France

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France
Overview of the education system (EAG 2026)
  • In France, the share of adults with tertiary attainment reaches 44.8% (OECD average : 42.7%), while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment stands at 39.9% (OECD average : 39.9%) and 15.3% of 25-64 year-olds reached below upper secondary education (OECD average : 17.9%).
  • Some 100% of children aged 3 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 81.5%), while 99.8% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 86%).
  • France hosted 4.9% of worldwide foreign student in 2023. The share of inbound students accounted for 9.9% of all students enrolled domestically (OECD average : 12%).
  • Government expenditure on educational institutions, before transfers, on primary to tertiary education equalled 4.5% of GDP in 2023 (OECD average : 4%), while private expenditure equalled 0.8% (OECD average : 0.6%).
  • In 2023, France allocated an average of 8.1% of total government expenditure to education from primary to tertiary levels (OECD average : 9.8%), equivalent to 4.6% of GDP (OECD average : 4.2%).
  • Total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student equalled 23285 equivalent USD for tertiary education in France (OECD average : 22402 equivalent USD), while it added up to 12310 equivalent USD for primary education (OECD average : 13552 equivalent USD).
  • The unemployment rate among tertiary-educated young adults stands at 7% in 2025 (OECD average : 5%), while it is equal to 22% for 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education (OECD average : 13.9%).
  • Some 17.8% of all 18-24 year-olds were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025 (OECD average : 14.1%), while 19.2% of 25-29 year-olds were NEET (OECD average : 16.3%).
  • On-site work varies with the level of education, while 56% of tertiary-educated workers sometimes or usually work from home in France (OECD average : 42.5%), 18.8% of workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment did so (OECD average : 17.7%).
  • In France, annual typical teaching hours were 900 hours in primary education (OECD average : 770 hours) and 720 hours in lower secondary education (OECD average : 710 hours).
  • Women represent 91.6% of pre-primary teaching staff in France (OECD average : 95.9%) and 65.2% in lower secondary education (OECD average : 68.2%).
  • In France, there are 92.9% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools (OECD average : 90.9%). However, 1.9% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary education left the profession through retirement or resignation in 2025 (OECD average : 6.4%).
    • | Education at a Glance 2026 (EAG 2026): OECD Indicators | Country note | Country note in French | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2026 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: France | Ministère de l'éducation nationale (Ministry of National Education, in French) | Ministère de l'Enseignement Supérieur et de la Recherche (Ministry of Higher Education and Research, in French) |

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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

    France has one of the highest percentages of 25-64 year-old adults with less than primary education. (1.4 %, rank 10/30 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-olds who have attained a general degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.1 %, rank 31/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of short-cycle tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (11.6 %, rank 9/30 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (15.1 %, rank 31/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the largest among countries with available data. (0.8 %, rank 8/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of 25-34 year-olds who attained a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the largest among countries with available data. (28.3 %, rank 4/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (52.3 %, rank 8/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    The share of female students entering doctoral or equivalent programmes in France is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (46 %, rank 38/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the average age of new entrants in short-cycle programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.2 Years, rank 33/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the average age of new entrants in doctoral programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (28 Years, rank 38/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the proportion of female new entrants in master's long first degree (LFD) programmes is relatively low. (46.8 %, rank 25/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the average age of new entrants in master's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.2 Years, rank 36/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    In agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary, the share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in France was among the smallest internationally. (31.6 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of female new entrants in services bachelor’s programmes was among the smallest across countries with available data. (36.5 %, rank 23/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In social sciences, journalism and information, the proportion of female new entrants to doctoral programmes in France was among the smallest internationally. (53.5 %, rank 25/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In social sciences, journalism and information, the proportion of female new entrants to master’s programmes was among the smallest across countries with available data. (65.3 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female new entrants in tertiary education in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary in France was among the smallest internationally. (25.4 %, rank 24/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of education is relatively small. (62.7 %, rank 22/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is relatively small. (43.9 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (56.3 %, rank 26/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in information and communication technologies in France is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (8.6 %, rank 21/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short cycle tertiary programmes in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in France is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (39.2 %, rank 16/20 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (62.8 %, rank 24/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in engineering, manufacturing and construction in France is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (57.7 %, rank 25/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering short-cycle tertiary programmes in science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in France is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (69.3 %, rank 22/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (62.9 %, rank 14/16 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female new entrants 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. (20.1 %, rank 20/20 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    Enrolment in early childhood education (ISCED 0) among 3- to 5-year-olds placed France among the highest across countries. (99.8 %, rank 1/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/44 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (100 %, rank 1/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of 15–19-year-olds in post-secondary non-tertiary general programmes was among the highest across participating countries. (0 %, rank 9/11 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the enrolment rate of children under 3 in early childhood education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.4 %, rank 32/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (58 %, rank 35/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of students enrolled in private institutions at all early childhood education level is comparatively low. (14.1 %, rank 25/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The average age of post-secondary non-tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes in France is among the lowest. (25.5 %, rank 26/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in other registered ECEC services in France is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 11/15 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of five-year-olds in early childhood education in France is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (99.5 %, rank 4/44 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The average age of graduates from general programmes at the upper secondary level in France is relatively low compared to other participating countries. (17.1 Years, rank 38/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of education in France is relatively small. (1.1 %, rank 33/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of health and welfare in France is relatively small. (3.7 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of business, aministration and law is relatively low. (7.4 %, rank 18/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low. (0.9 %, rank 19/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively low. (7 %, rank 19/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of services is relatively low. (2.7 %, rank 20/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (5.3 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (69.6 %, rank 17/19 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively small. (53.5 %, rank 21/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.6 %, rank 21/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, 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. (44.3 %, rank 30/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In France, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of education is relatively low. (3.4 %, rank 26/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of new entrants to tertiary education in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is relatively low. (3.8 %, rank 26/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of new entrants to tertiary education in STEM fields was one of the smallest across countries with available data. (23.7 %, rank 23/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively small. (5 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (0 %, rank 29/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of health and welfare is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (4.3 %, rank 29/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of new entrants in education bachelor's programmes is among the smallest, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.3 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the proportion of new entrants in information and communication technologies bachelor's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.2 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of new entrants in short-cycle tertiary programmes in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is comparatively low in France, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.8 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of new entrants in science, technology, engineering and mathematics bachelor's programmes is relatively low in France among countries with available data. (24.1 %, rank 27/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the proportion of new entrants in agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary bachelor's programmes is especially small, compared to the other countries with available data. (0.5 %, rank 31/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    The share of worldwide foreign and international students is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.9 %, rank 8/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    In France, the share of students enrolled in the field of agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary among all international or foreign tertiary students is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (0.7 %, rank 33/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Adult participation in non-formal education

