There are 24,000 teachers without formal teaching qualifications in state schools in England - an increase of more than 60% in four years.
It means that more than 5% of teachers do not have qualified teacher status.
Labour, which highlighted the figures in the annual school workforce survey, said the increase in unqualified staff was "threatening standards".
Head teachers' leader Malcolm Trobe said the use of unqualified staff reflected the wider teacher shortage.
A Department for Education spokesman said: "The number of teachers overall has risen by 15,500 since 2010 and the proportion of qualified teachers in schools remains high."
But the shadow schools minister Mike Kane said: "The government have completely failed in their most basic of tasks and are clearly relying on unqualified teachers to plug the gaps.
"There is nothing more important to a good education than excellent teaching. The Tories' failure on teacher recruitment is putting school standards at risk."
It means that more than 5% of teachers do not have qualified teacher status.
Labour, which highlighted the figures in the annual school workforce survey, said the increase in unqualified staff was "threatening standards".
Head teachers' leader Malcolm Trobe said the use of unqualified staff reflected the wider teacher shortage.
A Department for Education spokesman said: "The number of teachers overall has risen by 15,500 since 2010 and the proportion of qualified teachers in schools remains high."
But the shadow schools minister Mike Kane said: "The government have completely failed in their most basic of tasks and are clearly relying on unqualified teachers to plug the gaps.
"There is nothing more important to a good education than excellent teaching. The Tories' failure on teacher recruitment is putting school standards at risk."