Mastering a couple of language is a bonus, that not solely expands one’s perspective by glancing at one other tradition but additionally creates future alternatives within the office. For this talent, faculties and academic establishments are one of many first linguistic playgrounds.
In 2022, 6.5% of major faculty pupils within the EU had been studying two or extra overseas languages.
Luxembourg was the one EU nation the place the vast majority of major faculty pupils (79.6%) had been studying 2 or extra overseas languages, significantly increased than within the remaining international locations. Luxembourg was adopted by Latvia (37.2%), Greece (34.9%) and Estonia (33.6%).
Between 2013 and 2022, the share of major faculty pupils within the EU studying not less than 2 overseas languages elevated from 4.6% to six.5%. Knowledge present that in 18 EU international locations, the shares elevated, even when modestly. The very best will increase had been recorded in Latvia (+22.3 proportion factors (pp)), Finland (+ 14.9 pp), Spain (+9.2 pp) and Greece (+9.0 pp), whereas the remaining ones didn’t exceed 4.7 pp.
Within the 9 EU international locations the place the share declined, Poland (-6.8 pp) and Luxembourg (-4.2 pp) reported essentially the most vital drop.
Supply dataset: educ_uoe_lang02
Three-fifths of EU decrease secondary pupils are learning two or extra languages
At decrease secondary degree, in 2022, 60.7% of the pupils had been studying two or extra overseas languages.
In Finland, this determine got here to 98.0% of the pupils, the very best share among the many EU international locations. Italy, Greece, Malta, Estonia, Romania, Luxembourg and Portugal additionally registered excessive shares various between 96.6% and 92.9%. The bottom shares had been noticed in Eire (6.1%), Hungary (6.6%) and Austria (7.7%).
In contrast with 2013, the share of decrease secondary pupils within the EU studying not less than 2 overseas languages rose to 60.7% in 2022, from 58.4%.
This share elevated in 11 EU international locations, with Czechia (+24.1 pp), France (+21.8 pp) and Belgium (+18.5 pp) registering the very best will increase. Then again, in 16 EU international locations, the share of decrease secondary pupils studying not less than 2 overseas languages went down, with decreases various between -31.8 pp in Slovenia, -31.7 pp in Poland and -26.9 pp in Slovakia, and -0.3pp in Finland, -0.9 pp in Malta and -1.1 pp in each Estonia and Romania.
Supply dataset: educ_uoe_lang02
This text is being revealed on the event of the European Day of Languages, this 12 months beneath the theme “Languages for Peace”.
For extra data
- Statistics Defined article on overseas language studying statistics
- Statistics Defined set of articles on schooling and coaching within the EU – details and figures
- Database on schooling and coaching
- Thematic part on schooling and coaching
Methodological notes
- Luxembourg: Though the official languages of Luxembourg are French, German and Luxembourgish, for the aim of schooling statistics French and German are counted as overseas languages
- Finland: Relying on their mom tongue, college students have to decide on between Finnish and Swedish, each thought-about as overseas languages for the aim of schooling statistics. Break in collection.
- Belgium: the official state languages are Dutch, French and German.
- Denmark: 2013 knowledge associated to major faculty pupils will not be accessible.