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 14.3% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Latest (2023)
14.3%
Change on year
down 1.0%
World rank
60th
of 110 countries
All-time high
18.2%
in 2004
All-time low
13.0%
in 2009
Years of data
33
1990–2023
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France, 1990–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France stood at 14.3%.
That represents a change of down 1.0% on the previous year and up 7.6% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France peaked at 18.2% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 13.0%, in 2009.
That places France 60th 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 33 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in France, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 14.3% | — |
| 1991 | 15.3% | +6.9% |
| 1992 | 15.1% | -1.2% |
| 1993 | 15.3% | +1.4% |
| 1994 | 15.3% | -0.2% |
| 1995 | 15.4% | +0.8% |
| 1996 | 15.1% | -1.9% |
| 1997 | 15.4% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 15.3% | -0.6% |
| 1999 | 14.7% | -4.0% |
| 2000 | 15.2% | +3.5% |
| 2001 | 15.1% | -1.0% |
| 2002 | 14.8% | -2.0% |
| 2004 | 18.2% | +22.8% |
| 2005 | 14.0% | -22.9% |
| 2006 | 13.8% | -1.1% |
| 2007 | 13.8% | -0.5% |
| 2008 | 13.7% | -0.7% |
| 2009 | 13.0% | -4.9% |
| 2010 | 13.2% | +1.3% |
| 2011 | 13.4% | +1.9% |
| 2012 | 13.4% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 13.3% | -0.5% |
| 2014 | 13.6% | +2.0% |
| 2015 | 13.4% | -1.0% |
| 2016 | 13.5% | +0.5% |
| 2017 | 13.5% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 13.5% | -0.2% |
| 2019 | 14.1% | +4.1% |
| 2020 | 14.3% | +1.9% |
| 2021 | 14.5% | +1.1% |
| 2022 | 14.5% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 14.3% | -1.0% |
France compared with similar countries
- France's 14.3% is below the median for high income countries, which is 17.5%, 82% of the median. (43 countries reporting)
- France's 14.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 15.5%, 92% of the median. (41 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 15.1% | 14.3% | 15.4% | 10 |
| 2000s | 14.6% | 13.0% | 18.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 13.5% | 13.2% | 14.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 14.4% | 14.3% | 14.5% | 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 14.3% 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 18.2% in 2004.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in France?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.0% in 2009.
- How does France rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- France ranks 60th 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 7.6%. 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, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 33 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release