Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belgium
Belgium: Share of children who are not in pre-primary school was 1.7% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belgium, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belgium stood at 1.7%.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 24.5% on the previous year and up 9.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belgium peaked at 1.9% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2003.
That places Belgium 151st out of 179 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 0.1% | — |
| 2002 | 0.1% | +42.1% |
| 2003 | 0.0% | -88.9% |
| 2004 | 0.3% | +2227.0% |
| 2005 | 0.1% | -64.7% |
| 2006 | 0.3% | +131.9% |
| 2007 | 0.4% | +47.9% |
| 2008 | 0.5% | +36.2% |
| 2009 | 0.7% | +33.6% |
| 2010 | 0.9% | +18.2% |
| 2011 | 1.9% | +120.5% |
| 2012 | 1.7% | -12.3% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | -6.9% |
| 2014 | 1.5% | -4.4% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | +19.0% |
| 2016 | 1.8% | -0.5% |
| 2017 | 1.3% | -24.7% |
| 2018 | 1.3% | -0.0% |
| 2019 | 1.4% | +3.3% |
| 2020 | 1.2% | -11.5% |
| 2021 | 1.5% | +28.1% |
| 2022 | 1.4% | -12.2% |
| 2023 | 1.7% | +24.5% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 1.7% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.8%, 35% of the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 1.7% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 2.8%, 59% of the median. (50 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belgium changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2004 | +2227.0% | 0.0% | 0.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 0.3% | 0.0% | 0.7% | 9 |
| 2010s | 1.5% | 0.9% | 1.9% | 10 |
| 2020s | 1.4% | 1.2% | 1.7% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 148 Serbia 1.9% compare
- 149 Switzerland 1.8% compare
- 150 Albania 1.7% compare
- 152 Liechtenstein 1.7% compare
- 153 Netherlands 1.7% compare
- 154 Turks and Caicos Islands 1.6% compare
More education data for Belgium
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 137,795 (2023)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 17,384 (2022)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 221,494 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 210,503 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.18 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 814,388 (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -0.1356 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0691 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belgium?
- Share of children who are not in pre-primary school in Belgium was 1.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children who are not in pre-primary school recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 1.9% in 2011.
- What is the lowest share of children who are not in pre-primary school recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2003.
- How does Belgium rank for share of children who are not in pre-primary school?
- Belgium ranks 151st out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children who are not in pre-primary school rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 9.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children who are not in pre-primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Children one year before the official primary entry age (typically age 5) not enrolled in pre-primary education, expressed as a percentage of all children in that age group.