Sustainable development goals (SDGs) and EU regions - people

Data extracted in spring/summer 2024.

Planned article update: September 2025.

Highlights

Highest rates of severe material and social deprivation were observed in the south-east of the EU, while the lowest rates were concentrated in Czechia, northern/central Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Poland.

In 20 NUTS level 2 regions across the EU at least 25% of adults ed 20 to 64 years participated in education and training. This included all Danish and Swedish regions, as well as some regions from the Netherlands and Finland.

This article looks at sustainable development indicators from a regional perspective – it covers Goal 1 – no poverty, Goal 2 – zero hunger, Goal 4 – quality education, and Goal 5 – gender equality. This information has been taken from the 2024 editions of Eurostat’s flagship publications, the Eurostat Regional Yearbook and Sustainable development in the European Union: monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context.

Goal 1 – no poverty

SDG 1 calls for the eradication of poverty in all its manifestations. It envisions shared prosperity, a basic standard of living and social protection benefits for people everywhere, including the poorest and most vulnerable.

People at risk of poverty or social exclusion

More about the data: at risk of poverty or social exclusion

The indicator for people at risk of poverty or social exclusion is based on measures of relative poverty, severe material and social deprivation, and quasi-joblessness. The number/share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion combines these criteria to cover people who are in at least 1 of the following situations

at risk of poverty – people with an equivalised disposable income (after social transfers) below the at-risk-of-poverty threshold, which is set at 60% of the national median equivalised disposable income
facing severe material and social deprivation – people unable to afford at least 7 out of 13 deprivation items (6 related to the individual and 7 related to the household) that are considered desirable – or even necessary – to have an adequate quality of life
living in a household with very low work intensity – where working-age adults (aged 18–64, excluding students aged 18–24 and those who are retired) worked for 20% or less of their combined potential working time during the previous 12 months.

In 2023, more than 1 in 5 (21.4%) of the EU’s population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion. Map 1 shows the regional distribution of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion across NUTS level 2 regions. In 2023, the regional distribution of this indicator was somewhat skewed, as close to 40% of all EU regions (101 out of the 241 for which data are available) recorded shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion that were higher than the EU average.

The highest risks of poverty or social exclusion were typically observed in southern, eastern and outermost regions of the EU. At the top end of the distribution, there were 19 NUTS level 2 regions that recorded shares of at least 35.0% in 2023. Guyane in France (49.5%; 2022 data) and Calabria in southern Italy (48.6%) had the highest regional shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion. They were followed by Sud-Est in Romania (45.3%), Campania in southern Italy (44.4%) and La Réunion in France (43.2%; 2022 data). These were the only regions in the EU where the share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion was more than twice as high as the EU average (21.4%).

At the other end of the distribution, there were 5 NUTS level 2 regions where less than 10.0% of the population was at risk of poverty or social exclusion in 2023. This group included

2 regions from northern Italy – Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen (5.8%; the lowest regional share in the EU) and Emilia-Romagna (7.4%)
2 regions from Czechia(2022 data) – Střední Čechy (8.7%) which surrounds the capital region of Praha (8.9%)
the Polish capital region of Warszawski stołeczny (8.9%).

Map 1: People at risk of poverty or social exclusion, 2023
(%, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_peps11n) and (ilc_peps01n)

Figure 1 identifies the NUTS level 2 regions that had the biggest changes in their respective shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion between 2022 and 2023. There was a modest reduction across the EU, as this share fell 0.2 percentage points from 21.6% to 21.4%. Among the 203 regions for which data are available (at the time of the data extraction, there was no information for 2023 for Czechia, France and Slovakia), the share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion rose in 88 regions, remained unchanged in 8 regions and fell in 107 regions.

Most of the regions with the biggest falls in their respective shares of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion were in eastern and southern EU countries. Between 2022 and 2023, the biggest decrease in the share of people at risk of poverty or social exclusion was recorded in the southern Italian region of Molise, down 12.4 percentage points (from 37.2% to 24.8%). There were 6 other regions that reported falls of more than 5.0 points

Sterea Elláda in Greece (down 9.0 points)
the Romanian capital region of Bucureşti-Ilfov (down 6.9 points)
Abruzzo (down 6.7 points), Liguria (down 6.6 points) and Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen (down 5.9 points) in Italy
the Irish region of Northern and Western (down 5.6 points).

Figure 1: People at risk of poverty or social exclusion, 2023
(by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_peps11n) and (ilc_peps01n)

People at risk of poverty

The at-risk-of-poverty rate identifies the proportion of the population who live in a household with an equivalised disposable income that is belows 60% of the national median (after social transfers). The at-risk-of-poverty rate before social transfers measures a hypothetical situation where social transfers are absent. Such transfers include, for example, unemployment benefits, sickness and invalidity benefits, housing allowances, social assistance and tax rebates.

