Demographic trends and technological change increase the need for adults to learn and adapt to changing job content and working conditions. Despite this, most EU Member States have consistently underperformed in their efforts to reach targets for adult participation in lifelong learning. In 2010, the EU set a target of 15% of adults participating in lifelong learning by 2020. Only a handful of Member States met the target; the EU average in 2019 was 11.8%. It fell to 9.2% in 2020, mostly due to the COVID-19 pandemic. To understand these numbers more fully, Cedefop launched a pan-European opinion survey on adult learning and continuing vocational education and training (CVET) in 2019. The findings, which are presented in this briefing note, show that adults of all ages and across all occupations and qualifications recognise the need for new skills. This need, however, seems insufficient to motivate adults to participate in learning and CVET at the desired levels. Raising adult participation may require new, more learner-centric, policy approaches.