Early School Leaving Rate in Madrid Drops to 9.5%, Consolidating Below Spanish Average
Madrid, January 29 – The early school leaving rate (ESL), defined as the percentage of the population aged 18 to 24 with at most compulsory secondary education and not engaged in further education or training, decreased to 9.5% in the Community of Madrid in 2025. This figure keeps Madrid below the Spanish average of 12.8%, according to data from the Labour Force Survey (EPA) published this week and analyzed by the Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports.
This indicator measures the percentage of young people aged 18 to 24 who have not completed upper secondary education (Intermediate Vocational Training, Basic Vocational Training, or Baccalaureate) and have not pursued any further training.
Closer to the EU Average
Nationally, the 12.8% rate marks a historic low, having decreased by 0.2 points compared to 2024 (13%) and significantly down from the 20% recorded in 2015.
The Ministry also highlights that the gap with the European Union average – 9.4% in 2024, the latest available data – has narrowed to 3.4 points, compared to the nine-point difference ten years ago.
The data reveals a difference of almost six and a half points between men and women. In 2025, the early school leaving rate was 15.9% among males and 9.5% among females. While the rate for men increased by 0.2 points compared to 2024, it decreased by 0.5 points for women, according to the EPA.
Murcia Records the Highest Dropout Rate
In the 20 to 24 age group, eight out of ten young people completed compulsory secondary education (ESO) in 2025. The gender gap widens in this segment: 85% of girls completed ESO, compared to 76% of boys.
Furthermore, the percentage of the population aged 20 to 24 who achieved at least secondary education in 2025 increased by almost 12 points and reduced its distance from the European average by 4.7 points, taking as reference the latest available EU data (2024), which was 85%.
By autonomous communities, Murcia registered the highest early school leaving rate in 2025, at 20.6%. It is followed by the Canary Islands (15.9%), Castilla-La Mancha (15.7%), La Rioja (15.5%), the Balearic Islands (15.2%), and Extremadura (15%).
Conversely, the Basque Country recorded the lowest level (3.6%), followed by the Foral Community of Navarra (7.8%) and Cantabria (8.9%). In addition to Madrid, Castilla y León (10.2%), Galicia (10.4%), Asturias (10.6%), Ceuta (11.7%), and Aragon (12.3%) also remained below the Spanish average.
Separately, 52.5% of the population aged 25 to 34 achieved a higher education level in 2025, a figure above the European average for 2024 (44%), according to the EPA.
Source: https://www.epe.es/es/madrid/20260129/abandono-escolar-temprano-cae-madrid-espana-minimo-historico-126180803
