The education funnel · illustrative comparison
Who actually makes it to the baccalaureate?
Out of 100 children who start year 1, 74 earn the baccalaureate in this illustration. At the same time, 16.8% of 18–24-year-olds leave education early. The data combine cross-sectional markers; they do not follow one cohort.
- 74 in 100 earn the baccalaureate (illustration)
- 16.8% early leaving at age 18–24 (2024)
- 95.8% continue to year 9 (2023/2024)
The funnel, step by step
Figures keep their positions between stages; dimmed figures leave the illustrative path. The stage denominator stays beside the scene because stages 3 and 4 are not losses from the same cohort.
Stage 1 of 6
Stage 1 of 6 · Year 1 — 100 figures lit.
Denominator: base of 100, by definition.
See every stage as a table
| Stage | Figures lit of 100 | Source rate | Denominator |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | 100 | 100% (base) | Base of 100, by definition |
| Year 8 | 96 | 95.8% | Illustrative reference: transition rate to upper secondary, 2023/2024 |
| National assessment, average of at least 5 | 75 | 74.5% | 152,903 entrants (2024) |
| Entry to year 9 / vocational | 96 | 95.8% | Pupils enrolled in year 8 (2023/2024) |
| Year 12 / graduation | 93 | Illustration | 96 × (1 − 0.8%)⁴, annual lyceum dropout 2022/2023 |
| Baccalaureate passed | 74 | 79.7% | High-school graduates (2024) |
Who leaves school early (2024)
Early leaving at 18–24, by degree of urbanisation
Source: Education and Training Monitor 2025, Romania report (S3). In 2023 the national report recorded 16.6% (S1).
Baccalaureate 2024: track comparison
A track comparison, not causal evidence. Tracks enrol pupils with different histories, so gaps do not show that one track causes weaker results.
Baccalaureate pass, current promotion, candidates present
Current promotion overall: 83.2% (97,066 of 116,698). Source: 2024 baccalaureate press kit, final results (S2).
Method and limits
This page combines cross-sectional rates from different years and populations into one illustrative comparison. It is not a longitudinal cohort: the same children were not followed from year 1 to the baccalaureate.
Official sources: the national report on pre-university education 2023–2024 (S1), the 2024 baccalaureate press kit, final results (S2), and the Education and Training Monitor 2025, Romania report (S3).