France Éducation international (FEI) counted 513,435 DELF and DALF candidates in 2025, 3% more than in 2024, spread across 167 countries. This page tracks DELF and DALF candidate statistics from FEI’s own reports: yearly totals, the 2024 regional split, Canada’s 2026 application record, school results in the Netherlands, published pass rates, and how the diplomas compare with the TCF.
DELF and DALF Candidate Statistics
How Many People Took the DELF and DALF in 2025?
FEI registered 513,435 DELF and DALF candidates in 2025, up 3% on the 498,463 it reported for 2024.
Those candidates sat 18,727 exam sessions organised by 1,096 centres in 167 countries, according to FEI’s 2025 activity report.
| Year | Candidates | Centres | Countries | Sessions |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 498,463 | 1,096 (declared open) | Not stated | Not stated |
| 2025 | 513,435 | 1,096 | 167 | 18,727 |
Source: France Éducation international, Rapport d’activité 2024 and Rapport d’activité 2025, calendar years 2024–2025
Centre totals depend on the definition used. FEI’s March 2025 newsletter cited a network of 1,182 DELF-DALF centres for 2024, while the 2024 report’s map counted 1,096 centres declared open.
Source: France Éducation international, Lettre FEI (March 2025) and Rapport d’activité 2024, 2024 data
The 2025 rise came notably from the DELF scolaire and DELF Junior, the school-age versions, based on FEI figures relayed by FLE.fr on 18 March 2026.
Source: FLE.fr, citing France Éducation international, 2025 data
FEI’s count for 2022 was 457,843. Its April 2023 newsletter noted that 2022 volumes had not yet returned to 2019 levels.
Source: France Éducation international, Rapport d’activité 2022 and DEC newsletter no. 7 (April 2023), 2022 data
The chart plots the three FEI annual totals cited here; no 2023 figure is shown.
Other national exams report volumes on their own bases, so totals such as the JLPT’s N5-to-N1 applicant data are not directly comparable.
DELF and DALF Candidate Statistics by Region: FEI’s 2024 Map
FEI’s 2024 activity report splits 498,463 candidates, all DELF and DALF versions combined, across eight world regions. The 2025 report does not repeat the regional map.
The European Union led with 250,697 candidates at 418 centres, just over half of the 2024 total.
Africa ranked second at 84,262 candidates from 164 centres, ahead of Asia at 49,603.
Latin America had more open centres than Africa, 200 against 164, but recorded 44,916 candidates.
Oceania was smallest on both counts, with 13 centres and 1,543 candidates.
| Region | Centres declared open | Candidates |
|---|---|---|
| European Union | 418 | 250,697 |
| Africa | 164 | 84,262 |
| Asia | 111 | 49,603 |
| Latin America | 200 | 44,916 |
| North America | 69 | 23,536 |
| Middle East | 38 | 21,936 |
| Europe (non-EU) | 83 | 21,745 |
| Oceania | 13 | 1,543 |
Source: France Éducation international, Rapport d’activité 2024 (regional map), 2024
The eight regional figures add up to 225 fewer candidates than FEI’s headline total. The report does not say where those candidates sat.
Exam registrations are one measure of demand; learner totals are another, tracked in the most studied foreign languages by learner count.
Canada Logged 20,000+ DELF Applications in 2026
Canada recorded more than 20,000 DELF applications in 2026, a national record, l-express.ca reported in June 2026.
The Alliance française de Toronto registered 1,800 candidates, also a record for the city.
Canada has 35 DELF exam centres, and the Toronto Alliance ranks third among them by size, per the same report.
Source: l-express.ca, “Records de candidatures pour le DELF à l’AFT”, 16 June 2026
FEI’s 2024 map put North America at 69 centres and 23,536 DELF and DALF candidates. That is a candidate count, while the 2026 Canadian figure counts applications, so the two are not like-for-like.
Source: France Éducation international, Rapport d’activité 2024, 2024
Canada also shapes TCF demand. FEI says TCF Canada went from 8,000 candidates in 2019 to nearly 80,000 in 2024, then reached 124,650 in 2025.
Source: France Éducation international, Lettre FEI (March 2025) and Rapport d’activité 2025, 2019–2025
Netherlands DELF Scolaire Candidates, 2024 vs 2025
| Year | Candidates | March session | June session | Host schools | Admitted | Pass rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 1,837 | 473 | 1,364 | 186 | 1,671 | 90.96% |
| 2025 | 1,716 | 402 | 1,314 | 170 | 1,527 | 88.5% |
Source: Institut français NL, DELF Scolaire network reports, 2024 and 2025 sessions
June carries most of the Dutch volume: 1,314 of 1,716 candidates sat that session in 2025.