    Among adults aged 25-64 outside the labour force, participation in non-formal education or training in France was among the lowest across countries with available data. (12.2 %, rank 23/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment, the share reporting never having participated in non-formal education or training in France was among the largest across countries with available data. (14.7 %, rank 8/29 , 2023) 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. (18175 USD Equivalent, rank 8/31 , 2023) 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. (22033 USD Equivalent, rank 6/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In France, expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies. (5.4 %, rank 7/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In France, expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (2.4 %, rank 2/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In France, expenditure on tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (1.7 %, rank 6/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In France, government expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (4.4 %, rank 8/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In France, private expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (0.9 %, rank 10/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Government expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds at primary to tertiary education is relatively high in France. (4.5 %, rank 7/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The proportion of private expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds for primary to tertiary education is comparatively high in France. (0.8 %, rank 8/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    In France, total government expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of total government expenditure is comparatively low. (8.1 %, rank 33/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year primary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively high in France. (900 Hours, rank 6/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In France, pre-primary public schools have among the fewest instruction days per school year across OECD and partner countries with available data. (162 Days, rank 36/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In France, primary public schools have among the fewest instruction days per school year across OECD and partner countries with available data. (162 Days, rank 40/42 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in pre-primary education is one of the smallest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (91.6 %, rank 37/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff in post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the smallest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (42.6 %, rank 19/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of female teachers younger than 30 in tertiary education is relatively small . (46 %, rank 33/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level teachers aged between 30 and 49 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (44.8 %, rank 31/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (45.5 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of teachers aged between 30 and 49 in post secondary non-tertiary education is relatively small in France, compared to other countries with available data. (44.4 %, rank 18/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    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. (0.85 Ratio, rank 6/18 , 2025) 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. (0.92 Ratio, rank 3/19 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary female teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year women workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.03 Ratio, rank 8/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 25-34 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education are high in France. (0.99 Ratio, rank 6/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Principals' salaries

    In France, the average actual salaries of 25-64 year-old primary school heads is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries. (68050 USD Equivalent, rank 22/30 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In France, the average actual salaries of 25-34 year-old lower-secondary school heads is relatively low compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (63834 USD Equivalent, rank 14/19 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teacher shortages

