags can affect comparability even when the same Eurostat indicator is used.
What the gap does not prove
A higher participation rate does not automatically prove better skills, better course quality or stronger labour productivity. It means a larger share of adults reported taking part in formal or non-formal learning.
Main ranking: 27 EU countries by adult participation in lifelong learning
Use the controls to search by country, change the sort order or switch between Top 10, Top 20 and all 27 EU Member States. Source and status filters are not shown because every row uses the same numeric source and observation type.
Adult participation in education and training, adults aged 25-64, Eurostat AES 2022
| Rank | Entity | Value | Note |
|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Sweden | 73.9% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #2 | Netherlands | 65.2% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #3 | Hungary | 62.4% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #4 | Germany | 60.4% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #5 | Austria | 58.0% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #6 | Ireland | 54.8% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #7 | Slovakia | 54.8% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #8 | Finland | 53.1% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #9 | Denmark | 53.0% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #10 | Latvia | 52.2% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #11 | France | 50.8% | Eurostat AES 2022 value; source includes a break-in-time-series flag. |
| #12 | Luxembourg | 50.0% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #13 | Spain | 49.2% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #14 | Estonia | 48.1% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #15 | Malta | 46.4% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #16 | Czechia | 45.7% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #17 | Cyprus | 44.9% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #18 | Portugal | 44.2% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #19 | Slovenia | 42.4% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #20 | Belgium | 41.6% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #21 | Italy | 35.7% | Eurostat AES 2022 value; source includes a break-in-time-series flag. |
| #22 | Lithuania | 31.4% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #23 | Croatia | 27.3% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #24 | Romania | 25.6% | Eurostat AES 2022 value; source includes a break-in-time-series flag. |
| #25 | Poland | 24.3% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #26 | Bulgaria | 20.6% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
| #27 | Greece | 16.6% | Standard Eurostat AES 2022 country value. |
Common row definition: Eurostat trng_aes_100; AES 2022; total sex; adults aged 25-64; formal and non-formal learning in the last 12 months. Data coverage in Eurostat Data Browser: 2007-2022. Last data update listed by Eurostat: 6 January 2026 at 14:00; last structure update: 22 April 2026 at 02:00; page data check: 28 June 2026.
Insights from the EU adult learning ranking
Key insight
The top of the table is concentrated in northern and central Europe. Sweden and the Netherlands are the only EU Member States above 65% in this AES 2022 benchmark.
Notable pattern
Most middle-ranked countries sit between 40% and 55%, showing that adult-learning participation is broad across the EU but still uneven across national systems.
Regional concentration
The Top 10 combines Nordic, western and central European countries, while several southern and eastern EU Member States appear in the lower third.
Outlier
Hungary ranks third at 62.4%, above larger economies such as Germany, France, Spain and Italy in this participation-rate metric. This is a participation finding, not a quality ranking.
What this ranking means for readers
A high adult-learning participation rate suggests that a large share of working-age adults had contact with formal or non-formal learning during the year. This can reflect employer training, public lifelong-learning programmes, vocational education structures, adult education providers or strong demand for skill updates.
The ranking should not be interpreted as a direct measure of educational quality. It does not show how long people studied, how useful the training was, whether training improved wages or whether adults completed a credential.
All values are Eurostat AES 2022 observations for the selected 25-64 indicator. The table is safer for comparison than a mixed-source forecast, but it should not be described as measured 2025 or 2026 country performance.
FAQ
Which EU country ranks highest for adult participation in lifelong learning?
Sweden ranks first in this EU table, with 73.9% of adults aged 25-64 participating in formal or non-formal education and training during the previous 12 months.
Is this a global country ranking?
No. The ranking covers 27 EU Member States only. EU aggregates, euro area aggregates and non-EU countries are excluded from the table.
Are these official 2025 or 2026 country values?
No. This is a 2026 snapshot based on Eurostat AES 2022 country values. It should not be presented as measured 2025 or 2026 country performance.
Why use 2022 data for a 2026 snapshot?
The Adult Education Survey is not an annual country ranking source. The latest comparable Eurostat AES country benchmark for this selected indicator is the 2022 round.
What age group is used in this table?
The table uses the Eurostat indicator for adults aged 25-64. The broader AES 2022 survey framework also includes younger and older adult age groups, but this ranking keeps the published 25-64 indicator definition.
Does the metric include informal learning?
No. The ranking value covers formal and non-formal education and training. Informal or self-directed learning is not included in the ranked value.
Is this the same as EU-LFS lifelong-learning data?
No. EU-LFS adult-learning indicators use a different survey source and should not be merged with this AES 2022 last-12-month table.
Does a higher rate mean better adult education?
Not automatically. A higher rate means a higher share of adults participated, but it does not measure course quality, learning intensity, completion, skill gains or labour-market impact.
Sources
Eurostat Data Browser - trng_aes_100
Primary numeric source for the country values, source year, indicator code, data coverage and update notes used in the ranking.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/databrowser/product/page/TRNG_AES_100
Eurostat Statistics Explained - Adult learning statistics
Context source for the adult-learning indicator, the 12-month reference period, EU benchmark and interpretation of participation in education and training.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/statistics-explained/index.php?title=Adult_learning_statistics
Eurostat Microdata - Adult Education Survey
Methodology source for AES scope, survey role in lifelong-learning statistics and age coverage notes for the 2022 wave.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/web/microdata/collections-research/adult-education-survey
Eurostat metadata - Adult Education Survey 12-month indicators
Comparability and quality context for AES data, including survey representation notes and national implementation limits.
https://ec.europa.eu/eurostat/cache/metadata/en/trng_aes_12m_esms.htm
