OECD Report on Romania
Romania has few higher education graduates and invests below the OECD average in education, says a report by the international organisation
Roxana Vasile, 30.09.2026, 13:50
Romania has one of the lowest shares of higher education graduates among OECD countries, while public investment in education remains below the organisation’s average. These are some of the key conclusions in the ‘Education at a Glance 2026’ report put together by the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development and made public on Tuesday by the Romanian education ministry.
According to the report, only 19% of Romanians aged between 25 and 64 hold a higher education degree, compared to an average of 43% in OECD countries. Approximately 70% of the women aged 25 to 34 who have not completed upper secondary education (i.e. grades 9-12 or 13 and vocational education) are not part of the employed population, one of the highest rates reported in OECD and partner countries. In contrast, the inactivity rate for women in the same age group who have completed tertiary education (i.e. non-university, post-secondary) is significantly lower, at around 10%.
Romania also stands out in the high share of graduates in STEM fields (science, technology, engineering and mathematics), compared to the OECD average. Around 30% of higher education graduates in Romania are STEM majors, exceeding the OECD average of 23%.
According to the same report, investments in education are low in Romania. This is reflected in public spending in this sector, an indicator of the priority given to education over other public services. Specifically, in 2023, public spending in education accounted for approximately 6.4% of the total public spending, one of the lowest shares, below the OECD average of 9.8%. In addition, the share of public education spending in the GDP has remained relatively stable, rising from 2.4% in 2015 to 2.6% in 2023. However, this level is low by international standards, given the OECD average of 4.2% of GDP in 2023.
It is also estimated that 2.8% of teaching posts remain vacant in Romania, one of the highest rates among countries with comparable data. This suggests that schools are often unable to recruit teachers for certain positions, and instead fill vacancies with less qualified staff. The shortage of teachers varies by subject. The main areas where Romania reports a shortage of teachers are mathematics, sciences, physical education, health and the arts. Only 3% of Romanian students aged 15 and 16 attend schools where learning is affected by teacher absence. (AMP)
