Recognition at record level

The number of applications for recognition reached a new record level in 2024. Today’s press release (04/09/2025) from the Federal Statistical Office reveals the results of the federal and federal states’ recognition statistics for 2024. It shows that there were approximately 71,000 applications, which corresponds to a growth of 14 per cent compared to the previous year. Approximately 15,600 applications (22 per cent) were in occupations for which the federal states are responsible and approximately 55,330 applications (78 per cent) in occupations governed by federal law.

The BIBB Recognition Monitoring is commissioned to evaluate the official statistics of the federal state. The team took a detailed look at the occupations governed by federal law and came to the following conclusions:

Both the applications as well as the allocated processes reached record levels in 2024. The demand for recognition of vocational qualifications from third countries and those for healthcare professions governed by federal law dominated the application processes. The most applications were made for vocational qualifications from Turkey, India and Tunisia. The proportionately largest growth was recorded in the applications for Ukrainian qualifications. The number of applications has more than doubled (+143%) in comparison to the previous year. With approximately 3,500 applications Ukraine was ranked fifth in the countries of training. By far the most applications were apportioned to the occupations General nurse or healthcare assistant (22,425 applications) and Doctor of medicine (10,857 applications).

The process results overall show a high recognition capability which is reflected in the very low quota of processes that ended in no recognition. However, in the regulated professions, compensation measures are required on the path to full equivalence in many cases.

Conclusion: The German labour market urgently requires skilled workers – including from abroad. A high and continually growing demand for vocational recognition is therefore good news. Not only does the number of recognised, qualified skilled workers increase, but also the future potential to integrate even more qualified people into the German labour market for the long term. This remains important, in particular in regulated professions such as medical professions, for responding to what is in some cases a pronounced shortage of skilled workers. This means that recognition remains a crucial tool for ensuring the supply of skilled workers. However, there still needs to be a focus – and perhaps all the more so given its importance – on optimisation of the recognition procedure and on driving this forward.

More information

Evaluation of the official statistics on the Federal Recognition Act 2024

Statistics on the federal act – results in brief

Press release from the Federal Ministry for Education, Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth

Press release from the Federal Statistical Office 

Federal Statistical Office analyses of federal and federal state occupations (statistical report)