Map 2 shows the at-risk-of-poverty rate for NUTS level 2 regions. In 2023, the regional distribution of this rate was relatively skewed: there were 89 regions (just over a third of the total) that recorded a rate equal to or above the EU average of 16.2%, while the remaining 152 regions had lower than average rates.

The French outermost region of Guyane recorded the highest at-risk-of-poverty rate among NUTS level 2 regions, at 42.0% (2022 data). In 2023, the highest rates were observed in the southern Italian regions of Calabria (40.6%), Sicilia (38.0%) and Campania (36.1%). By contrast, at the other end of the distribution the lowest risk was recorded in the Romanian capital region of Bucureşti-Ilfov (2.1%).

There was a considerable degree of inter-regional variation among at-risk-of-poverty rates across the regions of Belgium, Italy and Romania

the rate in the Belgian capital Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest was 5.1 times as high as that recorded in Prov. Oost-Vlaanderen
the rate in the southern Italian region of Calabria was 10.4 times as high as that recorded in northern region of Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen
the rate in Sud-Vest Oltenia was 14.9 times as high as that recorded in the Romanian capital region of Bucureşti-Ilfov.

Map 2: At-risk-of-poverty rate, 2023
(%, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_li41) and (ilc_li02)

Figure 2 shows the redistributive impact of social transfers and the extent to which they reduce the risk of monetary poverty, reflecting, among other influences, historical, political, economic and cultural factors. In 2023, the EU’s at-risk-of-poverty rate before social transfers was 24.8%. It was reduced by 8.6 percentage points to 16.2% after social transfers. Social transfers had a high impact on reducing the risk of poverty across many regions of Belgium, Denmark, Ireland, southern Italy and Poland.

Prior to social transfers, there were 4 NUTS level 2 regions that recorded considerably higher rates than in any other region of the EU, with upwards of 40.0% of their populations facing the risk of monetary poverty in 2023: the southern Italian regions of Calabria (51.9%), Campania (51.7%) and Sicilia (49.1%) and the Belgian capital Région de Bruxelles-Capitale/Brussels Hoofdstedelijk Gewest (47.1%). At the lower end of the distribution, there were 3 EU regions where less than 10.0% of the population faced the risk of monetary poverty: the Romanian capital region of Bucureşti-Ilfov (4.8%), the northern Italian region of Provincia Autonoma di Bolzano/Bozen (8.2%) and the Slovak capital region of Bratislavský kraj (9.0%).

Having taken account of the redistributive impact of social transfers, only Calabria continued to report that more than 40.0% of its population was at risk of monetary poverty. Sicilia and Campania were the only other regions in the EU where the risk of monetary poverty after social transfers was more than twice as high as the EU average (16.2%).

Figure 2: At-risk-of-poverty rate before and after social transfers, 2023
(%, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_li10_r), (ilc_li41), (ilc_li10) and (ilc_li02)

Severe material and social deprivation

The severe material and social deprivation rate provides information on people experiencing an enforced lack of items that are necessary and desirable to lead an adequate life (individuals who can’t afford a certain good, service or social activity). It is 1 of 3 criteria used to identify people at risk of poverty or social exclusion and is defined as the share of people who are unable to afford at least 7 out of 13 items (6 related to the individual and 7 related to the household) that are considered desirable – or even necessary – to lead an adequate quality of life.

In 2023, there were 29.3 million people across the EU that were facing severe material and social deprivation; this was equivalent to 6.8% of the total population. The severe material and social deprivation rate had previously stood at 6.3% in 2021 but increased by 0.4 percentage points in 2022 and by a further 0.1 points in 2023; these recent rises may be linked, at least in part, to the cost-of-living crisis.

Figure 3 shows the regional distribution of severe material and social deprivation rates. Many of the highest rates were observed in the south-eastern part of the EU, while the lowest rates tended to be concentrated in Czechia, northern/central Italy, the Netherlands, Austria and Poland.

In 2023, the highest regional share of people experiencing severe material and social deprivation was recorded in Sud-Est in Romania (30.8%). There were 8 other regions in the EU where more than 20.0% of the population faced severe material and social deprivation

Severen tsentralen (25.0%), Yuzhen tsentralen (23.9%) and Yugoiztochen (22.9%) in Bulgaria
Sud-Vest Oltenia (24.8%) and Sud-Muntenia (23.7%) in Romania
Észak-Magyarország (21.4%) in Hungary
Calabria (20.7%) in Italy
Dytiki Elláda (20.2%) in Greece.

