Erasmus+, the EU's programme for education, training, youth and sport, supported some 26,000 projects in 2022, benefitting over 73,000 organisations. It provided learning mobility opportunities to more than 1.2 million students, learners, professors, teachers, trainers, youth workers and young people.
These are the main results of the 2022 edition of the Erasmus+ Annual Report, presented today by the Commission at the 6th European Education Summit. The report shows that the programme delivered on its objectives in 2022, with high take-up and an efficient use of funds.
The report shows the programme continues to grow. With a budget of some €26.2 billion for 2021-27 (nearly double the funding available in 2014-20), Erasmus+ places a strong focus on social inclusion, the green and digital transitions, and promoting participation in democratic life.
The 2022 report provides insights into the impact of Erasmus+ on the lives of millions of people who participate in various mobility activities in Europe and beyond. Mobility of learners, staff and young people is the flagship activity of Erasmus+. It has positive impact on their educational, social, personal, and professional development, and boosts a sense of European identity. Mobility rates have also returned to pre-pandemic levels.
Working with a total budget of over €4 billion in 2022 – 38% more than the year before –Erasmus+ has become even more accessible for small organisations and more inclusive for people with fewer opportunities. Thanks to its focus on inclusion and diversity, Erasmus+ has supported 134,000 people with fewer opportunities to avail of a mobility activity in 2022. This includes people with disabilities and migrants, as well as EU citizens living in remote areas or facing socio-economic difficulties.
The programme is also greener and more digital. In 2022, 1 300 cooperation projects with a budget of €592 million supported environmental goals and fight against climate change, testifying to the continuing commitment of the programme to the green transition. The programme also continued to support the digital transformation of education and training systems, in line with the Digital Education Action Plan: in 2022, over 1 650 cooperation projects with an overall budget of €744 million addressed digital transition.
Erasmus+ also plays a pivotal role in strengthening European identity and values and in contributing to a more democratic Union. Some €340 million of the 2022 budget funded 1,200 cooperation projects supporting democratic participation.
By the end of 2022, and since its creation in 1987, Erasmus+ has provided opportunities to around 14 million people to study, train, work and volunteer abroad. In the years to come, thanks to strong support from EU institutions and Member States, Erasmus+ will continue to provide more opportunities to learn and participate in transnational projects.
The Commission is currently preparing a comprehensive evaluation of the Erasmus+ programme and will submit its Evaluation Report to the other EU institutions by the end of 2024. The outcomes and recommendations of the evaluation will feed into the implementation of the current programme, and preparation of its successor after 2027.
The call for proposals for 2024 under the Erasmus+ programme was launched on 28 November 2023.
Background
Erasmus was created in 1987, providing learning mobility opportunities to just 3,000 university students that year. Since then, there have been substantial changes to the Erasmus over the years, modernising and opening up to new countries. In 2014, the name changed to Erasmus+ to mark the broadening of the programme to all education fields as well as Youth and Sport. The programme offers opportunities for individuals of all ages to study, train or learn abroad in a wide choice of participating organisations.
Today, it is one of the most emblematic EU programmes with nearly 14 million people participating so far. It offers cooperation and mobility opportunities in school education for pupils and teachers, in vocational education and training, higher education and adult education, as well as projects for apprentices, young people, youth workers and sport coaches.
Erasmus+ has also played a key role in the Commission's response to the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine. The Commission immediately took action to support Ukrainian students, young people, teachers, educators and professors through the Erasmus+ programme. The programme also supported Ukrainian learners providing half million textbooks.
With a total budget for Erasmus+ from 2021 to 2027 of €26.2 billion, complemented with about €2.2 billion from the EU's external instruments, the programme is set to support even more people and ideas in Europe and beyond. The current programme period also marks the integration of DiscoverEU into Erasmus+. In 2022, more than 230,000 young people applied for around 83,000 travel passes available through DiscoverEU, confirming the popularity of and demand for the scheme.
