Germany skilled crafts
Germany's skilled crafts statistics on establishments and apprentices, compiled by the ZDH.
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| Indicator | 2025 | 2024 | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 | 2018 | 2017 | 2016 | 2015 | 2014 | 2013 | 2012 | 2011 | 2010 | 2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002 | 2001 | 2000 | 1999 | 1998 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Establishments1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skilled crafts, total3 | 1,037,909 | 1,038,035 | 1,036,847 | 1,032,140 | 1,027,889 | 1,019,342 | 1,011,742 | 1,001,439 | 999,636 | 998,919 | 1,003,626 | 1,006,606 | 1,008,152 | 1,003,772 | 999,907 | 987,312 | 974,783 | 966,688 | 961,206 | 946,898 | 922,683 | 887,093 | 846,588 | 843,661 | 850,696 | 858,277 | 856,279 | 850,586 | |
| Schedule A: crafts requiring authorisation | 641,462 | 652,686 | 663,285 | 672,953 | 682,394 | 688,549 | 694,678 | 693,080 | 697,848 | 702,663 | 709,165 | 713,566 | 715,853 | 715,310 | 716,258 | 710,607 | 703,784 | 699,155 | 695,330 | 684,788 | 667,423 | 644,212 | 618,094 | 620,456 | 626,671 | 633,714 | 635,668 | 635,566 | |
| Schedule B1: crafts not requiring authorisation | 286,223 | 275,125 | 263,602 | 251,243 | 240,260 | 229,343 | 217,724 | 208,287 | 200,178 | 192,886 | 188,049 | 183,698 | 180,518 | 174,957 | 169,265 | 162,412 | 156,759 | 151,894 | 148,501 | 142,295 | 134,490 | 121,974 | 108,805 | 106,995 | 107,139 | 108,185 | 107,926 | 107,771 | |
| Schedule B2: craft-like trades | 110,224 | 110,224 | 109,960 | 107,944 | 105,235 | 101,450 | 99,340 | 100,072 | 101,610 | 103,370 | 106,412 | 109,342 | 111,781 | 113,505 | 114,384 | 114,293 | 114,240 | 115,639 | 117,375 | 119,815 | 120,770 | 120,907 | 119,689 | 116,210 | 116,886 | 116,378 | 112,685 | 107,249 | |
| Apprentices1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skilled crafts, total3 | 346,388 | 342,092 | 342,561 | 349,295 | 359,981 | 363,393 | 369,120 | 368,033 | 365,182 | 362,842 | 364,363 | 370,995 | 383,629 | 401,819 | 417,318 | 439,194 | 461,502 | 479,719 | 482,891 | 476,542 | 477,158 | 489,126 | 502,296 | 527,887 | 564,501 | 595,708 | 616,870 | 625,049 | |
| Schedule A: crafts requiring authorisation | 306,500 | 303,254 | 302,979 | 307,840 | 315,092 | 315,944 | 318,340 | 315,469 | 311,081 | 307,763 | 307,877 | 311,796 | 320,752 | 334,128 | 345,511 | 362,357 | 379,708 | 394,318 | 397,629 | 392,973 | 395,571 | 408,763 | 424,518 | 450,022 | 484,180 | 512,853 | 533,311 | 544,748 | |
| Schedule B1: crafts not requiring authorisation | 5,822 | 5,899 | 6,102 | 6,254 | 6,786 | 7,182 | 8,028 | 8,307 | 8,618 | 8,860 | 9,182 | 9,644 | 10,155 | 11,027 | 11,705 | 12,755 | 13,339 | 14,059 | 14,226 | 14,242 | 14,212 | 13,849 | 13,099 | 13,221 | 13,929 | 14,375 | 14,918 | 14,800 | |
| Schedule B2: craft-like trades | 524 | 499 | 535 | 597 | 642 | 662 | 701 | 714 | 726 | 738 | 748 | 751 | 826 | 899 | 961 | 1,064 | 1,141 | 1,184 | 1,197 | 1,133 | 951 | 809 | 648 | 430 | 289 | 264 | 239 | 248 | |
| Passed journeyman examinations1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skilled crafts, total3 | 80,748 | 82,622 | 86,681 | 90,332 | 89,671 | 91,635 | 89,490 | 90,285 | 92,531 | 95,712 | 100,395 | 103,793 | 107,939 | 114,047 | 123,123 | 124,539 | 123,470 | 123,257 | 126,155 | 121,579 | 125,256 | 133,287 | 141,098 | 148,734 | 156,399 | 160,009 | 161,811 | 164,455 | |
