Brussels (Brussels Morning Newspaper) – The 2023 Erasmus+ report highlights €4.5 billion in funding, supporting 32,000 projects, mobility for 1.3 million, and inclusivity.
The 2023 Erasmus+ Annual Report published on 27 Nov 2024 revealed the programme’s accomplishments in supporting lifelong learning and collaboration, with a strong focus on social inclusion, green and digital transitions, and the advancement of EU values. Erasmus+ is the EU’s programme to fund education, training, youth and sport in Europe.
How many projects and communities did Erasmus+ support in 2023?
The 2023 Erasmus+ Annual Report demonstrated how the programme has backed projects addressing the consequences of the Russian war of aggression against Ukraine, including through grants to further boost collaboration in the area of learning. According to the report with a total budget of over €4.5 billion in 2023, 12.5% more increased than the previous year, Erasmus+ helped about 32,000 projects, involving over 84,500 communities.
The programme’s learning mobility actions delivered opportunities to more than 1.3 million students, learners, professors, educators, trainers, youth workers, sports coaches and young people. Erasmus+ had, by the end of 2023, delivered opportunities for 15.1 million people to study, teach, work and volunteer abroad since its beginning in 1987.
How does Erasmus+ ensure equal opportunities for people with fewer resources?
Moreover, prioritising inclusion and diversity, Erasmus+ persisted in better reaching people of different age groups and from various cultural, social and economic backgrounds. By becoming more affordable for small organisations and more inclusive for people with fewer opportunities, the programme grew in quality and advanced in ensuring equal opportunities for all. In 2023, around 200,000 of the Erasmus+ participants were people with fewer opportunities, including migrants and individuals with disabilities, as well as EU citizens living in remote locations or facing socioeconomic difficulties.
In 2023 alone, 23% of parties in Erasmus+ learning mobility activities utilised low-emission transport for the major part of their travel, such as bus, train or car-pooling. The Erasmus+ programme also recreates a pivotal role in assisting to strengthen European identity and values, and in contributing to a more democratic European Union. In 2023, €390.6 million supported 1,460 cooperation schemes which support democratic participation.
