Educational attainment rate, completed lower … immigrant lower both in Belgium
Belgium: Educational attainment rate, completed lower … immigrant lower both was 78.9% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Belgium, 2006–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Belgium is 78.9%, measured in 2023.
The figure is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 13.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Belgium peaked at 80.1% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 64.8%, in 2006.
Belgium ranks 32nd of 36 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 18 years of available data.
Educational attainment rate, completed lower … immigrant lower both in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2006 | 64.8% | — |
| 2007 | 65.9% | +1.7% |
| 2008 | 67.3% | +2.1% |
| 2009 | 68.2% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 68.6% | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 68.4% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 68.7% | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 69.6% | +1.3% |
| 2014 | 72.0% | +3.5% |
| 2015 | 74.2% | +3.1% |
| 2016 | 75.1% | +1.2% |
| 2017 | 77.5% | +3.1% |
| 2018 | 77.5% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 77.1% | -0.5% |
| 2020 | 80.1% | +3.8% |
| 2021 | 79.4% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 78.2% | -1.5% |
| 2023 | 78.9% | +0.8% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 78.9% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 95.4%, 83% of the median. (30 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 78.9% is below the median for high income countries, which is 93.6%, 84% of the median. (31 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 66.6% | 64.8% | 68.2% | 4 |
| 2010s | 72.9% | 68.4% | 77.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 79.1% | 78.2% | 80.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
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 educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Belgium?
- Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or in Belgium was 78.9% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 80.1% in 2020.
- What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 64.8% in 2006.
- How does Belgium rank for educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or?
- Belgium ranks 32nd out of 36 countries with data for 2023.
- Is educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 13.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed lower secondary education or higher, population 25+ years, immigrant background, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 18 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release