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Germany
Overview of the education system (EAG 2024)
  • Germany is one of only four OECD countries where the share of young adults aged 25-34 without an upper secondary qualification has increased between 2016 and 2023. At 16%, the share of young adults without upper secondary qualifications in Germany is now higher than the OECD average of 14%.
  • The high share of adults without upper secondary attainment is mainly driven by the higher share of young men that did not have upper secondary attainment. In 2023, 18% of young men did not have an upper secondary qualification compared to 15% of young women, whereas in 2016 there were no gender differences.
  • In Germany, between 2015 and 2021, expenditure on primary and secondary education measured as share of GDP increased by 8%, compared to an average increase of just 1% across the OECD over the same period.
  • While 22% of women aged 55-64 in Germany have at least a bachelor's qualification, the share is 40% for women aged 25-34. However, at 18 percentage points, the intergenerational increase is lower than the OECD average (23 percentage points) and the share of women aged 25-34 with a bachelor's qualification is seven percentage points below the corresponding OECD average (47%).
  • Only 49% of young women with below upper secondary attainment in Germany are employed, while the corresponding share for young men is 74% (the corresponding OECD averages are 47% and 72%). Among those with tertiary attainment, gender gaps are smaller, with 86% of young women and 92% of young men being employed (the corresponding OECD averages are 84% and 90%, respectively).
  • The tertiary attainment rate for foreign-born adults (aged 25-64) who have arrived in Germany at the age of 16 or older (31%) is almost as high as for native-born adults (35%), while the tertiary attainment rate for foreign-born who arrived by the age of 15 is significantly lower (23%). Both rates are below the average tertiary attainment rates for foreign-born adults across the OECD, which are 45% for those arriving at age 16 or older, 41% for those arriving by the age of 15 and 39% for native-born adults.
  • Germany has invested heavily into early childhood education, increasing public expenditure on it measured as share of GDP by 42% between 2015 and 2021. Despite this strong public investment in early childhood education, the enrolment rate of children aged 3-5 in early childhood education has declined from 96% to 93% between 2013 and 2022, while it has increased from 79% to 83% on average across the OECD.
    • | Education at a Glance 2024 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2024 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Germany | Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (Federal Ministry of Education an Research) | Kultusministerkonferenz (Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in the Federal Republic of Germany, in German) | Statistisches Bundesamt (Federal Statistical Office) |
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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who have attained a general upper secondary or post-secondary qualification is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.7 %, rank 36/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The level of short-cycle tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.3 %, rank 30/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (1 %, rank 5/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old men who have attained a general degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5 %, rank 35/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-old women who have attained a general degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.5 %, rank 37/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Germany has one of the largest share of women among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education. (48.3 %, rank 5/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Germany has one of the largest share of women among 55-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education. (54 %, rank 4/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of 25-34 year-old women who have attained a short cycle tertiary degree is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data (0.3 %, rank 29/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained a short cycle tertiary degree is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data (0.3 %, rank 29/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Germany is one of the highest among countries with available data. (36.7 %, rank 4/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    The share of women among tertiary education new entrants is one of the smallest compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (50.9 %, rank 31/33 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering bachelor's programmes in Germany is relatively small. (48.1 %, rank 39/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of first-time entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (1.2 %, rank 25/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.7 %, rank 36/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction in Germany is relatively small. (23 %, rank 34/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of women among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (18 %, rank 37/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in health and welfare in Germany is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (57.1 %, rank 29/29 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of arts and humanities is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (15.2 %, rank 32/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of female in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (24 %, rank 24/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    In Germany, the percentage of female students enrolled in upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (34.5 %, rank 42/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 17 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in Germany is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.8 %, rank 2/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 18 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in Germany is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.1 %, rank 2/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 19 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in Germany is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.7 %, rank 4/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 19 tertiary programmes in Germany is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 31/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 20 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in Germany is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (13.2 %, rank 1/31 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of students aged 20 in vocational upper secondary programmes in Germany is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.5 %, rank 4/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively high. (66.8 %, rank 5/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at pre-primary level is comparatively high. (64.5 %, rank 5/43 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of upper secondary students enrolled in programmes giving partial completion or insufficient for completion is relatively low compared to the other countries. (5.2 %, rank 13/17 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The average age of post-secondary non-tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Germany is among the lowest. (22.7 %, rank 27/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of post-secondary non-tertiary students among all vocational students is relatively large compared to other OECD and partner countries. (34.8 %, rank 4/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of vocational students as a share of short-cycle tertiary students is among the largest in all OECD and partner countries. (100 %, rank 1/34 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Short-cycle tertiary students represent a small share of all vocational students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.6 %, rank 28/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in Germany is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.7 %, rank 2/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 20-24 in upper secondary vocational programmes in Germany is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9 %, rank 4/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 20-24 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in Germany is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.3 %, rank 2/31 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of female students enrolled in lower secondary vocational programmes is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (39.4 %, rank 18/22 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    In Germany, the average age of post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data (24.5 Years, rank 23/25 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of first-time short-cycle graduates is relatively low in Germany. (1.5 %, rank 24/28 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of first-time graduates in vocational programmes at post-secondary non-tertiary level is comparatively small. (94.3 %, rank 22/25 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary general programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (46.8 %, rank 43/43 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Among OECD and partner countries with available data, Germany has one of the smallest shares of women graduates from tertiary programmes. (51.2 %, rank 33/34 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of female first-time bachelor's graduates is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (49 %, rank 33/34 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of female first-time master's graduates is relatively largest, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (67.5 %, rank 5/24 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.5 %, rank 1/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.9 %, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of sciences, journalism and information in Germany is relatively small. (5.3 %, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in Germany is relatively large. (32.3 %, rank 4/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of business, aministration and law is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (31.4 %, rank 2/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is relatively low. (6 %, rank 22/25 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (27.1 %, rank 5/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (44.8 %, rank 3/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of STEM is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (36 %, rank 1/44 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.9 %, rank 42/45 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in health and welfare is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (11.1 %, rank 39/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of female doctoral graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low. (20.4 %, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.6 %, rank 3/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is relatively high in Germany. (52.8 %, rank 1/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively low in Germany. (4.6 %, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the field of business, administration and law is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries. (53.1 %, rank 35/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries. (40.2 %, rank 37/38 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in all fields is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (50.9 %, rank 40/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (21.2 %, rank 39/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (39.6 %, rank 41/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Germany, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of health and welfare is relatively low. (8 %, rank 37/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of health and welfare among all national tertiary students in Germany is relatively low. (9.9 %, rank 33/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of business, administration and law is relatively small. (0 %, rank 32/33 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively small. (0 %, rank 30/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of health and welfare is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (32.6 %, rank 4/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (5.5 %, rank 35/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of new entrants in social sciences, journalism and information bachelor's programmes is slightly low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.4 %, rank 36/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of new entrants in health and welfare bachelor's programmes is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (6.3 %, rank 38/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of new entrants in health and welfare master's programmes is relatively lowest, compared to other countries with available data. (7.7 %, rank 37/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    The share of worldwide foreign and international students is one of the large among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.6 %, rank 3/41 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of international students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 27/30 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of international graduates among first-time short-cycle tertiary first-time graduates is relatively low. (0 %, rank 23/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 31/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in short-cycle tertiary programmes among men is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0 %, rank 30/34 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in short-cycle tertiary programmes among women is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0 %, rank 30/34 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of engineering, manunfacturing and construction among all international or foreign tertiary students in Germany is relatively high. (28.2 %, rank 1/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the percentage of international doctoral graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.2 %, rank 36/38 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the percentage of international doctoral graduates in the field of Natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (36.5 %, rank 4/38 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    The total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on upper secondary general education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16694 USD Equivalent, rank 5/28 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The total annual expenditure per full-time equivalent student on upper secondary vocational education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23761 USD Equivalent, rank 2/28 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Germany, expenditure on post secondary non-tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (0.2 %, rank 1/20 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Germany, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (0 %, rank 4/33 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    In Germany, total public expenditure on primary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively low. (1.5 %, rank 41/43 , 2021) Download Indicator

