Lifelong learning is no longer a policy aspiration; it is an economic and social necessity. In a world shaped by technological disruption, demographic change, shifting labour markets and rising uncertainty, individuals and societies alike depend on the ability to continuously develop, renew and apply skills throughout life. Strong lifelong learning systems are therefore essential not only for employability and productivity, but also for innovation, resilience, inclusion and well-being.
Yet much of the learning that sustains these outcomes does not take place in classrooms, training centres or structured programmes. It takes place informally – through work, daily activities, social interaction, self-directed exploration and practical experience. Informal learning is a fundamental, everyday part of how people build and update their skills across the life course. It often accounts for the majority of time spent learning and plays a vital role in helping individuals adapt to change, solve problems, and acquire new competences in real-world settings.
Its importance is only set to grow. Digitalisation, new workplace practices and the rapid development of artificial intelligence (AI) are transforming how people learn, creating more personalised, flexible and immediate opportunities to acquire skills outside formal settings. At the same time, the rise of skills-based hiring is shifting attention away from where learning took place and towards what individuals can actually do. Together, these trends make informal learning more visible, more valuable, and more central to the future of skills and work.
And yet, despite its significance, informal learning remains poorly understood and too often overlooked in policy and research. Definitions vary widely. Measurement is inconsistent and fragmented. International surveys often capture the phenomenon in very different ways, producing results that are difficult to compare and interpret. As a result, policymakers still lack a sufficiently clear and robust evidence base to understand who is learning informally, under what conditions, and with what outcomes.
This report responds to that gap. Supported by the governments of Belgium (Flanders), Luxembourg and the Netherlands, the project Enhancing the Understanding and Measurement of Informal Learning: Towards a Comprehensive, Shared Definition brings together the latest evidence on why informal learning matters and how it can be better understood. Its particular contribution lies in advancing the conceptual and empirical foundations of the field: by clarifying what should count as informal learning, and by identifying practical ways to measure it more consistently and meaningfully across contexts.
Improving the definition and measurement of informal learning is not a technical exercise alone. It is a necessary step towards ensuring that one of the most important – yet least visible – forms of learning is better recognised, better supported, and better reflected in lifelong learning and skills policy.