Alarming statistics: 22.3% of young Austrians drop out of training!

Alarming statistics: 22.3% of young Austrians drop out of training!

In Austria, 22.3 percent of 15 to 34 year olds drop out of a training course they have started or change their field of study. This affects around 469,800 teenagers and young adults who, according to a recent survey, said that the training did not meet their expectations or was too demanding. The pressure is particularly high in higher education, which is also reflected in the dropout rate of 63 percent in this area, as vienna.at reports.

Men and women are almost equally affected when it comes to dropping out of training, with a dropout rate of 22.1 percent for men and 22.5 percent for women. Of the total of 469,800 dropouts, 421,800 people did not complete only one training course, while 48,000 young people (2.3 percent) dropped out of several training courses. This was also highlighted by heute.at.

Reasons for dropping out of training

The main reasons for the high dropout rates are varied. 52.2 percent of those surveyed stated that they found the training unappealing or too difficult. Especially when it comes to dropping out, 62.7 percent cite this reason. Financial motives or the desire to work were cited by 21.8 percent, while personal reasons such as health problems or family obligations (4 percent) also play a role. In teaching, 24.1 percent of dropouts are due to health problems, which underlines the challenges of vocational training.

Statistics also show that the dropout rate varies depending on the educational path. General secondary schools (AHS) have the highest dropout rate at 33 percent, followed by compulsory school leaving certificates and tertiary degrees at 24 and 22 percent. Meanwhile, the dropout rate for apprenticeship qualifications remains relatively low at 17.5 percent. This data comes from the module “Young people on the labor market”, which was collected across Europe as part of the microcensus labor force survey in 2024, as Statistik Austria reports.

Demographic differences

An interesting aspect is the influence of origin on the dropout rate. The report shows that young people born abroad are less likely to have dropped out (20 percent) than those born in Austria (23 percent). In particular, people from the new EU member states, which have been part of the EU since 2004, have the lowest dropout rate of just 14 percent. In contrast, people from the EU-14 countries (before 2004) have a higher dropout rate of 25 percent, especially among men, where the rate is as high as 30 percent.

The results and their analysis provide valuable insights into the challenges young people face in education and their transition into working life. According to Manuela Lenk, Director General of Statistics Austria, solid training is crucial for a successful entry into the job market. A comprehensive examination of the reasons for dropping out of training could help shape future reforms in the education system.