Study reveals that 64 million Brazilians did not complete basic education

An unprecedented report released by the EJA and Productive Inclusion Network this Tuesday (7) revealed that today Brazil has 64 million people aged 15 or over who dropped out of school before completing basic education. The initiative is part of a coalition between 16 civil society organizations to map the reach of EJA (Youth and Adult Education) and promote inclusive education in the country.

The publication, entitled "Population aged 15+ out of school, potential demand for EJA and transitions to work: diagnosis and evidence for public policies", also reveals that this number has been decreasing in recent years, but is far from reaching satisfactory levels.

The decrease is not due to greater efficiency of public policies, but to greater mortality among people without education. The data also shows that the 51% reduction in demand for EJA since 2021 means that, for every person who completed basic education through EJA in the period analyzed, more than six died without finishing their studies.

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Population distribution is uneven between regions
Also according to the report, although most states have high incompleteness rates, cities in the North and Northeast are the ones that suffer most from the drop. In these regions, more than half of the population aged 15 or over has not completed basic education.

The impacts of low education are felt in the job market and development indices. Among people who did not complete primary education, only 43.1% participate in the market, compared to 73.5% among those who completed secondary education. The significant difference demonstrates the weight of education in socioeconomic vulnerability numbers.

The costs to the economy are also observed in data from the PNAD (National Household Sample Survey), carried out by IBGE (Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics). It is estimated that, if this portion of the population had completed their studies, they would be able to generate R$66 billion more per year in income from work. The value is equivalent to around 0.6% of the country's GDP (Gross Domestic Product) and reflects both the increase in income of those who are already employed and the qualified entry of more people into the job market.

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Implementation of incentive programs reduces dropout rates in recent years
According to data from the 2025 School Census, high school dropout rates have suffered a significant drop. In public schools, the number was 2.5% last year, the lowest since the beginning of the historical series recorded by the MEC (Ministry of Education), in 2007.

The drop in dropouts corresponded to 34% since the implementation of the Pé-de-Meia program, in 2024. The Federal Government incentive pays scholarships for high school students, aiming to remain. The data was officially released by the MEC last Friday (26). Results on students' academic performance were also published: passes and failures have also shown improvements in recent years.

In 2024, 92.1% of young people between 15 and 17 years old were enrolled in an educational institution, according to the Basic Education Statistical Yearbook, maintained by Todos Pela Educação. However, only 82.2% of these students were enrolled in high school, an ideal stage for their age group. The discrepancy may reveal school dropout in previous years, which corresponds to the action that precedes dropout, in which the student does not enroll in the following school year.

The phenomenon is described as the age-grade distortion rate, which measures the percentage of students who are 2 or more years behind in school. According to published data, the number of students in these conditions fell from 24.3% to 17.6%, from 2022 to 2025.

The program provides monthly scholarships and savings that can only be withdrawn after the end of each academic year. There is also a deposit of extra amounts for students taking the Enem (National High School Exam). The policy was implemented by the federal government in 2024, focused on students from families covered by Bolsa Família.

After the first months, the benefit was extended to EJA (Youth and Adult Education) and to everyone in CadÚnico (general registration for access to social programs).

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Source: CNN