    In France, the share of fully qualified primary and secondary teachers who left the profession is relatively low compared to other participating countries. (1.9 %, rank 22/24 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The gap in job satisfaction between teachers and other similarly educated employed adults aged 16-65 is especially wide in favor of other employed adults in France. (-10.1 % points, rank 23/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The number of pupils per teacher in pre-primary schools is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (21.6 Ratio, rank 4/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The number of students per teacher in primary schools is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner countries with available data. (17.9 Ratio, rank 7/43 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff in short-cycle tertiary programmes is comparatively low in France. (9.3 Ratio, rank 16/20 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the vocational upper secondary level is especially low in France. (8.1 Ratio, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In France, the number of students per teacher in public institutions at the short-cycle tertiary level is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (9.3 Ratio, rank 15/20 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    Classes are particularly large in lower secondary schools. (26 Students, rank 7/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in private primary institutions are comparatively large in France. (24 Students, rank 6/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary public institutions are comparatively large in France. (25 Students, rank 9/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary private institutions are comparatively large in France. (27 Students, rank 4/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively low across participating countries. (54.4 %, rank 31/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (90.2 %, rank 27/30 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (75.2 %, rank 30/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is relatively low in France compared to other participating countries. (49.8 %, rank 30/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (79.4 %, rank 26/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in France. (87.2 %, rank 14/18 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men without upper secondary education is comparatively low across participating countries. (62.3 %, rank 31/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men with upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low across participating countries. (78.1 %, rank 36/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 55-64 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in France compared to other participating countries. (60.2 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In France, the employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low. (83.5 %, rank 29/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of employed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (77.8 %, rank 31/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively high across surveyed countries. (22 %, rank 5/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high across surveyed countries. (10.1 %, rank 8/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high across surveyed countries. (7 %, rank 8/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high across surveyed countries. (12.2 %, rank 10/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (6.5 %, rank 9/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (7.1 %, rank 8/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is relatively high in France compared to other participating countries. (21.2 %, rank 6/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively high in France compared to other participating countries. (6.8 %, rank 7/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with below upper secondary education is relatively high in France compared to other participating countries. (23.4 %, rank 7/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively high in France compared to other participating countries. (7.1 %, rank 8/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    In France, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a short cycle tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (6.4 %, rank 21/25 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Earnings and skill level

    The share of high earners aged 25-64 with high numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the Adult Skills Survey was among the greatest in France compared with other countries with available data. (70.2 %, rank 7/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of unemployed youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in France is one of the largest among countries with available data. (17.8 %, rank 10/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively large in France. (17.8 %, rank 10/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old men neither employed nor in education or training is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (19.8 %, rank 4/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Social outcomes

    In France, the share of employed women aged 25-64 with tertiary education reporting high or very high flexibility in their main job was among the lowest across countries with available data. (29.4 %, rank 21/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of employed adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment who sometimes or usually work from home was among the largest across countries with available data. (56 %, rank 10/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In France, the share of adults aged 25-64 with below upper secondary attainment who kept worrying about work when not working some or most of the time was among the largest across countries with available data. (44.3 %, rank 4/26 , 2024) Download Indicator


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    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational attainment remains at an all-time high in 2025 as more people obtain advanced qualifications. Across the OECD, 43% of working-age adults have a tertiary qualification, while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment is slightly lower at 39%.
    • On a similar note, the share of young adults without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, standing at 12% in 2025. Therefore, while more young adults obtain a tertiary qualification, the share of individuals whose highest qualification is upper secondary with a vocational orientation is decreasing in almost all OECD countries. 
    • Regarding the share of young people being neither in employment nor in education or training, it stood at 14% as of 2025 across OECD countries. However, cross-country comparisons reveal a wide variety of trends, ranging from large falls in Croatia or Ireland to increases in Germany or Latvia.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 86% across the OECD in 2024. Participation in early childhood education increases with age and tends to be higher in countries with stronger institutional support for participation.
    • 76.2% of students complete upper secondary programmes within the theoretical programme duration. This rises to 84.9% with two additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • In 2023, OECD countries allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education, equivalent to 4.2% of GDP.
    • Total expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education. In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 13 552 in 2023 on average across the OECD. This amount rises to USD 14 923 in secondary education and to USD 22 402 in tertiary education.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education. However, as a whole most investment in education comes from public sources. On average, across the OECD, government expenditure on primary to tertiary education corresponded to 4% of GDP in 2023, while private expenditure corresponded to 0.6%. Both of these figures are measured as initial source of funds, which implies that we are tracking the original provider.
    • Research and development represents around one-third of total expenditure across the OECD on tertiary educational institutions, underlining their dual role in both teaching and research. On average across the OECD, in 2023, USD 8 060 were invested annually into research and development for every student enrolled in tertiary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Compulsory teaching time averages 770 hours per year for primary students and 710 hours for lower secondary students (general programmes), a difference of about 60 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, across OECD countries and economies, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 60 437 at pre-primary level to USD 68 928 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries at primary and general secondary levels of education are 87-95% of the average earnings of tertiary-educated workers across OECD countries. School heads' actual salaries are usually higher than those of tertiary-educated workers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Learning environment | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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    • On average across OECD countries, 9.1% of teachers in primary and secondary education are non-fully qualified, with shares exceeding 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
    • Furthermore, the share of fully qualified teachers leaving the profession in primary and secondary schools stands at 6.4% of the total teaching workforce.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Regarding job satisfaction among teachers, participating countries show wide differences. Japan, Spain and Czechia reported that teachers tend to be much more satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults. On the other hand, teachers in Hungary, Chile or Latvia tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: Teacher employment | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - France
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
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            Country Reviews for France
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            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: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			
            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. 
			However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.
			

    
			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: 2026 for school year 2025/2026 in the Northern Hemisphere.
			

    
	    *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 
		Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes 
		of EAG 2025 for more details about the data collections.
		

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