Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Germany
Germany: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 68.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
68.9%
Change on year
down 2.1%
World rank
17th
of 110 countries
All-time high
74.8%
in 2015
All-time low
59.8%
in 1990
Years of data
29
1990–2023
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Germany, 1990–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Germany stood at 68.9%.
The figure is down 2.1% on the previous year and down 5.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Germany peaked at 74.8% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 59.8%, in 1990.
That places Germany 17th out of 110 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 29 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Germany, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 59.8% | — |
| 1996 | 65.5% | +9.5% |
| 1997 | 67.6% | +3.2% |
| 1998 | 68.7% | +1.6% |
| 1999 | 69.0% | +0.6% |
| 2000 | 68.6% | -0.6% |
| 2001 | 68.5% | -0.2% |
| 2002 | 68.4% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 67.9% | -0.7% |
| 2004 | 70.2% | +3.3% |
| 2005 | 69.3% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 70.5% | +1.6% |
| 2007 | 70.2% | -0.4% |
| 2008 | 70.0% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 72.5% | +3.6% |
| 2010 | 70.3% | -3.0% |
| 2011 | 69.3% | -1.5% |
| 2012 | 71.1% | +2.7% |
| 2013 | 73.1% | +2.8% |
| 2014 | 73.7% | +0.8% |
| 2015 | 74.8% | +1.5% |
| 2016 | 73.6% | -1.5% |
| 2017 | 73.9% | +0.4% |
| 2018 | 73.2% | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 73.1% | -0.2% |
| 2020 | 72.8% | -0.4% |
| 2021 | 69.5% | -4.6% |
| 2022 | 70.4% | +1.3% |
| 2023 | 68.9% | -2.1% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 68.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 66.1%, 1.0× the median. (43 countries reporting)
- Germany's 68.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 66.3%, 1.0× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 66.1% | 59.8% | 69.0% | 5 |
| 2000s | 69.6% | 67.9% | 72.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 72.6% | 69.3% | 74.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 70.4% | 68.9% | 72.8% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Germany
More education data for Germany
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 618,670 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 15,242 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.35 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.27 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.97 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.31 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 2.83 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0396 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Germany?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Germany was 68.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Germany?
- The highest recorded value was 74.8% in 2015.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 59.8% in 1990.
- How does Germany rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Germany ranks 17th out of 110 countries with data for 2023.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in Germany?
- Over the last ten years it is down 5.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Germany data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 15-24 years old, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 29 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release