English is the most learned language by lower secondary level students in European Union countries as of 2022, with 98.1 percent of students learning the language. French, German, and Spanish are the next most learned languages, with almost a third of students learning French at lower secondary level. Russian was the non-EU language which had the most learners at this education level, with 2.2 percent of students.
Share of students in lower secondary education in European Union member states learning a foreign language in 2022, by language
Characteristic
Share of lower secondary students
English
98.1%
French
29.8%
German
22.4%
Spanish
18.4%
Russian
2.2%
Italian
1.3%
Swedish
0.9%
Other
0.4%
Dutch
0.3%
Estonian
0.1%
Portuguese
0.1%
Slovak
0.1%
Finnish
0.1%
0%20%40%60%80%100%120%
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Eurostat. (November 7, 2024). Share of students in lower secondary education in European Union member states learning a foreign language in 2022, by language [Graph]. In Statista. Retrieved April 11, 2025, from https://www.statista.com/statistics/1425970/share-lower-secondary-school-language-learning/
Eurostat. "Share of students in lower secondary education in European Union member states learning a foreign language in 2022, by language." Chart. November 7, 2024. Statista. Accessed April 11, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1425970/share-lower-secondary-school-language-learning/
Eurostat. (2024). Share of students in lower secondary education in European Union member states learning a foreign language in 2022, by language. Statista. Statista Inc.. Accessed: April 11, 2025. https://www.statista.com/statistics/1425970/share-lower-secondary-school-language-learning/
Eurostat. "Share of Students in Lower Secondary Education in European Union Member States Learning a Foreign Language in 2022, by Language." Statista, Statista Inc., 7 Nov 2024, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1425970/share-lower-secondary-school-language-learning/
Eurostat, Share of students in lower secondary education in European Union member states learning a foreign language in 2022, by language Statista, https://www.statista.com/statistics/1425970/share-lower-secondary-school-language-learning/ (last visited April 11, 2025)
Share of students in lower secondary education in European Union member states learning a foreign language in 2022, by language [Graph], Eurostat, November 7, 2024. [Online]. Available: https://www.statista.com/statistics/1425970/share-lower-secondary-school-language-learning/
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