Belgium vs Netherlands: Share of the population with lower secondary education
Belgium
88.9%
in 2023
Netherlands
90.3%
in 2023
Belgium rank
45th
Netherlands rank
43rd
Share of the population with lower secondary education over time
- Belgium
- Netherlands
How they compare
Netherlands currently reports 90.3% against 88.9% in Belgium, a difference of 1.4%.
Across all 18 years both countries report, Netherlands has been ahead every year.
Belgium ranks 45th and Netherlands ranks 43rd of 135 countries.
Netherlands has averaged higher in every one of the 3 decades both report.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Belgium | Netherlands | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 78.1% | 89.6% | 11.5% | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 83.5% | 90.0% | 6.5% | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 88.6% | 90.9% | 2.3% | Netherlands |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population with lower secondary education, Belgium or Netherlands?
- Netherlands, at 90.3% against 88.9% in Belgium as of 2023.
- What is the difference in share of the population with lower secondary education between Belgium and Netherlands?
- 1.4%, with Netherlands ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Belgium and Netherlands?
- 18 years are reported by both, from 2006 to 2023.
- How do Belgium and Netherlands rank globally for share of the population with lower secondary education?
- Belgium ranks 45th and Netherlands ranks 43rd of 135 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with lower secondary education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed lower secondary education or higher.