    In Germany, total public expenditure on post-secondary non-tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of total public expenditure is comparatively high. (0.2 %, rank 5/22 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year pre-primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively high in Germany. (1755 Hours, rank 1/18 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in short-cycle tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (32.4 %, rank 25/27 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers under 30 in lower secondary education is especially high in Germany. (76.6 %, rank 3/38 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of short-cycle tertiary teachers aged between 30 and 49 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (41.2 %, rank 25/25 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (29.4 %, rank 32/34 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (29.5 %, rank 34/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of tertiary teachers younger than 30 is relatively high, compared to other countries with data available. (22.6 %, rank 3/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of short-cycle tertiary female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (34.2 %, rank 22/24 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of short-cycle tertiary female teachers older than 50 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (31.8 %, rank 23/25 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of women among teaching staff in early childhood educational development is one of the lowest, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (94.4 %, rank 17/21 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of teachers under 30 in upper secondary vocational education is especially low in Germany. (2.8 %, rank 28/30 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of post secondary non-tertiary education teachers under 30 is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data (2.9 %, rank 18/19 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (102337 USD Equivalent, rank 2/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.98 Ratio, rank 5/17 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.02 Ratio, rank 4/17 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual primary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (90323 USD Equivalent, rank 1/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual lower secondary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (99340 USD Equivalent, rank 1/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average actual upper secondary teacher's salary among teachers aged between 25-64 is one of the highest per hour of net teaching time among OECD and partner countries with available data. (103949 USD Equivalent, rank 1/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (102337 USD Equivalent, rank 2/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, an upper secondary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (105777 USD Equivalent, rank 2/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (93943 USD Equivalent, rank 2/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    Starting salaries for teachers with minimum training in primary education are especially high. (77547 USD Equivalent, rank 2/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Salaries of primary school teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially high. (89029 USD Equivalent, rank 2/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Starting salaries for lower secondary teachers with minimum training are especially high. (85732 USD Equivalent, rank 2/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially high. (97360 USD Equivalent, rank 3/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Migrant background

