The percentage of Spanish youths aged 15 to 29 who neither work nor study continues to grow, and remains among the highest rates of all developed countries.

This year, the figure reached 24.4 percent (almost two million people), according to the 2013 Education at a Glance report presented today by the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD).

The findings point to a 69-percent increase in the percentage of young Spaniards with at least a professional training certificate or university degree that neither study nor work. This statistic stands in sharp contrast to the stereotype of a young, rebellious nini (the Spanish neologism for a youth who neither works nor studies) who has opted to leave school early, thus limiting their chances of employment.

The OECD report notes that in Spain, “the percentage of youth who continue studying after finishing their obligatory schooling has grown at a rate that is faster-than-average for OECD countries.” In 2008, 81 percent of young people ages 15-19 and 21 percent of those ages 20-29 were enrolled in school. By 2011, these figures had grown to 86 percent and 26 percent, respectively.

The report from the international organization highlights other national trends, such as the shortage of students opting for vocational training. In Spain, 14 percent of adults have studied through baccalaureate, or university-track high school (the OECD average is 12 percent), but only eight percent have obtained mid-level vocational training (the OECD average is 34 percent).

Source: El País