Statistical Overviews on VET for Bulgaria

European and national policies on Vocational Education and Training (VET) need to be informed by sound and internationally comparable statistical evidence. The VET country statistical overviews are concise, descriptive and user friendly statistical reports. For each country, they quantify and compare key aspects of VET and lifelong learning. The selection is based on the indicators’ policy relevance and their importance in achieving the Europe 2020 objectives.

Access, attractiveness and flexibility

The percentage of all upper secondary students participating in IVET in Bulgaria is 52.6%, higher than the EU average of 47.3% (in 2015). The situation differs for adult participation in lifelong learning; at 2.2% this is much lower than the estimated EU average 10.8% (in 2015). Since 2010, the percentage of adults participating in lifelong learning has increased little in Bulgaria and remains much below the target of 15% set by the strategic framework Education and training 2020.

Overall transitions and labour market trends

In this section all data refer to 2016 unless otherwise stated.

The rate of early leaving from education and training at 13.8% is higher than the EU average of 10.7%. Opposite to the EU average, the overall change from 2010 to 2016 in the rate of early leaving in Bulgaria has been upward (by 1.2 percentage points), keeping it above the Europe 2020 average target of 10% and the national target of 11%.

The percentage of 30 to 34 year-olds who have completed tertiary-level education is lower than the EU average of 39.1%. At 33.8% this indicator remains below the national target (36%) and below the Europe 2020 average target (40%). The percentage of adults with low educational attainment (17.7%) is below the average found across the EU (23.0%). The NEET rate for 18 to 24 year-olds is much higher at 22.3% than the EU average of 15.2%.

However, after a recent decrease (by 5.5 percentage points between 2011 and 2016) the unemployment rate for 20 to 34 year-olds at 9.8% is lower than the EU average of 11.8%. The change between 2010 and 2016 in the employment rate of recent graduates has been positive (at 2.3 percentage points), but it leaves the employment rate at 72.0% below the EU average of 78.2%.
Check more about the current situation in Bulgaria in the following link: https://www.cedefop.europa.eu/en/country-reports/statistical-overviews-vet-bulgaria