Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France
France: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 15.5% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France, 1990–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France is 15.5%, measured in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.3% on the previous year and up 12.5% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France peaked at 15.8% in 1997 and was at its lowest, 13.2%, in 2009.
That places France 54th out of 110 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 32 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 14.2% | — |
| 1991 | 15.2% | +6.7% |
| 1992 | 15.1% | -0.5% |
| 1993 | 15.5% | +2.2% |
| 1994 | 15.6% | +1.0% |
| 1995 | 15.8% | +1.0% |
| 1996 | 15.6% | -1.0% |
| 1997 | 15.8% | +1.1% |
| 1998 | 15.5% | -1.6% |
| 1999 | 15.3% | -1.6% |
| 2000 | 15.7% | +2.5% |
| 2001 | 15.7% | -0.1% |
| 2002 | 15.7% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 14.3% | -8.9% |
| 2006 | 14.1% | -1.2% |
| 2007 | 13.8% | -2.0% |
| 2008 | 13.7% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 13.2% | -4.2% |
| 2010 | 13.3% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 13.4% | +0.4% |
| 2012 | 13.7% | +1.9% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | +0.9% |
| 2014 | 14.2% | +3.2% |
| 2015 | 14.1% | -0.7% |
| 2016 | 14.0% | -1.1% |
| 2017 | 14.2% | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 14.3% | +1.2% |
| 2019 | 14.6% | +2.0% |
| 2020 | 14.9% | +2.0% |
| 2021 | 15.5% | +3.8% |
| 2022 | 15.4% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 15.5% | +0.3% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 15.5% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.3%, 85% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- France's 15.5% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 17.2%, 90% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.4% | 14.2% | 15.8% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.5% | 13.2% | 15.7% | 8 |
| 2010s | 14.0% | 13.3% | 14.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 15.3% | 14.9% | 15.5% | 4 |
Countries ranked near France
More education data for France
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 457,956 (2019)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 43,533 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 1.19 million (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.14 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 6.27 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 4.13 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.27 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0602 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France was 15.5% 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 France?
- The highest recorded value was 15.8% in 1997.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.2% in 2009.
- How does France rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- France ranks 54th out of 110 countries with data for 2023.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in France?
- Over the last ten years it is up 12.5%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this France 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, 15-64 years old, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 32 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release