Belgium: Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2023, Belgium's educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) fell 0.21 percentage points on 2022 (from 95.98% to 95.77%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1993 to 2022), the average change was −0.13 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 1.45 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.1 standard deviations below 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 1.2 percentage points in 2015 and the biggest yearly fall was 7.52 percentage points in 2006. 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 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.18 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 42% of the movement over 10 observed years.

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 31st highest value of the 42 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

• Netherlands — 28th of 42: 97.32%
• Cyprus — 29th of 42: 97.12%
• Israel — 30th of 42: 96.41%
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 32nd of 42: 91.4%
• Viet Nam — 33rd of 42: 87.54%
• Sri Lanka — 34th of 42: 87.32%

What this measures

The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed primary education.

Limitations: Caution is required when using this indicator for cross-country comparison, since the countries do not always classify degrees and qualifications at the same International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels, even if they are received at roughly the same age or after a similar number of years of schooling. Also, certain educational programmes and study courses cannot be easily classified according to ISCED. This indicator only measures educational attainment in terms of level of education attained, i.e. years of schooling, and does not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).

All 33 values

Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies

• Albania — 99.28% (2023)
• Armenia — 99.65% (2023)
• Austria — 100% (2023)
• Azerbaijan — 99.94% (2023)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 91.4% (2023)
• Bulgaria — 99.24% (2023)
• Croatia — 99.47% (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 educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative)?

95.77% in 2023, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1970?

It is up 1.28 percentage points from 94.49% in 1970. The highest value was 100% in 1992 and the lowest 92.46% in 2007.

How does Belgium rank?

31st highest of 42 economies with data for 2023.

Is the latest change in educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) unusual for Belgium?

Source

World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.CUAT.ZS, 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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