    Earnings of foreign-born aged between 25 and 64 who work full-time full-year with tertiary education are low compared to those of native-born with the same characteristics. (89 Index, rank 27/27 , 2021) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old foreign-borns who attained tertiary education and who arrived in Germany by the age of 15 is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data (22.9 %, rank 26/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    In Germany, the ratio of children to teaching staff in early childhood educational development is one of the lowest compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.7 Ratio, rank 18/21 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of teachers' aides among contact staff in early childhood educational development is one of the lowest of OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.8 Ratio, rank 13/13 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of teachers' aides among contact staff in pre-primary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.7 Ratio, rank 14/18 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (89.8 %, rank 3/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education is comparatively high. (93.8 %, rank 2/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    In Germany, the employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high (86.2 %, rank 2/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of employed 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (81.8 %, rank 3/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.9 %, rank 41/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (2.2 %, rank 31/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the lowest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (2.4 %, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.2 %, rank 42/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively low in Germany. (2.7 %, rank 43/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.5 %, rank 29/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (2.4 %, rank 31/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    In Germany, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a short cycle tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (9.8 %, rank 32/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Germany, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (21.1 %, rank 5/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (16.5 %, rank 32/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low. (17.8 %, rank 41/45 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    The gap in average earnings between 25-64 year-old women with a short-cycle tertiary education degree and those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (108 Index, rank 26/29 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old workers without an upper secondary education earning more than twice the overall median in Germany is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (0 Index, rank 37/38 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old workers without an upper secondary education earning at or below half the overall median in Germany is one of the highest among countries with available data. (43 Index, rank 4/41 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Germany, the distribution of worker earning more than 1.5 times the median but at or below twice the median among those with below upper secondary education is comparatively low . (1 Index, rank 36/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Earnings, gender and educational attainment

