A tenth (10.4%) of Germans between the ages of 18 and 24 do not have a university or professional qualification and are not currently taking part in any training or further education, according to figures from the Federal Statistics Office (Destatis), reports personaldienstleister.de.

Compared with other European companies, Germany is in a relatively strong position. In 2012, the EU Member States agreed on a target for so-called early school leavers of less than 13.5%. By 2020, this figures will drop to less than 10% of the working population between the ages of 18 and 24. 

However, the Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD) found that education greatly influences the earning capabilities of people in later life. Those with an undergraduate or post-graduate degree earn up to +74% more than those with lower education qualifications, according to a 2012 OECD study.

There is significant deviation across the German states when it comes to the proportion of early school leavers. The states with an early school leaver proportion of less than 10% lie in the south (Baden-Württemberg and Bavaria) central Germany (Hessen and Thüringen), and the east (Brandenburg and Saxony).

The western states of Bremen, Saarland, and North Rhine-Westphalia and the capital city of Berlin all report a proportion of early school leavers of between 12.8% and 13.3%.