At the other end of the distribution, every region in Czechia, Ireland, Croatia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Poland, Slovenia, Finland and Sweden had a severe material and social deprivation rate in 2023 that was less than the EU average of 6.8%; this was also the case in Estonia, Cyprus, Latvia, Luxembourg and Malta.

Figure 3: Severe material and social deprivation rate, 2023
(%, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_mdsd18) and (ilc_mdsd11)

As noted above, the EU’s severe material and social deprivation rate was 0.1 percentage points higher in 2023 than in 2022, with the rate increasing in 122 out of the 215 regions for which data are available. Figure 4 shows that by far the biggest increase was observed in the southern Italian region of Calabria (up 8.9 percentage points). The next highest increases were recorded in the Greek region of Dytiki Makedonia (up 4.8 points) and the Hungarian regions of Észak-Magyarország (up 4.5 points) and Dél-Dunántúl (up 4.1 points).

The largest fall for the severe material and social deprivation rate between 2022 and 2023 was reported in the Greek region of Sterea Elláda, where the rate fell from 15.4% to 9.1% (down 6.3 percentage points).

Figure 4: Severe material and social deprivation rate, 2023
(by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_mdsd18) and (ilc_mdsd11)

People living in a household with very low work intensity

In 2023, there were 26.5 million people (aged 0–64) in the EU living in a household with very low work intensity, this equated to 8.0% of this subpopulation. Figure 5 shows there was a relatively high degree of regional variation for the share of people living in households with very low work intensity. Across multi-regional EU countries, the difference between the highest and lowest shares – as measured in percentage point terms – peaked in France (at 20.3 points; 2022 data), while relatively large regional variations were also observed across Italy (18.9 points), Germany (18.2 points), Belgium (17.7 points) and Spain (15.5 points).

Figure 5: People living in a household with very low work intensity, 2023
(%, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_lvhl21n) and (ilc_lvhl11n)

In 2023, the highest share of people living in a household with very low work intensity was recorded in the French outermost region of Guyane (28.1%; 2022 data), while there were 7 other regions across the EU with shares of more than 20.0% (see the first chart in Figure 6)

the French outermost regions of La Réunion (23.1%; 2022 data) and Guadeloupe (22.6%; 2022 data)
Bremen (21.8%) in Germany
Prov. Hainaut (21.5%) in Belgium
Campania (21.2%) and Calabria (20.9%) in southern Italy
the autonomous Spanish region of Ciudad de Melilla (20.3%).

At the lower end of the distribution, there were 10 NUTS level 2 regions where the share of people living in a household with very low work intensity was no more than 2.5% in 2023. This group was concentrated in Austria (3 regions), Romania and Italy (both 2 regions), while it also included single regions from each of Slovakia, Hungary and Poland. The Romanian capital region of Bucureşti-Ilfov (0.7%) and the Austrian region of Salzburg (0.8%) had the lowest values; they were the only regions in the EU where the share of people living in a household with very low work intensity was less than 1.0%.

Across the EU, the share of people living in a household with very low work intensity fell 0.3 percentage points between 2022 and 2023 (see the second chart in Figure 6), with a fall reported in more than half (120 out of 215) of the NUTS level 2 regions for which data are available. The largest fall was recorded in the Spanish autonomous region of Ciudad de Ceuta (down 10.8 percentage points), followed, at some distance, by the Austrian regions of Vorarlberg (down 5.4 points) and Tirol (down 4.6 points) and the Dutch region of Groningen (also down 4.6 points).

Among the 92 NUTS level 2 regions that reported a rising share of people living in a household with very low work intensity between 2022 and 2023, the highest increases were recorded in the Romanian regions of Sud-Est (up 7.9 percentage points) and Vest (up 6.9 points) and the German regions of Sachsen-Anhalt (up 5.7 points) and Münster (up 4.3 points).

Figure 6: People living in a household with very low work intensity, 2023
(by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ilc_lvhl21n) and (ilc_lvhl11n)

Goal 2 – zero hunger

SDG 2 seeks to end hunger and malnutrition and ensure access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food. Achieving this goal will largely depend on promoting sustainable production systems and increasing investment in rural infrastructure and agricultural research and development.

Farms across the EU play a crucial role in supplying safe, affordable food. Farm managers are increasingly encouraged to manage the countryside for the public good. This shift towards sustainability – alongside a rise in health-conscious consumers – has spurred rapid growth in organic farming. The infographic below illustrates that organic farming (defined here as fully converted land and land under conversion) accounted for 8.3% of the EU’s utilised agricultural area in 2020.

