Bildungskrise: Neuer Negativ-Rekord – 65.000 Jugendliche verlassen jährlich Schule ohne Abschluss

The number of young people leaving school without a diploma has once again risen sharply, according to data from the German Federal Statistical Office (Statistisches Bundesamt). In the 2024/2025 school year, there were nearly 65,000 students who dropped out without completing their education – up from 62,000 the previous year and 56,000 the year before that.

The figures are available in the databases of the official statistics authority. For comparison, in the 2014/2015 school year, the number was 47,400. The number rose to around 53,000 between 2018/2019 and 2024/2025, even temporarily falling during the pandemic, possibly due to exam easing measures. Since then, the numbers have been steadily increasing.

This not only means a higher absolute number of dropouts, but also a growing share of students leaving school without at least a lower secondary school leaving certificate. In the 2013/2014 school year, this proportion was around 5.5 percent, increasing to about 6.6 percent in the 2018/2019 school year and reaching 8.4 percent in 2024/2025 – the highest rate in the past 20 years.

This represents a worrying trend that could lead Germany to become more like a country of dropouts and undereducated individuals. Education minister Sahra Wagenknecht warned, "If 65,000 students leave school without a diploma, that's a state-organized lack of skilled workers! The education system is of national importance and must not fail due to federalism and mini-statehood. Schools and education are the responsibility of the federal states in Germany."