    The earnings of women without an upper secondary education are relatively low compared to those of women with an upper secondary education. (64 Index, rank 40/41 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds without an upper secondary education with income from employment) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (69 %, rank 37/41 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (54 %, rank 37/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (68.9 %, rank 37/41 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (82.3 %, rank 5/28 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The percentage of native-born 15-29 year-olds neither employed nor in education and training is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.5 %, rank 31/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Germany is relatively low (9.8 %, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Germany is relatively low (4.3 %, rank 26/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Germany is relatively low. (6.9 %, rank 30/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Germany is relatively low. (11.7 %, rank 39/41 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Germany is relatively low. (5.3 %, rank 39/40 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary in Germany is relatively low. (8.3 %, rank 39/41 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of men with tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Germany is relatively low. (3.4 %, rank 30/33 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Germany is relatively low. (1.9 %, rank 38/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are unemployed NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Germany is relatively low. (2 %, rank 35/39 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of men who are unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Germany is relatively low. (2.7 %, rank 38/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The share of unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Germany is relatively low. (2.3 %, rank 38/42 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Among 15-29 year-olds, the share of youth without an upper secondary or post-secondary non tertiary degree who are neither employed nor in education or training in Germany is relatively low. (6.8 %, rank 39/42 , 2022) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational and labour-market outcomes for young adults at risk of falling behind have improved. Since 2016, the share of 18-24 year-olds not in employment, education or training has fallen from 16% to 14% on average across the OECD. At the same time, the share of 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary qualification has decreased from 17% to 14%.

    • Job opportunities have also improved: the employment rate among 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary qualification has risen from 59% to 61%, and for those with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment, it has increased from 76% to 79%.

    • Educational outcomes are transmitted across generations. Inequalities start early and persist through all stages of the education system. In countries with available data, children from low-income families are on average 18 percentage points less likely to be enrolled in early childhood education and care before the age of 3.

    • Students who start an upper secondary programme are 19 percentage points less likely to successfully complete their studies if their parents have not attained upper secondary education than their peers with parents who have a tertiary qualification, and this gap is 13 percentage points for those starting a bachelor’s programmes.

    • These disadvantages result in very different levels of educational attainment. While 72% of adults who have at least one parent with a tertiary qualification have also obtained a tertiary qualification, only 19% of those whose parents have not completed upper secondary education have tertiary attainment.

    • Public expenditure on early childhood education measured as a share of gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 9% between 2015 and 2021, significantly more than for other levels of education. Enrolment rates in early childhood education have also continued to rise across all age groups. On average across the OECD, 83% of children aged 3-5 are enrolled in pre-primary education, up from 79% in 2013.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Equity in education and on the labour market | Education policies: Equity | Education policies: Gender | Education policies: Socio-economic status | Education policies: Migrant background | 
    
                            
    
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    • 	In almost all countries with available data, the share of younger adults (25-34 year-olds) without an upper secondary qualification has fallen since 2016 and for Costa Rica, Mexico, Portugal and Türkiye these declines have been in double digits in percentage-point terms. This means many more younger adults will have the opportunity to succeed in the labour market.

    • 	On average across OECD countries, the share of women with at least a bachelor's or equivalent degree has almost doubled in a generation: going from 24% among 55-64 year-olds to 47% among 25-34 year-olds, reflecting a substantial increase in educational attainment.

    • 	In most OECD countries, the share of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in formal education or training (NEET) has decreased between 2016 and 2023. Costa Rica and Lithuania are exceptions, having experienced a rise above 3 percentage points in the share over this period.

    • 	Employment rates for younger adults (25-34 year-olds) slightly improved in most countries between 2016 and 2023, irrespective of their educational attainment level. However, the gap in employment rates between younger adults with below upper secondary attainment and those with tertiary attainment has widened in more than half of OECD, partner and/or accession countries with comparable data for both years.

    • 	In OECD countries, workers who have not attained upper secondary education earn, on average, 18% less than those who have attained this level of education. Meanwhile, workers with a tertiary education earn, on average, 56% more than those with only an upper secondary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • 	Most children aged 3 to 5 (84%) attend early childhood education (ECE) programmes across the OECD, yet only 32% of those aged 0 to 2 are enrolled in early childhood educational development programmes (ISCED 01) on average. Younger children from low-income families are least likely to attend these programmes, despite being likely to benefit the most.

    • 	Since 2013, 12 countries have extended the length of compulsory education at either pre-primary or upper secondary level. As enrolment rates in the years before and after compulsory education are already generally high, these measures often aim to increase enrolment among disadvantaged groups, where rates are lower.

    • 	The vast majority of primary students are enrolled in public institutions, averaging 85% across OECD countries. In some countries, government-dependent private institutions are prevalent, which often function in similar ways to public institutions.