Source: Eurostat (ef_lus_main)

Organic farming

The EU has set itself a target to have at least 25% of its agricultural land under organic farming and a significant increase in organic aquaculture by 2030. In 2020, the EU’s organic area covered 13.1 million hectares (equivalent to 131 000 km²). To put these figures into context, the EU’s organic area accounted for 8.3% of its utilised agricultural area. This organic area encompasses both fully converted land and land currently under conversion to organic farming.

The relative importance of organic farming shows considerable variations, both across EU countries and among NUTS level 2 regions. For instance, the share of utilised agricultural area that was under organic farming exceeded the EU average of 8.3% in every region of Austria, Slovenia, Finland and Sweden in 2020; the share was also above the EU average in Estonia and Lativa. Conversely, this share was lower than the EU average in every region of Bulgaria, Ireland, Greece, Hungary (incomplete data) and Romania; the share was also below the EU average in Cyprus, Luxembourg and Malta.

Among the 240 NUTS level 2 regions for which data are available for 2020, there were 24 regions – predominantly located in Poland, Belgium and Romania – where less than 1.5% of the utilised agricultural area was given over to organic farming. By contrast, there were 11 regions with more than 25.0% of their utilised agricultural area under organic farming, see Map 3.

The Austrian region of Salzburg recorded the highest regional share in 2020, with over half (56.9%) of its utilised agricultural area under organic farming. There were 3 other NUTS level 2 regions where organic farming accounted for at least 33.3% of the utilised agricultural area in 2020: Burgenland in eastern Austria (38.2%), Calabria in southern Italy (33.6%) and Severozápad in north-west Czechia (33.3%).

Map 3: Area under organic farming, 2020
(% of utilised agricultural area, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ef_lus_main)

Figure 7 shows the regions with the highest shares of the utilised agricultural area given over to organic farming and it also presents information for developments over time. Between 2010 and 2020, the area dedicated to organic farming in the EU rose from 3.8% to 8.3% of the utilised agricultural area. Salzburg recorded the largest increase among NUTS level 2 regions (in percentage point terms), as the relative importance of organic farming increased from 32.7% to 56.9% of its utilised agricultural area (up 24.2 points). The next highest increases were recorded in 2 central Italian regions: the share of utilised agricultural area under organic farming rose 21.5 points in Toscana (from 5.5% to 27.0%) and 18.2 points in Marche (from 5.5% to 23.6%), respectively.

In absolute terms and among NUTS level 2 regions, the southern Spanish region of Andalucía had, by far, the biggest area under organic farming (812 000 hectares in 2020, or 6.2% of the EU total). The area used for organic farming was also very large in the central Spanish region of Castilla-La Mancha (412 400 hectares), the south-western French region of Midi-Pyrénées (326 900 hectares) and the Italian island region of Sicilia (304 600 hectares).

Figure 7: Area under organic farming, 2010 and 2020
(% of utilised agricultural area, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (ef_lus_main)

Goal 4 – quality education

SDG 4 seeks to ensure access for all to quality education through all stages of life, as well as to increase the number of young people and adults who have the relevant skills for employment, decent jobs and entrepreneurship.

Early leavers from education and training

Within the EU, education policy seeks to ensure that all people in the EU (irrespective of age) have the skills, knowledge and capabilities to develop their careers. The transition from education into work may prove particularly difficult for people with low levels of literacy and numeracy, those who leave education at an early age, and people coming from disadvantaged backgrounds. A particular area of concern is the proportion of early leavers from education and training. The EU has set a goal to reduce the proportion of early leavers to less than 9% by 2030.

Over the last 2 decades, the share of early leavers from education and training declined across the EU. From a peak of 16.9% in 2002 (the start of the time series), this share fell each and every year through to 10.5% by 2017. Having remained unchanged in 2018, there were further falls in the following 5 years. By 2023, the share of young people in the EU who had at most a lower secondary level of educational attainment and who weren’t engaged in any further education and training was 9.5%; as such, it stood 0.5 percentage points higher than the policy target set for 2030.

There is both a spatial and a gender dimension to the issue of early leavers from education and training.

The proportion of early leavers tends to be higher in rural and sparsely-populated regions of the EU, as well as in regions characterised as former industrial heartlands. Among other reasons, this pattern may be a reflection of fewer educational opportunities and weak local labour markets, which may discourage people from staying longer in education and also act as a ‘push factor’ to encourage people with higher levels of educational attainment to move away.
For the gender dimension, a higher proportion of young men (compared with young women) tend to be early leavers. Across the EU in 2023, the share of early leavers from education and training was 11.3% among young men, which was 3.6 percentage points higher than the corresponding share among young women (7.7%).

