Statistical data from the federal government and the federal states

Official statistics are produced on the Federal Government's Recognition procedure. The legal basis is Section 17 of the Federal Professional qualifications Assessment Act (BQFG). The statistics are produced by the statistical offices of the federal government and federal states. The Federal Statistical Office publishes new results from the statistics on a yearly basis. The reference date in each case is 31 December of the previous year. The Federal Institute for Vocational education and training (BIBB) evaluates the data from the federal statistics.

Since the Federal Government’s Recognition Act entered into force on 1 April 2012, 240,063 applications for recognition of a professional or Vocational qualification have been reported within federal statistics (reference date: 31 December 2021)

The results for 2021 in brief:

• 34,704 applications reported, of which:
  • Top 3 Reference occupations: general nurse (13.773 applications), medical practitioner (6.402 applications) and physiotherapist (993 applications)
  • 78 percent were for vocational qualifications from third countries (in particular Bosnia-Herzegovina, Philippines and Serbia)
  • 41 percent of applications were made from abroad (foreign applications)
• 39,327 procedures: decision made:
  • 52 percent with full Equivalence
  • 11 percent with partial equivalence
  • 35 percent with the “requirement” of a Compensation measure (not yet completed as of 31 December 2021).
  • 2 percent negative

Official statistics are also produced on the federal state Recognition procedures. In addition to the Federal Statistical Office, the statistical offices of the federal states also produce figures on the recognition of foreign professional or Vocational qualifications.

The following list of press releases from the various federal states is continuously updated.