Cyprus recorded the EU’s lowest share of young teachers in 2024, with just 3.1% of teachers aged under 30, according to Eurostat data published on Monday.
The share of young teachers was also low in Portugal, at 3.3%, and Poland, at 4.0%.
At the other end of the scale, Luxembourg recorded the highest proportion of teachers under 30, at 15.3%, followed by Denmark at 15.2%, Belgium at 14.9% and Austria at 14.6%.
EU teaching workforce is ageing
Eurostat reported that 5.30 million teachers worked in primary and secondary schools across the EU in 2024, an increase of 36,500 compared with 2023.
Women accounted for 72.9% of all teachers, while men represented 27.1%.
The figures also highlight the ageing of the EU’s teaching workforce. Overall, 40.4% of teachers were aged 50 or over, while only 8.0% were under 30.
In five EU countries, more than half of teachers were aged at least 50. Lithuania recorded the highest share at 58.4%, followed by Portugal at 55.6%, Italy at 54.3%, Latvia at 54.0% and Estonia at 50.6%.
The lowest shares of teachers aged 50 and over were recorded in Ireland at 20.8%, Malta at 20.9% and Luxembourg at 22.0%.
Gender differences across age groups
Eurostat said the proportion of male teachers remained relatively stable across most age groups, ranging between 26% and 30%.
The main exception was teachers aged 65 and over, among whom men accounted for 35.6%. Eurostat linked this difference to variations in statutory retirement ages.
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