In 2023, the share of early leavers from education and training was already less than the 9.0% policy target in more than 50% (106 out of 204) of the NUTS level 2 regions for which data are available, see Map 4. These regions were widely dispersed across the EU. Looking in more detail, the share of early leavers from education and training was less than 9.0% for every region (for which data are available) of Belgium, Ireland, Croatia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Slovenia and Sweden; shares of less than 9.0% were also recorded in Cyprus, Latvia and Luxembourg.

At the other end of the range, there were 7 NUTS level 2 regions where the share of early leavers from education and training in 2023 was at least 20.0%. This group included several sparsely populated, island and/or peripheral regions (it is likely that a disproportionately high share of students from some island and/or peripheral regions have to leave home if they wish to follow a particular course or programme, leaving behind a higher concentration of early leavers).

Map 4: Early leavers from education and training, 2023
(% of people aged 18–24, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (edat_lfse_16)

Figure 8 highlights the NUTS level 2 regions with the highest and lowest regional shares of early leavers from education and training in 2023. At the top end of the distribution, the Romanian region of Sud-Est had the highest share, with 24.6% of its individuals aged 18–24 classified as early leavers. Shares of more than 20.0% were also recorded in the French regions of Guyane (21.7%) and Corse (21.5%), the Portuguese Região Autónoma dos Açores (21.7%), the Spanish autonomous regions of Ciudad de Ceuta (21.2%) and Ciudad de Melilla (20.4%), as well as an additional region from Romania – Centru (21.0%).

At the lower end of the distribution, there were 21 NUTS level 2 regions where the share of early leavers from education and training among people aged 18 to 24 was less than 5.0% in 2023. These regions were often grouped together, with clusters of regions with low shares in Ireland, south-west France, Belgium, Czechia, Croatia and Greece. The lowest shares of early leavers from education and training were recorded in

the Czech capital region of Praha (1.7%)
the Greek region of Kentriki Makedonia (1.3%)
the Croatian coastal region of Jadranska Hrvatska (also 1.3%; 2022 data).

Figure 8: Early leavers from education and training, 2023
(% of people aged 18–24, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (edat_lfse_16)

People with a tertiary level of educational attainment

Education has the potential to drive socioeconomic development forward: this is particularly the case in a globalised world where a highly skilled workforce can be an advantage in terms of productivity, innovation and competitiveness.

The infographic below provides information for the 10 NUTS level 2 regions across the EU that recorded the highest shares of people (aged 25–34) with a tertiary level of educational attainment. In 2023, several of the highest shares were recorded in capital regions. This was the case in the Lithuanian capital region, where 72.3% of people aged 25–34 had a tertiary level of educational attainment, while the Polish, French, Irish, Swedish, Belgian and Dutch capital regions also recorded high shares, as did Cyprus.

Source: Eurostat (edat_lfse_04)

Map 5 shows the regional distribution of tertiary (or higher) educational attainment in 2023. It is based on attainment levels for people aged 25–34 years, by when the vast majority of the population have completed their education. Within the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training, the EU has a target that, by 2030, the share of people aged 25–34 with a tertiary educational attainment should be at least 45%.

In 2023, 43.1% of the EU population aged 25–34 had a tertiary level of educational attainment; some people within this age group might still be studying. Of the 240 NUTS level 2 regions for which data are available, 80 had already reached or surpassed the EU’s policy target of 45.0%.

At the top end of the distribution, there were 17 regions where at least 60.0% of young people aged 25–34 had a tertiary level of educational attainment in 2023. Many of these regions appear to act as a magnet for highly qualified people, exerting considerable ‘pull effects’ through the varied educational, employment and social/lifestyle opportunities that they offer. This group included the capital regions of Belgium, Czechia, Denmark, Ireland, Spain, France, Lithuania, Hungary, the Netherlands, Poland and Sweden; it also included Cyprus and Luxembourg. The remaining 4 regions with high shares were specialised in research and innovation activities and/or high-technology manufacturing

Prov. Brabant Wallon in Belgium
the northern Spanish regions of País Vasco and Cantabria
Utrecht in the Netherlands.

At the bottom end of the distribution, there were 20 NUTS level 2 regions where fewer than 25% of all people aged 25–34 had a tertiary level of educational attainment in 2023. Many of these regions were characterised as rural/isolated regions that had relatively large agricultural sectors, with a low level of opportunities for highly skilled employment. Others were characterised by their relatively high specialisation in vocational educational programmes, with students moving into the labour market through apprenticeships and training schemes rather than as a result of obtaining tertiary level qualifications. This group of 20 regions was concentrated in eastern and southern EU countries. The lowest regional shares were recorded in the Hungarian region of Észak-Magyarország (16.3%) and the Romanian regions of Sud-Est (16.5%) and Sud-Muntenia (14.7%).

