Belgium: Immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months)

Key figures

What the numbers say

In 2024, Belgium's immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months) did not change 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 96% to 96%).

Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.87 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.33 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 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 25 percentage points in 1988 and the biggest yearly fall was 40 percentage points in 1987. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.

From 2015 to 2024 there is no clear straight-line trend: a straight line explains less than 1% 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 2024, Belgium had the 46th highest value of the 192 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 2024 ranking

• Uruguay — 45th of 192: 97%
• Armenia — 46th of 192: 96%
• Bangladesh — 47th of 192: 96%
• El Salvador — 49th of 192: 96%
• Germany — 50th of 192: 96%
• Kyrgyz Republic — 51st of 192: 96%

What this measures

Child immunization, measles, measures the percentage of children ages 12-23 months who received the measles vaccination before 12 months or at any time before the survey. A child is considered adequately immunized against measles after receiving one dose of vaccine.

Limitations: In many developing countries a lack of precise information on the size of the cohort of one-year-old children makes immunization coverage difficult to estimate from program statistics.

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

All 44 values

Immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months) in nearby economies

• Albania — 81% (2024)
• Andorra — 98% (2024)
• Armenia — 96% (2024)
• Austria — 90% (2024)
• Azerbaijan — 71% (2024)
• Belarus — 98% (2024)
• Bosnia and Herzegovina — 69% (2024)
• Bulgaria — 94% (2024)
• Croatia — 90% (2024)
• Cyprus

More health data for Belgium

• Population ages 00-04, female (% of female population) — 4.52% (2025)
• Population ages 00-04, male (% of male population) — 4.86% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female — 916,596 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, female (% of female population) — 15.15% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male — 958,723 (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, male (% of male population) — 16.27% (2025)
• Population ages 0-14, total — 1.88 million (2025)
• Population ages 0-14 (% of total population) — 15.7% (2025)
• Population ages 05-09, female (% of female population) — 5.1% (2025)

Reading data like this

• Where to find free public data, and how to check it before you trust it — 2 min read
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• Real change or random noise? A plain guide to reading your numbers — 2 min read

Questions people ask

What is Belgium's immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months)?

96% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).

How has it changed since 1981?

It is up 46 percentage points from 50% in 1981. The highest value was 96% in 2012 and the lowest 50% in 1981.

How does Belgium rank?

46th highest of 192 economies with data for 2024.

Is the latest change in immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months) unusual for Belgium?

In 2024, Belgium's immunization, measles (% of children ages 12-23 months) did not change 0 percentage points on 2023 (from 96% to 96%). Across the 30 yearly changes before that (1994 to 2023), the average change was +0.87 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 3.33 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 0.3 standard deviations below 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 SH.IMM.MEAS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: World Health Organization (WHO), uri: http://www.who.int/immunization/monitoring_surveillance/en/; UN Children's Fund (UNICEF), uri: https://data.unicef.org/topic/child-health/immunization/ 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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