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Germany skilled crafts establishments, apprentices and examinations

Name: Germany skilled crafts establishments, apprentices and examinations
Creator: German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH)
License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

The German Handwerk measured along the categories of the Crafts Code: the stock of establishments, apprentices under training, and passed journeyman and master examinations, each split between crafts requiring authorisation (Schedule A), crafts not requiring it (Schedule B1) and craft-like trades (Schedule B2).

Source: German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH)Last updated: Sep 15, 2026, 10:24Curated by Bui Thanh PhucAbout this data ↓

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

Skilled crafts, total stood at 1,037,909 Number in 2025. That is unchanged from 2024. The series on this page is annual and runs from 1998 to 2025. Source: German Confederation of Skilled Crafts (ZDH).

Latest: 1,037,909 Number; 2025
vs previous period: 0.0%; 2024