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 9.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
9.9%
Change on year
up 1.8%
World rank
21st
of 105 countries
All-time high
10.2%
in 2017
All-time low
6.3%
in 2001
Years of data
30
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 9.9%.
The figure is up 1.8% on the previous year and up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Germany peaked at 10.2% in 2017 and was at its lowest, 6.3%, in 2001.
That places Germany 21st out of 105 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 30 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Germany, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 6.7% | — |
| 1991 | 7.2% | +6.6% |
| 1996 | 7.1% | -0.3% |
| 1997 | 6.9% | -3.2% |
| 1998 | 6.8% | -2.4% |
| 1999 | 6.8% | -0.1% |
| 2000 | 6.4% | -5.5% |
| 2001 | 6.3% | -0.8% |
| 2002 | 7.0% | +10.2% |
| 2003 | 7.4% | +5.5% |
| 2004 | 8.9% | +20.9% |
| 2005 | 9.1% | +2.1% |
| 2006 | 8.6% | -5.3% |
| 2007 | 8.7% | +1.0% |
| 2008 | 9.6% | +10.6% |
| 2009 | 9.1% | -5.4% |
| 2010 | 8.8% | -3.2% |
| 2011 | 8.8% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 9.5% | +7.8% |
| 2013 | 9.5% | +0.8% |
| 2014 | 9.7% | +1.1% |
| 2015 | 9.8% | +1.7% |
| 2016 | 10.2% | +3.7% |
| 2017 | 10.2% | +0.1% |
| 2018 | 10.0% | -1.6% |
| 2019 | 10.1% | +0.3% |
| 2020 | 8.8% | -12.8% |
| 2021 | 9.2% | +5.1% |
| 2022 | 9.7% | +5.0% |
| 2023 | 9.9% | +1.8% |
Germany compared with similar countries
- Germany's 9.9% is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.3%, 1.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Germany's 9.9% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.8%, 1.3× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 6.9% | 6.7% | 7.2% | 6 |
| 2000s | 8.1% | 6.3% | 9.6% | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.7% | 8.8% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2020s | 9.4% | 8.8% | 9.9% | 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 9.9% 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 10.2% in 2017.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Germany?
- The lowest recorded value was 6.3% in 2001.
- How does Germany rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Germany ranks 21st out of 105 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 up 3.4%. 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, 25-54 years old, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 30 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release