More than 40% of teachers in Europe are over 50, EU figures show
Only 8% of the European Union’s teachers are under 30, highlighting an ageing workforce and growing recruitment challenges. The European Commission is urging member states to improve working conditions as it unveils a new education strategy addressing teacher shortages, declining student performance and the impact of artificial intelligence.
More than 40% of teachers across the European Union are aged 50 or older, while just 8% are under the age of 30, according to Eurostat data for 2024. The figures highlight the growing age imbalance in Europe's teaching workforce and the challenges facing education systems in recruiting and retaining younger professionals.
The issue was brought into focus on 5 November, when the European Commission unveiled a new Education and Skills Package aimed at reversing declining basic skills, addressing teacher shortages and adapting education systems to rapid digital transformation.
Presenting the package, European Commission Executive Vice-President for Social Rights and Skills, Quality Jobs and Preparedness Roxana Mînzatu stressed the need to make teaching a more attractive profession and called on EU member states to take action on working conditions.
According to the Commission, teacher shortages are affecting most EU countries. Low salaries, demanding workloads, difficult working conditions and increasing pressure arising from relationships with students, parents and wider society are among the factors making the profession less attractive.
The Commission has proposed an EU Teachers Agenda, calling on member states to improve career prospects, strengthen initial teacher education and professional development, and give teachers a greater role in shaping education policies.
However, the EU executive acknowledged that decisions on teacher numbers and salaries remain the responsibility of national governments. Its proposals therefore focus on encouraging member states to take action rather than directly regulating employment conditions.
FOUR PRIORITIES FOR EUROPEAN EDUCATION
The Education and Skills Package is built around four main priorities: improving students' performance in basic skills, integrating digital technologies and artificial intelligence into education, strengthening the teaching profession, and modernising vocational education and training.
The urgency of the reforms is underlined by the EU's latest analysis of PISA 2025 results. According to the Commission, 33.9% of European 15-year-olds underperform in mathematics, 31.3% in reading and 25.9% in science.
The Commission also wants to strengthen vocational education and training, arguing that European labour markets increasingly need workers with practical and technical skills.
Young people are being encouraged to consider careers in sectors such as electrical installation, technical services, healthcare and construction. According to Mînzatu, more than 70% of jobs in certain sectors require vocational training, while employment rates among people choosing this educational path are close to 90%.
Despite these prospects, vocational education continues to face a perception problem, with parents, students and society often viewing it as a less desirable option than academic education.
AI AND THE FUTURE OF TEACHING
The growing use of artificial intelligence is another central element of the Commission's proposals.
Rather than focusing exclusively on the risks posed by automation, the package seeks to ensure that digital technologies and AI tools are integrated into education in ways that support teachers and students.
The Commission also wants educators to have a stronger role in decisions concerning the use of AI in schools, alongside improved digital infrastructure and training.
The wider objective is to strengthen Europe's competitiveness against global economic rivals, including the United States and China, while reversing the decline in educational performance and preparing younger generations for changing labour market demands.
However, the proposals also raise broader questions about the status of education and the teaching profession in European societies, particularly whether improving competitiveness can be achieved without addressing the structural problems affecting those responsible for educating future generations.
The Commission has called on national governments to take responsibility for improving teachers' working conditions, but the effectiveness of the proposed measures will ultimately depend on how individual member states respond.
