Percentage of “neither-nor” youth in Brazil dropped to 22.4% in 2024

In Brazil, the percentage of young people who are neither studying, working, nor participating in training or education dropped to 22.4% in 2024, according to the OECD's Education at a Glance 2026 report. This marked a 4.4 percentage point decrease from 2016 when the rate was 26.8%. The Brazilian Ministry of Education noted that the country's figure is nearly double the 2.3 percentage point average reduction seen across the OECD during the same period.

Ricardo Henriques, executive superintendent of Instituto Unibanco, acknowledged the progress but deemed it insufficient. He emphasized the need for a coordinated approach among education, social protection, and labor policies to ensure young people stay in school, complete their education, and secure decent employment. Despite the improvement, Brazil still has a higher percentage of young people without a high school diploma (26%) than the OECD average of 12% for the same age group.

The report also highlights the gender gap in high school completion, with women in Brazil being seven percentage points more likely to finish this stage compared to men. Furthermore, only 79% of students who entered high school completed it within two years, a rate lower than the OECD average of 85%.

In terms of adult education, 40% of Brazilians aged 25 to 64 had completed high school in 2024, which is similar to the OECD average of 39%. However, only 22% of adults in the same age group had completed higher education, compared to the OECD average of 43%. Ricardo Henriques pointed out that the persistence of a historical educational deficit requires integrated actions to address the issue, such as offering flexible courses, providing financial support, and fostering coordination between technical and academic training.

Henriques stressed the importance of expanding access to quality education for all age groups to unlock the country's talent and improve social mobility.