Italy has made rare and measurable progress against early school leaving, bringing the country to its lowest level on record. In 2025, the national rate fell to 8.2%, allowing Italy to beat the European Union’s 2030 target of staying below 9% a full five years ahead of schedule.
The change looks even more striking when set against recent history: the figure was 14.2% in 2020, 11.5% in 2022, 10.5% in 2023, and 9.8% in 2024. That steady decline suggests that what once seemed like a chronic structural weakness is now moving in the opposite direction.