    • 	Gender disparities at the upper secondary level affect students’ pathways in the labour market and higher education. On average, 51% of graduates from upper secondary general programmes are female, but in vocational programmes female only make up 46% of graduates.

    • 	Family background strongly influences success in upper secondary education. In all countries with available data, students whose parents have lower educational attainment have substantially lower completion rates than students with a tertiary-educated parent. Completion rates for students with immigrant backgrounds are also lower than for non-immigrant students.

    • 	On average, women are over-represented in tertiary education, but they remain under-represented in some fields. Only 15% of female new entrants at tertiary level choose a science, technology, engineering or mathematics (STEM) field, compared to 41% of male new entrants. In contrast, only 4% of male entrants opted for the field of education and 8% for health and welfare, shares which have not changed since 2015.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • 	Expenditure per student increases with the educational level in nearly all OECD countries, although by how much varies substantially among countries. On average, expenditure per student amounts to about USD 11 900 at primary level, USD 13 300 at secondary level and USD 20 500 at tertiary level.

    • 	OECD countries spend, on average, the equivalent of 4.9% of their gross domestic product (GDP) (over USD 3.5 trillion in total) on educational institutions from primary to tertiary levels (including tertiary research and development). Iceland, Israel, Norway and the United Kingdom invest over 6% of their national output into education.

    • 	Private sources play a much more important role in funding tertiary education, relative to government sources, than at lower levels. On average, private sources of funding amount to 0.3% of GDP for primary to post-secondary non-tertiary institutions, with a similar percentage for tertiary institutions. In contrast, government funding amounts to 3.2% of GDP for primary to post-secondary non-tertiary institutions, well above the 1.0% of GDP that governments spend on tertiary institutions.

    • 	On average, across OECD countries, the government is the primary source of funding for both public and private primary schools. For public institutions, the government covers nearly all expenditure, amounting to about USD 11 900 per student, while it accounts for less than 60% of the costs for private ones, roughly USD 7 900 per student, on average. However, these figure vary considerably across countries. 

    • 	Tuition fees for bachelor's degrees vary considerably from country to country. In one-third of the countries and other participants with data, public institutions either offer tuition-free education to national students or charge less than USD 1 100 per year in fees. In another third of countries, annual tuition fees are relatively modest, averaging between USD 1 400 and USD 3 100 per student. In the remaining countries, fees are considerably higher, exceeding USD 4 500 per year.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • 	Between 2013 and 2022, the ratio of children to teaching staff at pre-primary level fell across most countries, from 16:1 to 15:1 on average in OECD countries, due to fewer enrolled children and more teachers. In some countries, however, the ratio has increased due to rising child enrolment and teacher shortages.

    • 	In most OECD countries, the salaries of teachers increase with the level of education they teach. On average across OECD countries and other participants, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 52 631 at pre-primary level to USD 60 803 at upper secondary level.

    • 	Between 2015 and 2023, the statutory salaries of teachers at primary and secondary levels increased by 28-29% in nominal terms on average across OECD countries. When adjusted for changes in prices, the rise in real salaries was much smaller, at 4-5%.

    • 	Based on official regulations or agreements, teachers in public schools in OECD countries and other participants are required to teach on average 1 007 hours per year at pre-primary level, 773 hours at primary level, 706 hours at lower secondary level (general programmes) and 679 hours at upper secondary level (general programmes). 

    • 	Of the 21 countries with available data, 18 reported that they faced teacher shortages at the start of the 2022/23 academic year, with only Greece, Korea and Türkiye not reporting any shortages.

    • 	The ageing of the teaching workforce is more pronounced in secondary schools than in primary education. On average across OECD countries, the share of older teachers (aged 50 and over) increases with the education level: from 34% in primary education to 36% in lower secondary and 41% in upper secondary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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				Key
            
    
            Diagram of funding flows - Germany
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
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            Country Reviews for Germany
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced
            by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in
            education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey
            more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please
            take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. 
            The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: http://www.oecd.org/about/membersandpartners/
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2018 for school year 2017/2018.  
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Annex 3 
		of EAG 2021 for more details about the data collections.
            

    
			B-S-J-Z (China) refers to the four PISA-participating provinces/municipalities of the People's Republic of China:
Beijing, Shanghai, Jiangsu and Zhejiang.
			

    
            For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.