Luxembourg Leads Europe in Primary School Language Learning

Luxembourg stands out in the European Union as the only country where the vast majority of primary school pupils study two or more foreign languages. According to Eurostat, 78.9% of pupils in Luxembourg were learning at least two foreign languages in 2023. However, this figure has declined slightly compared to 2013, when the rate was 83.8%, marking a drop of 4.9 percentage points.

Across the EU, just 6.4% of primary pupils studied two or more foreign languages in 2023, up from 4.6% a decade earlier. This shows that while the overall trend in Europe is rising, Luxembourg continues to hold a unique leadership position, even as its own numbers have slipped.

At the level of lower secondary education, Luxembourg no longer ranks at the top. In 2023, it placed 9th among EU countries, with 83.5% of pupils learning at least two foreign languages. This is a steep decline from 2013, when the rate was 100%.

Elsewhere in Europe, Finland led the way in 2023 with 97.8% of lower secondary pupils learning two or more languages, followed closely by Greece, Italy, Malta, Estonia, Romania and Portugal, with shares ranging from 96.6% to 93.2%.

Luxembourg remains exceptional in early education, though the data suggest a gradual decrease in intensity, while other countries are closing the gap.
Know More : Luxembourg stands out for the learning of several languages in primary school - The essentials

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