Map 5: Tertiary educational attainment, 2023
(% of people aged 25–34, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (edat_lfse_04)

Participation in early childhood education

The EU has set a goal of having at least 96% of children aged between 3 years and the starting age of compulsory primary education participating in early childhood education and care by 2030.

Based on the latest available data, there were an estimated 15.5 million children (of any age) enrolled in early childhood education across the EU in 2022 (data for Belgium, Greece and Malta only cover pre-primary education). Map 6 shows a more detailed picture for 209 NUTS level 2 regions, it covers pupils between the age of 3 and the starting age of compulsory education at primary level. There were considerable differences in regional participation rates in early childhood education, with the highest rates generally recorded in the westernmost regions of the EU and lower rates across most eastern regions. Capital regions had higher than average participation rates in some EU countries (for example, Bulgaria or Poland), whereas in others they recorded lower than average rates (for example, Ireland, Portugal or Sweden).

Looking in more detail, by 2022 the share of children between the age of 3 years and the age for starting compulsory primary education participating in early childhood education had already reached the EU’s strategic target of 96.0% in more than 1 out of 3 EU regions for which data are available (78 out of 209 regions). These 78 regions already at or above the target made up a large proportion of the regions in Belgium, Denmark, Spain, France, Croatia, Lithuania, Portugal and Sweden. At the very top end of the distribution, there were 18 regions in the EU where practically every child (100.0%) between the age of 3 years and the age for starting compulsory primary education participated in early childhood education. Half of this group of 18 regions was concentrated in France (9 regions), with a further 5 regions located in neighbouring Belgium.

In 2022, the share of young children participating in early childhood education was less than 75.0% in 13 out of the 209 EU regions for which data are available. These regions with relatively low participation rates were concentrated in Greece (8 regions; 2019 data) and Romania (3 regions), but also included Východné Slovensko in Slovakia and Åland in Finland. The lowest rate was recorded in the Greek region of Voreio Aigaio (55.0%; 2019 data).

Map 6: Participation rates in early childhood education, 2022
(%, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (educ_uoe_enra22)

Adult education and training

Lifelong learning seeks to improve an individual’s knowledge, skills, competences and/or qualifications for personal, social and/or professional reasons. For many occupations, it is increasingly important for the labour force to develop existing skills and learn new ones that are relevant to a specific job or which provide opportunities for new career paths. Some jobs/occupations will likely cease to exist in the future as a result of technological change.

During the last 2 decades, the proportion of adults (aged 25–64) in the EU participating in education and training has more than doubled. At the start of the time series in 2002, around 1 in 20 people participated in education and training during the 4 weeks prior to the (labour force) survey, with the participation rate standing at 5.3%. The rate increased gradually and by 2019 had reached 10.8%. However, following the onset of the COVID-19 crisis, it fell back to 9.1% in 2020, before subsequently rebounding to 10.8% in 2021. Thereafter, the EU’s adult participation rate for education and training continued to increase, growing at a relatively rapid pace, reaching 11.9% in 2022 and 12.7% in 2023.

The regional distribution of participation rates in education and training among people aged 25–64 was somewhat skewed insofar as almost 60% of NUTS level 2 regions – or 139 out of 241 regions – reported a rate in 2023 that was below the EU average (see Map 7).

Map 7 shows participation rates in education and training for people aged 25–64 for 2023. The regional distribution of adult participation rates was relatively homogeneous within individual EU countries, at least in part reflecting national rather than regional education and training initiatives. There were 20 NUTS level 2 regions that had participation rates that were equal to or above 25.0%; this group included every region of Denmark and Sweden, as well as 4 Dutch regions and 3 Finnish ones. The 8 highest regional participation rates in education and training were recorded in Sweden. The Swedish capital region of Stockholm had the highest participation rate, at 41.3%, followed by Västsverige, Sydsverige and Östra Mellansverige (all within the range of 38.0–38.9%). The Danish capital region of Hovedstaden had the highest participation rate outside of Sweden (35.2%).

There were 25 NUTS level 2 regions where the participation rate for adult education and training was below 5.0% in 2023. This group was principally concentrated in south-eastern Europe. At the bottom end of the range, the lowest rates were recorded in the Bulgarian regions of Severoiztochen (1.1%), Severozapaden (1.0%) and Severen tsentralen (0.9%).

Map 7: Participation rate in education and training, 2023
(% of people aged 25–64, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (trng_lfse_04)

Goal 5 – gender equality

SDG 5 aims to achieve gender equality by ending all forms of discrimination, violence and any harmful practices against women and girls. It also calls for the full participation of women and equal opportunities for leadership at all levels of decision-making.

Gender employment gap

Ending all forms of discrimination against women and girls and empowering women are crucial to accelerating sustainable development in the EU. Long-standing challenges linked to female participation in the labour force are illustrated by persistent gender gaps for employment and pay.