| Schedule A: crafts requiring authorisation | 70,185 | 71,517 | 74,874 | 76,981 | 75,767 | 76,947 | 74,411 | 74,855 | 76,709 | 79,059 | 82,601 | 84,728 | 87,616 | 92,630 | 100,006 | 100,110 | 99,571 | 99,854 | 102,968 | 99,674 | 104,205 | 112,380 | 118,822 | 125,916 | 133,324 | 136,500 | 140,712 | 144,054 | |
| Schedule B1: crafts not requiring authorisation | 1,861 | 1,869 | 1,839 | 2,181 | 2,193 | 2,564 | 2,474 | 2,666 | 2,788 | 3,063 | 3,137 | 3,278 | 3,590 | 3,620 | 4,005 | 4,177 | 4,249 | 4,296 | 4,306 | 3,859 | 3,729 | 3,521 | 3,805 | 3,848 | 4,014 | 4,257 | 3,952 | 3,735 | |
| Schedule B2: craft-like trades | 105 | 135 | 150 | 170 | 165 | 161 | 172 | 179 | 187 | 194 | 199 | 249 | 282 | 318 | 325 | 372 | 380 | 351 | 296 | 251 | 169 | 105 | 91 | 118 | 99 | 115 | 98 | 84 | |
| Passed master examinations1 | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Skilled crafts, total3 | 20,461 | 20,426 | 20,349 | 20,532 | 19,534 | 18,259 | 20,080 | 20,047 | 20,495 | 21,266 | 21,880 | 22,428 | 23,153 | 22,891 | 22,999 | 23,231 | 22,169 | 21,493 | 21,366 | 21,733 | 22,000 | 23,743 | 26,509 | 26,673 | 27,926 | 28,791 | 33,528 | 36,842 | |
| Schedule A: crafts requiring authorisation | 19,820 | 19,725 | 19,721 | 19,849 | 18,743 | 17,555 | 19,337 | 19,339 | 19,771 | 20,528 | 21,158 | 21,704 | 22,427 | 22,151 | 22,275 | 22,501 | 21,505 | 20,880 | 20,783 | 21,055 | 21,326 | 22,767 | 25,384 | 25,557 | 26,724 | 27,512 | 32,165 | 35,298 | |
| Schedule B1: crafts not requiring authorisation | 641 | 701 | 628 | 683 | 791 | 703 | 743 | 708 | 723 | 734 | 722 | 724 | 726 | 740 | 724 | 730 | 664 | 613 | 583 | 678 | 674 | 976 | 1,125 | 1,116 | 1,202 | 1,279 | 1,363 | 1,544 | |
| Schedule B2: craft-like trades | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Latest reading
The series on this page is annual and runs from 1998 to 2025.
About this data
Germany's skilled crafts statistics on establishments and apprentices, compiled by the ZDH. Published annually, the tables track the total number of craft establishments, apprentices under training, and passed journeyman and master examinations. Data is categorised according to the Crafts Code into crafts requiring authorisation (Schedule A), crafts not requiring authorisation (Schedule B1) and craft-like trades (Schedule B2). The historical series cover the German Handwerk sector systematically since 1998.
Frequently asked questions
- What is the latest figure for Germany skilled crafts?
- Skilled crafts, total stood at 1,037,909 Number in 2025. That is unchanged from 2024.
- How far back does the Germany skilled crafts data go?
- The series on this page is annual and runs from 1998 to 2025. Every series in the table can be charted over its full history and downloaded as CSV or Excel.
- What do Germany's skilled crafts statistics measure?
- Germany's skilled crafts statistics, or Handwerk data, measure the total number of active establishments and apprentices under training. The data also counts the number of passed journeyman and master examinations.
- How are German skilled crafts categorised in the data?
- The German Handwerk sector is split along the categories of the Crafts Code. These include Schedule A for crafts requiring authorisation, Schedule B1 for crafts not requiring authorisation, and Schedule B2 for craft-like trades.
- Who publishes the official statistics on the German Handwerk?
- The official figures on Germany's skilled crafts are sourced from the German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH). They track the sector's workforce and training output in absolute numbers.