The early school leaving rate in the Azores climbed again in 2025, reaching 21.1%, according to new data from the Instituto Nacional de Estatística (INE).

The regional figure is more than three times the national average, which fell from 6.6% to 6.1% this year.

The increase comes after two consecutive years of decline. In 2023, the rate dropped from 27% to 22.9%, and in 2024 it fell further to 19.8% — the lowest level ever recorded in the region.

While the overall regional rate stands at 21.1%, it is significantly higher among men, at 27.1%.

The longer-term trend shows substantial improvement compared to a decade ago. In 2011, early school leaving in the Azores stood at 43.7% — nearly double the national average at the time (22.8%). Since then, the rate has steadily declined, with some fluctuations, and has remained below 30% since 2015.

School Enrollment Improves, but Gap Remains

At the same time, school enrollment rates in the Azores rose between 2024 and 2025 across all education levels.

In primary education, enrollment increased from 65.9% to 67.4%. However, the region remains well below the national average, which rose from 80.9% to 82.7%.

In secondary education, the Azorean enrollment rate climbed from 44.9% to 45.6%, again trailing the national figure, which increased from 64% to 66.6%.

Higher education enrollment also rose slightly in the Azores, from 11.5% to 11.7%. The national average, by contrast, stands at 43.4%, up from 43.1%.

Education Secretary Urges “Careful Context”

Asked about the rise in early school leaving, Regional Secretary of Education Sofia Ribeiro said any increase is viewed “with attention and concern,” but urged a “careful contextualization” of the data.

She noted that the early school leaving rate is based on employment survey data rather than a universal census and depends on sample size and whether young people participated in education or training within the previous four weeks.

“One year alone does not allow us to draw firm conclusions about schooling patterns,” Ribeiro said. “We must analyze the data over a longer time frame.”

She stressed that over the past five years, the overall trend has remained favorable. In 2020, the early school leaving rate in the Azores stood at 26.3%. Since then, it has dropped by more than five percentage points.

The region’s Education Strategy Azores 2030 sets a goal of reducing early school leaving to 15% by the end of the decade. Ribeiro described that target as “achievable” if the downward trajectory resumes.

She also acknowledged that the region’s persistent gap compared to the national average is not new, but said reversing the trend remains a priority.

Leading Opposition Party Calls for Preventive Action

In a statement, Socialist Party lawmaker Inês Sá of the Partido Socialista (PS/Açores) expressed concern over the increase, arguing that it runs counter to recent progress.

Sá called for a stronger focus on prevention and more tailored responses to students’ needs. She warned that limiting access to secondary-level vocational programs in some schools may be contributing to disengagement.

“We need to understand why these young people do not see themselves reflected in the education system and work on solutions that offer training paths they identify with,” she said.

The Socialist Party has submitted a formal inquiry in the Azorean Parliament seeking updates on the Integrated Plan to Combat Early School Leaving, a key component of the region’s 2030 education strategy.

“Reducing early school leaving must be treated as an urgent matter and one of the Azores’ most significant structural challenges,” Sá said. “Prevention must be the focus — not simply reacting when it is already too late.”

In Diário Insular-José Lourenço-director.

Translated into English as a community outreach program by the Portuguese Beyond Borders Institute (PBBI) and the Modern and Classical Languages and Literatures Department (MCLL), in collaboration with Bruma Publication and ADMA (Azores-Diaspora Media Alliance) at California State University, Fresno. PBBI thanks Luso Financial for sponsoring NOVIDADES.