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In 2021, 2.0 % of pupils in lower secondary education (international standard classification of education (ISCED) level 2) across the EU were enrolled in vocational programmes. This share increased as educational levels increased: in upper secondary education (ISCED level 3), they accounted for 48.7% of all pupils at this level and in post-secondary non-tertiary education (ISCED level 4), for 94.7% of all pupils at this level.

In 2021, 43.9% of all graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the EU were female. 

At upper secondary level, the highest shares of females among all graduates in vocational programmes were observed in Ireland (63.5%), Finland (54.0%) and the Netherlands (50.9%). The lowest shares were recorded in Cyprus (28.3%), Lithuania (32.3%) and Hungary (33.6%).

Bar chart: Proportion of females among all graduates from vocational education programmes, 2021

Source dataset: educ_uoe_grad01

At post-secondary non-tertiary level, the share of female graduates from vocational programmes varied among EU countries. It was lowest in Luxembourg at 22.5%, followed by Portugal (36.0%) and Bulgaria (37.4%). By contrast, female graduates accounted for more than four fifths (83.1%) in Malta and approximately three quarters of all post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes in Poland (76.3%) and Austria (73.4%). 

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Methodological notes

  • Vocational educational programmes are distinguished from general educational programmes, as the former are specifically designed for pupils to acquire the knowledge, skills and competencies for a particular occupation or trade. Generally, this concerns initial education before a person enters the labour market for the first time, although it may also include adult education. These education levels are covered by the international standard classification of education (ISCED) levels 2–5.
  • EU: Post-secondary non-tertiary – excluding France
  • Ireland: Coverage is incomplete for private government independent institutions
  • Slovenia, the Netherlands, Croatia, Cyprus, Switzerland: Post-secondary non-tertiary education – not applicable
  • France: Post-secondary non-tertiary education – not available

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