Alongside rising cost of living and affordable housing, concerns over education constituted a major theme of protests across various European countries in recent days. In France, young students are asking for better education facilities; in Greece, students and teachers are demanding higher state funding for education; in Spain and Portugal, students are demanding actions against a rising housing crisis, and German youths are raising their voice against “broken schools and austerity”.

These protests highlight a broader concern: the growing insecurity among the youth over their future economic prospects. As a productive investment in human capital, education helps ensure individual earnings and social mobility, as well as drive overall economic growth. How does development economics help explain these protests?

Youth unemployment and education

The youth unemployment rate offers a context in which these protests are unfolding.…