Duration of compulsory education in Belgium
Belgium: Duration of compulsory education was 13 in 2025. ▲ Rising
Latest (2025)
13
Change on year
unchanged
World rank
17th
of 205 countries
All-time high
13
in 2021
All-time low
12
in 1998
Years of data
28
1998–2025
Duration of compulsory education in Belgium, 1998–2025
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 13 for duration of compulsory education in 2025. That is the highest value across all 28 years on record.
The figure is up 8.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, duration of compulsory education in Belgium peaked at 13 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 12, in 1998.
Belgium ranks 17th of 205 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 28 years of available data.
Duration of compulsory education in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 12 | — |
| 1999 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2000 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2002 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2004 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2007 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2008 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2009 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2010 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2013 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2014 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2015 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2016 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2017 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2018 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 12 | +0.0% |
| 2021 | 13 | +8.3% |
| 2022 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2024 | 13 | +0.0% |
| 2025 | 13 | +0.0% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 13 is above the median for high income countries, which is 11, 1.2× the median. (77 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 13 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 10, 1.3× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 12 | 12 | 12 | 2 |
| 2000s | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
| 2010s | 12 | 12 | 12 | 10 |
| 2020s | 12.83 | 12 | 13 | 6 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 17 Aruba 13 compare
- 17 Austria 13 compare
- 17 Bermuda 13 compare
- 17 Costa Rica 13 compare
- 17 France 13 compare
- 17 Germany 13 compare
- 17 Gibraltar 13 compare
- 17 Hungary 13 compare
- 17 Marshall Islands 13 compare
- 17 Netherlands 13 compare
- 17 North Macedonia 13 compare
- 17 Paraguay 13 compare
- 17 Philippines 13 compare
- 17 Puerto Rico 13 compare
- 17 Turks and Caicos Islands 13 compare
More education data for Belgium
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.32 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 98.34 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is duration of compulsory education in Belgium?
- Duration of compulsory education in Belgium was 13 in 2025, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest duration of compulsory education recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 13 in 2021.
- What is the lowest duration of compulsory education recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 12 in 1998.
- How does Belgium rank for duration of compulsory education?
- Belgium ranks 17th out of 205 countries with data for 2025.
- Is duration of compulsory education rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Duration of compulsory education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 28 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).