Belgium: Children out of school, primary

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Belgium's children out of school, primary rose 35.4% on 2022 (from 9,771 to 13,226).

Across the 21 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was +24.6% and a typical year strayed about 86.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

On record, the biggest yearly rise was 390.1% in 2004 and the biggest yearly fall was 26.9% in 2017. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2014 to 2023 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains 28% of the movement over 10 observed years, so the value is moving around more than it is heading anywhere.

Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.

How it compares

In 2023, Belgium had the 19th highest value of the 37 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.

Closest to Belgium in the 2023 ranking

• Venezuela, RB — 16th of 37: 17,643
• Guyana — 17th of 37: 17,362
• Tunisia — 18th of 37: 14,015
• Timor-Leste — 20th of 37: 13,085
• Iran, Islamic Rep. — 21st of 37: 9,163
• Czechia — 22nd of 37: 4,700

What this measures

Children out of school are the number of primary-school-age children not enrolled in primary or secondary school.

Limitations: Due to different data sources for enrollment and population data, the number may not capture the actual number of children not attending in primary school.

Regional and income-group figures are computed by the World Bank as a sum.

All 23 values

Children out of school, primary in nearby economies

• Albania — 617 (2024)
• Andorra — 102 (2024)
• Armenia — 1,710 (2024)
• Austria — 5,200 (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 152 (2024)
• Belarus — 20,600 (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 2,933 (2023)
• Bulgaria — 14,529 (2024)
• Croatia — 2,642 (2023)
• Cyprus — 247 (2023)
• Czechia — 4,700 (2023)

More education data for Belgium

• Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
• Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
• Primary education, pupils — 814,388 (2023)
• Secondary education, pupils — 1.18 million (2023)
• School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.01 (2020)
• School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.08 (2020)
• School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.13 (2020)
• School enrollment, preprimary (% gross)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
• Data analysis examples: 6 worked from one dataset — 3 min read
• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Belgium's children out of school, primary?

13,226 in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 2001?

It is up 1,420% from 870 in 2001 (13.17% a year on average, compounded). The highest value was 15,271 in 2011 and the lowest 654 in 2002.

How does Belgium rank?

19th highest of 37 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in children out of school, primary unusual for Belgium?

In 2023, Belgium's children out of school, primary rose 35.4% on 2022 (from 9,771 to 13,226). Across the 21 yearly changes before that (2002 to 2022), the average change was +24.6% and a typical year strayed about 86.5% from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations above that average, so it was an ordinary year: it sits within the range of normal year-to-year movement.

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.UNER, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.

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