Candidates fell from 1,837 in 2024 to 1,716 in 2025, and host schools from 186 to 170, per Institut français NL.
The institute reported 2,176 candidates for 2022. Its recap of the June 2026 session lists candidates from 134 schools.
Source: Institut français NL, 2022 figures (published September 2023) and June 2026 session recap (July 2026)
What Is the DELF and DALF Pass Rate?
FEI’s 2025 activity report gives no worldwide pass rate by level.
The DELF-DALF office in Japan cites an average pass rate above 80% across more than 8,000,000 registrations since the diplomas launched in 1985.
Source: DELF DALF Japon (delfdalf.jp), Espace professionnel, cumulative 1985 to date
The DELF and DALF follow CEFR levels A1 to C2; other exams handle that mapping differently, as the HSK-to-CEFR alignment debate shows.
Alliance française de Paris, 2024 sessions
| Level | March 2024 | July 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| DELF B1 | 85% | 88% |
| DELF B2 | 59% | 88% |
| DALF C1 | 73% | 63% |
Source: Alliance française de Paris, DELF and DALF success rates, March and July 2024 sessions
DELF B2 at that centre rose from 59% in March to 88% in July. DALF C1 moved the other way, from 73% to 63%.
These are single-centre results for two sittings. Study time before B2 or C1 is a separate question, covered by FSI hours-to-fluency rankings.
Netherlands school candidates, 2025
Pupils taking the DELF Scolaire in the Netherlands passed at 88.5% in 2025, with 1,527 admitted out of 1,716.
Source: Institut français NL, DELF Scolaire 2025 sessions
TCF vs DELF and DALF: Candidate Counts at FEI
| Year | DELF and DALF | TCF | All FEI certifications |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 498,463 | 257,592 | 790,295 |
| 2025 | 513,435 | 310,436 | 863,591 |
Source: France Éducation international, Lettre FEI (March 2025) and Rapport d’activité 2025, calendar years 2024–2025
The TCF grew 17% in 2025, against 3% for the DELF and DALF, according to FEI. TCF Canada accounted for 124,650 of those TCF candidates.
FLE.fr’s 18 March 2026 summary of FEI data lists 310,473 TCF candidates and 124,667 for TCF Canada, slightly above the activity report’s figures.
FEI’s 2024 activity report prints the 2024 all-certification total as 790,292 rather than the newsletter’s 790,295.
Source: FLE.fr, 18 March 2026; France Éducation international, Rapport d’activité 2024
The two products differ in shelf life. DELF and DALF diplomas are valid for life, per the French embassy in New Zealand; TCF results are valid for two years, according to France’s education ministry.
Source: Embassy of France in New Zealand, DELF page (2026 sessions); Ministry of National Education answer to parliamentary question no. 24754 (15th legislature)
Speaker populations, rather than test-takers, are ranked in this breakdown of the world’s most common languages.
FAQs
How many people take the DELF and DALF each year?
FEI counted 513,435 DELF and DALF candidates in 2025, up 3% from 498,463 in 2024. They sat 18,727 sessions at 1,096 centres in 167 countries.
Which region has the most DELF and DALF candidates?
The European Union. FEI’s 2024 map shows 250,697 candidates at 418 EU centres, just over half of the 498,463 total. Africa ranked second with 84,262 candidates.
How many DELF exam centres are there in Canada?
Canada has 35 DELF exam centres, l-express.ca reported in June 2026. The country logged more than 20,000 DELF applications that year, a national record.
Are DELF pass rates shared on Reddit reliable?
Treat them as individual reports. FEI’s 2025 report gives no global pass rate by level, and centre data swing: Alliance française de Paris recorded DELF B2 at 59% in March 2024 and 88% in July 2024.
Does the DELF diploma expire?
No. DELF and DALF diplomas are valid for life, per the French embassy in New Zealand. The TCF, a test rather than a diploma, is valid for two years.
Citations
https://rapportactivite2025.france-education-international.fr/au-coeur-de-nos-missions
https://rapportactivite2024.france-education-international.fr/au-coeur-de-nos-missions
https://l-express.ca/candidatures-records-pour-le-delf-a-laft/
https://institutfrancais.nl/ouverture-des-inscriptions-au-reseau-du-delf-scolaire-2025-2026/
https://www.lingobright.com/statistics/delf-exam-structure-and-level-breakdown/