In 2023, the EU’s gender employment gap was 10.2 percentage points: this gap is defined as the difference between the employment rates of men and women aged 20-64. The European Pillar of Social Rights Action Plan set a subgoal of halving the EU’s gender employment gap, as part of its overall target to increase the employment rate to 78% by 2030. The subgoal envisages the gender employment gap narrowing to 5.6 percentage points by 2030, equivalent to an average fall of 0.5 points each year (over the period 2019–30).

In 2023, 52 out of 241 NUTS level 2 regions for which data are available reported a gender employment gap that was already 5.6 percentage points or narrower, see Map 8. This group of 52 regions was mainly concentrated in France (13 regions), Germany (7 regions), Sweden (7 out of 8 regions) and Finland (all 5 regions). Those regions with relatively narrow gender employment gaps were often characterised by high overall employment rates.

In 2023, there were only 3 regions within the EU that reported a higher employment rate for women (than for men): Åland, Etelä-Suomi and Pohjois- ja Itä-Suomi (all in Finland). In the Slovak capital region of Bratislavský kraj, there was no difference in employment rates between the sexes.

Despite some progress, female employment rates still lag behind male rates in the vast majority of EU regions. The European Commission’s Gender Equality Strategy 2020–25 is designed, among other goals, to counter gender stereotypes and promote women’s participation in decision-making, while closing gender gaps in the labour market.

EU regions with relatively wide gender employment gaps were often characterised by higher unemployment rates and levels of women outside the labour force. In 2023, there were 24 NUTS level 2 regions that had gaps of at least 17.5 percentage points. This group was concentrated in Greece (11 out of 13 regions), central/southern Italy (8 regions) and Romania (4 regions); the other region was Střední Čechy in Czechia. The Italian regions of Campania and Puglia (both 29.5 points) and the Greek region of Sterea Elláda (29.3 points) had the widest gender employment gaps in the EU.

Map 8: Gender employment gap, 2023
(percentage points, people aged 20–64, by NUTS 2 regions)
Source: Eurostat (lfst_r_lfe2emprtn)

Source data for figures and maps

Sustainable development indicators (SDGs) – regional analyses

Data sources

All of the data presented in this article can be found on Eurostat’s database. The bulk of the information was collected through the European Statistical System (ESS). Specific details concerning the sources used are provided under each infographic, map or figure.

The data presented within this article concern regional statistics for the EU and European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, as well as EU candidate countries. The classification of territorial units for statistics – known as NUTS – is at the heart of the EU’s regional statistics. It is a classification based on a hierarchy, subdividing each EU country into regions. These are classified according to NUTS levels 1, 2 and 3, from larger to smaller regions. The 2021 version of the NUTS classification provides the basis for classifying regional information in this article. For EFTA and candidate countries – the concept of ‘statistical regions’ is used instead of NUTS. This applies the same principles as those used in the establishment of the NUTS classification but is based on bilateral agreements between the countries concerned and Eurostat.

For further information concerning metadata and data sources, please refer to the links that are provided at the end of each section in the main article above.

Context

The United Nations framework for sustainable development

In September 2015, the United Nations General Assembly adopted the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. The 2030 Agenda is a bold and transformative step designed to stimulate action through to 2030, shifting the world onto a sustainable and resilient path with the aim of leaving no one behind. At its core is a list of 17 sustainable development goals (SDGs) and 169 related targets that can be categorised under what are often referred to as the 5 P’s

people – end poverty and hunger
planet– protect the planet from degradation
prosperity – ensure that all human beings can enjoy prosperous and fulfilling lives
peace – foster peaceful, just and inclusive societies
partnership – mobilise the means required to implement the Agenda.

A set of indicators to track progress towards the SDGs was agreed under the supervision of the UN Statistical Commission. A comprehensive review of this indicator framework was conducted in early 2020 and another review is planned for 2025. At the time of writing (January 2025), the SDG indicator framework consists of 231 indicators.

The 2030 Agenda provided the European Commission with a new impetus for achieving sustainable development, as described in Delivering on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals — A comprehensive approach. The EU is fully committed to delivering on the 2030 Agenda, and the SDGs form an intrinsic part of the European Commission’s work programme. Eurostat supports this approach through a quantitative assessment of the EU’s progress towards the SDGs using a set of 102 indicators that have been adapted to the EU context. The EU SDG indicator set is structured according to the 17 SDGs – each goal has 6 indicators attributed to it.

The initial focus of the 2030 Agenda was on supranational and country-based programmes. However, over time there have been efforts to localise SDGs, highlighting the links between local actions and global challenges. Sustainable development strategies have increasingly focused on involving regional, local and civil society stakeholders, while monitoring different territorial typologies has reinforced national efforts, supported regional development strategies and provided a broader picture of developments within countries.

