The yearly data reports are issued by the Federal Institute for Vocational Education and Training (BIBB) and supplements the Report on Vocational Education and Training published by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) by providing a wealth of information and analysis relating to various aspects of the development of vocational education and training. The Data Report to accompany the Report on Vocational Education and Training is published annually.

The preparation of the Data Report to accompany the Report on Vocational Education and Training has its basis in a Recommendation made by the BIBB Board in December 2007 that the Report on Vocational Education and Training should be restructured and divided into two parts: a policy section, which is consulted upon and adopted by the Federal Government, and a data section for which BIBB adopts responsibility.

The individual chapters of the Data Report to accompany the Report on Vocational Education and Training present central indicators relating to initial and continuing vocational education and training and illustrate the developments which have taken place over time. Different main thematic focuses are addressed every year. The Data Report also covers vocational training funding programmes and international indicators and benchmarks.