Belgium vs Costa Rica: Duration of compulsory education
Belgium
13 years
in 2025
Costa Rica
13 years
in 2025
Belgium rank
17th
Costa Rica rank
17th
Duration of compulsory education over time
- Belgium
- Costa Rica
How they compare
Belgium currently reports 13 years against 13 years in Costa Rica, a difference of 0 years.
The two have swapped places 1 time across 28 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Belgium ahead.
Belgium ranks 17th and Costa Rica ranks 17th of 205 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Belgium averaged higher in 2 and Costa Rica in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Costa Rica | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12 years | 11 years | 1 years | Belgium |
| 2000s | 12 years | 11 years | 1 years | Belgium |
| 2010s | 12 years | 12.8 years | 0.8 years | Costa Rica |
| 2020s | 12.83 years | 13 years | 0.1667 years | Costa Rica |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher duration of compulsory education, Belgium or Costa Rica?
- Belgium, at 13 years against 13 years in Costa Rica as of 2025.
- What is the difference in duration of compulsory education between Belgium and Costa Rica?
- 0 years, with Belgium ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Costa Rica?
- 28 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2025.
- How do Belgium and Costa Rica rank globally for duration of compulsory education?
- Belgium ranks 17th and Costa Rica ranks 17th of 205 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) β with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Duration of compulsory education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
The number of years of compulsory education is based on students starting at the earliest entrance age, studying full-time, and advancing without grade repetition or skipping.