Three out of five Brazilians who drop out of school before reaching higher education are Black, according to a study on Brazilian youth perspectives published by the British Council —a cultural and educational organization linked to the UK government.
Among those who stop studying before finishing high school, 63% are Black or mixed-race, compared to 33% who are white, the study found. The data show that although the Black population accounts for 55.5% of Brazilians, they are underrepresented among university graduates and make up a disproportionate majority of school dropouts.
Half of young people aged 19 to 24 are neither studying nor hold a college degree. Black and mixed-race youth, in addition to dropping out of basic education more frequently, report experiencing situations of violence at higher rates, make up most of the informal workforce, and face greater difficulty affording basic needs.
The most common reason for leaving school is financial hardship (39% of responses), followed by family responsibilities and transportation issues to school (19% each).
