Lifelong learning is a subject of major interest in the context of the knowledge and information society, where the acquisition of competencies and its continuous updating are the basis for the effective participation into a knowledge-based economy.

Being a key component in the Lisbon Strategy, lifelong learning is one of the core indicators for monitoring progress towards the strategic objective of making the European Union the most competitive economy in the world and achieving a sustained economic growth, along with a quantitative and qualitative increase in employment and higher social cohesion.

The Adult Education Survey (AES) has been developed in the context of an increasing demand for information on adult education and learning, in order to develop a statistical framework concerning adult education learning. This survey, carried out by Statistics Portugal in 2007, took place in all European Union Member States, following methodological guidelines issued by Eurostat.
Based on the subjects covered in the survey – adult participation in formal and non-formal education and training and informal activities – the results of the AES are presented in this publication organized in three major domains: characterization of individuals and the learning activities; learning impacts in individuals’ life; and the intergeracional transmission of education.