Regional statistics, structured by SDG, offer a detailed territorial view of the current socioeconomic situation in areas such as living conditions, health, education, equality, economic growth or climate action. These regional statistics make it possible to pinpoint areas that require targeted interventions, address disparities between regions, and ensure that no one is left behind.

The EU’s approach to implementing the SDGs

Several major policy documents have shaped the EU’s approach to implementing the SDGs. A communication, Next steps for a sustainable European future: European action for sustainability (COM(2016) 739 final) highlighted the integration of the SDGs into the EU’s policy framework.

The EU’s approach for implementing the 2030 Agenda is described in detail within Delivering on the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals — A comprehensive approach. For a complete overview of the European Commission’s activities, see the EU’s ‘whole of government’ approach to implementing the 2030 Agenda.

EU policies that help towards the implementation of the 2030 Agenda

The European Green Deal, adopted in December 2019, is the EU’s growth strategy. It aims to transform the EU into a climate-neutral society while leaving no one behind, creating a modern, resource-efficient, competitive and fair economy where there are no net emissions of greenhouse gases by 2050 and where economic growth is decoupled from resource use. The European Green Deal is an integral part of the European Commission’s strategy to implement the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.

Cohesion policy in the EU is strongly aligned with the SDGs. It contributes to strengthening economic, social and territorial cohesion and correcting imbalances between countries and regions. It delivers on the EU’s political priorities, especially the green and digital transitions.

These are just 2 examples of a wide range of EU policies that highlight the EU’s comprehensive approach to implementing the 2030 Agenda. Below is a non-exhaustive list of some other policies that contribute towards delivering on the 2030 Agenda

Organic farming

A sustainable food system is at the heart of the European Green Deal. Under the Farm to Fork strategy, the European Commission has set a target to have ‘at least 25% of the EU’s agricultural land under organic farming and a significant increase in organic aquaculture by 2030’.

In March 2021, the European Commission introduced an Action plan to promote organic production within the EU. It is structured according to 3 axes and focuses on boosting consumer demand, stimulating production and processing, and enhancing environmental sustainability.

The EU’s monitoring framework for the 8th Environment Action Programme (8th EAP), unveiled in 2022, includes measures to speed-up the transition to a greener economy and safeguard the environment. This programme is aligned with the United Nations 2030 Agenda and its sustainable development goals. Under a heading for ‘environmental and climate pressures related to EU production and consumption’, a key target to track progress is the above-mentioned European Green Deal target to have 25% of the EU’s agricultural land organically farmed by 2030.

Explore further

Database

Regional statistics by NUTS classification (reg), see

Regional agriculture statistics (reg_agr)

Regional demographic statistics (reg_dem)

Regional economic accounts (reg_eco10)

Regional science and technology statistics (reg_sct)

Regional structural business statistics (reg_sbs)

Regional business demography (reg_bd)

Regional health statistics (reg_hlth)

Regional tourism statistics (reg_tour)

Regional transport statistics (reg_tran)

Regional labour market statistics (reg_lmk)

Regional labour costs statistics (reg_lcs)

Regional digital economy and society (reg_isoc)

Regional environmental and energy statistics (reg_env)

Regional poverty and social exclusion statistics (reg_ilc)

Regional crime statistics (reg_crim)

Sustainable development indicators (sdg), see

Goal 1 - No poverty (sdg_01)

Goal 2 - Zero hunger (sdg_02)

Goal 3 - Good health and well-being (sdg_03)

Goal 4 - Quality education (sdg_04)

Goal 5 - Gender equality (sdg_05)

Goal 6 - Clean water and sanitation (sdg_06)

Goal 7 - Affordable and clean energy (sdg_07)

Goal 8 - Decent work and economic growth (sdg_08)

Goal 9 - Industry, innovation and infrastructure (sdg_09)

Goal 10 - Reduced inequalities (sdg_10)

Goal 11 - Sustainable cities and communities (sdg_11)

Goal 12 - Responsible consumption and production (sdg_12)

Goal 13 - Climate action (sdg_13)

Goal 14 - Life below water (sdg_14)

Goal 15 - Life on land (sdg_15)

Goal 16 - Peace, justice and strong institutions (sdg_16)

Goal 17 - Partnerships for the goals (sdg_17)

Thematic section

Publications

Paper and PDF publications

Online publications

Methodology

Manuals and further methodological information

External links

European Commission – Sustainable development goals, see
- The EU and the United Nations – common goals for a sustainable future
- Voluntary reviews of SDG implementation

United Nations – Sustainable development goals, see

Visualisation