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The majority of university systems in Europe are under growing funding pressure, a new "Public Funding Observatory" report from the European University Association finds.
Public funding to universities declined in 13 systems across Europe between 2008 and 2015. Seven of those systems also saw an increase in the number of students over that time.
And while public funding increased for 11 higher education systems in Europe, in seven of those systems enrollments rose faster than public funding.
Norway and Sweden are, the report states, the two front runners, in that they increased public funding at a higher rate than student growth, while Poland and Portugal also have positive funding trends but from a relatively low base in terms of percentage of gross domestic product invested in education.
“This data proves that almost all of Europe's higher education systems are feeling the heat,” Thomas Estermann, EUA’s director of governance, funding and public policy development, said in a press release. “The Public Funding Observatory also demonstrates widening funding gaps between national systems, translating into a huge challenge to the creation of unified European Higher Education and Research Areas.”
