Economically Active Population Survey (EAPS).
Module on young people on the labour market

Of the 10,750,300 people aged 15-34 in 2024, 15.3% (1,647,800) dropped out of some form of formal education - this figure includes those who changed specialisations within the official training plans initiated or interrupted the programme for a period longer than the holiday period, without resuming it.

Among those who dropped out of a study, the vast majority permanently discontinued only one (93.7%). The rest (6.3%) started and abandoned more than one. 

By gender, the drop-out rate for men was 17.9%, compared to 12.6% for women.  By age group, the lowest drop-out rate was among women aged 15-24 (10.1%) and the highest among men aged 25-29 (21.7%).

40.3% of 15-34 year olds who dropped out of any formal study did so due to the study programme. Namely, it was not of interest to them, did not suit their training needs, it was not useful or it was too difficult.

However 18.4% did so because they preferred to work and 15.1% for other personal reasons (such as changing their place of residence, lack of motivation, problems with teachers or other students, or wishing to focus on their hobbies).

By gender and nationality, the main reason for foreign women was due to other family reasons (getting married, moving to accompany their partner, having to perform domestic chores or care responsibilities), accounting for 21.3%, while for Spanish women (including dual nationals), Spaniards (including dual nationals) and foreigners it was mainly due to the study programme, with 41.8%, 46.1% and 25.4%, respectively.

By age group, the main reason for more than half (52.5%) of 15-24 year olds was related to the study programme. This was also the case for 36.4% of 25-29 year olds. In contrast, for 30-34 year-olds, the main reason for dropping out of school was a preference for work (31.7%).

The largest gender differences were in the preference for work (69.4% for men and 30.6% for women), the study programme (63.5% men and 36.5% women) and in other family reasons - including care responsibilities - (28.9% men, 71.1% women).

22.1% of 15-34 year olds with higher education also obtained a vocational education qualification at the intermediate level.

Looking at the economic sector, the sector with the highest percentage of employed persons who obtained a vocationally oriented intermediate degree (apart from their higher education attained) was Agriculture ( 29.4%). And the lowest, Services (21.8%).

By nationality, while 23.1% of people with Spanish nationality or dual nationality and higher education also obtained an intermediate vocational guidance qualification, in the case of foreigners this percentage was 13.0%.

The percentage of 15-34 year olds with Spanish nationality or dual nationality who, in addition to higher education, obtained vocationally oriented secondary education, was 24.6% for men and 21.8% for women. For people with foreign nationality, women had a higher percentage than men (15.3% compared to 10.1%). 

62.5% of those aged 16-34 in employment or with previous work experience considered that their level of education matched their main job or their last job, while 29.2% stated that their level of education was higher.

Of those employed, these percentages were 65.8% and 26.2%, respectively. And for those who were not employed at the time, 53.8% and 37.1%.

By nationality, 64.1% of people with Spanish nationality or dual nationality felt that their educational level met the requirements of their job or last job, compared to 55.5% of foreigners.

For 45.9% of 16-34 year olds in employment or with previous work experience, their field of study matched the requirements of their main or last job completely or to a large extent. 18.9% considered that they did so to some extent or a little. And 13.2% stated that it did not do so at all.

Distinguishing between those in employment and those not in employment but with previous work experience, 50.4% of the former believed that their study specialisation was completely or to a large extent suited to the job, compared to 33.7% of the latter group.

By nationality, 48.5% of people with Spanish (or dual) nationality thought that this suitability was almost completely or to a large extent, compared to 34.3% of people with foreign nationality.

72.2% of those in employment or with previous work experience considered that their skills matched the requirements of their main or last job, and 22.1% that their skill set was higher. Among the employed, these percentages were 74.5% and 20.7%, and among the unemployed, 66.3% and 25.9%.

The data published today are final. All results of this operation are available on INEBase.