€56.6 billion in 2024 for continuing vocational training and apprenticeship, or 1.94% of GDP, according to the vocational training annex to the 2026 budget bill.
Reference data
French vocational training market: size and key figures
The latest public data on spending, work-study, the CPF and training providers, each with its official source. Updated 28 September 2026.
- €56.6bnspent on training and apprenticeship in 2024
- 846,700apprenticeship contracts started in 2025
- 1,226,000CPF-funded courses started in 2025
- 101,750active training providers in 2024
How big is vocational training in France?
In 2024, €56.6 billion was spent on continuing vocational training and apprenticeship, or 1.94% of GDP, according to the vocational training annex to the 2026 budget bill. Companies fund 51% of it. Spending fell 0.7% year on year, and both apprenticeship and CPF entries declined in 2025.
At a glance
“Other funders”: the gap between the total (€56.6bn) and the four items shown. Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES)
- Total spending−0.7%2023€57bn2024€56.6bnVocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES)
- Training entries, excluding apprenticeship−3.7%202332.1m202430.9mVocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES)
- Apprenticeship contracts started−5%2024889,4002025846,700DARES, long-run series on apprenticeship contracts (February 2026)
- CPF-funded courses started−11%20241,387,50020251,226,000DARES, The personal training account in 2025 (2026)
Training spending (2024)
| Figure | What it measures | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| €56.6bn | Total spending on continuing vocational training and apprenticeship, down 0.7% (€57bn in 2023) | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
| 1.94% | Share of GDP (2% in 2023) | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
| €16.4bn | Direct spending by companies | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
| €12.4bn | Spending by skills operators (OPCOs) | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
| 51% | Share of total spending funded by companies, directly or through OPCOs (50% in 2023) | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
| €8.7bn | State spending | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
| €7.2bn | Spending by the three civil services on training their own staff | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
| 30.9m | Training entries excluding apprenticeship (32.1m in 2023) | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
Work-study
| Figure | What it measures | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 889,400 | Apprenticeship contracts started, up 4% | 2024 | DARES, Apprenticeship in 2024 (January 2026) |
| 846,700 | Apprenticeship contracts started, down 5% | 2025 | DARES, long-run series on apprenticeship contracts (February 2026) |
| 1,017,500 | Apprenticeship contracts in progress on 31 December, down 3% | 2025 | DARES, long-run series on apprenticeship contracts (February 2026) |
| 81,800 | Professionalisation contracts started, down 5.4% | 2025 | DARES, vocational training (February 2026) |
The personal training account (CPF)
| Figure | What it measures | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1,387,500 | Courses started, up 4% | 2024 | DARES, The personal training account in 2024 (July 2025) |
| 45% | Share of transport (including driving licences), the leading field | 2024 | DARES, The personal training account in 2024 (July 2025) |
| 1,226,000 | Courses started, down 11% | 2025 | DARES, The personal training account in 2025 (2026) |
| 1,110,000 | People who used their CPF, down 10% | 2025 | DARES, The personal training account in 2025 (2026) |
Training providers
| Figure | What it measures | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| 101,750 | Training providers that filed an annual pedagogical and financial report (BPF), up 15% | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
| 44% | Share of individual trainers among these providers (42.1% in 2023) | 2024 | Vocational training annex to the 2026 finance bill (DARES) |
| €622m | Deficit of France Compétences, which funds work-study and the CPF | 2024 | France Compétences, 2024 activity report |
What these figures mean
Mentivis’ reading, distinct from the data above.
- Funding is tightening: total spending is down, and apprenticeship and CPF entries fell in 2025 after several years of growth.
- Companies now carry more than half of the spending: training is increasingly decided within the company, on its occupations and critical skills.
- The number of providers grew 15% in a year, 44% of them individual trainers: competition is intensifying, and certification (Qualiopi, RNCP, RS) is what sets a fundable offer apart.
Method
- Each figure comes from an official publication (DARES, France Compétences, budget annex to the finance bill) and links to its source.
- A figure we could not find in a primary source is not published.
- The list of declared and certified training providers is public and continuously updated: it is the reference for any count at a given date.
- Page updated with each new annual publication.
Frequently asked questions
The training market in questions
Short answers, with their source.