Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Belgium

Belgium: Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper was 1.6% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.6%
Change on year
up 0.5%
World rank
165th
of 179 countries
All-time high
2.0%
in 2016
All-time low
0.2%
in 2006
Years of data
23
2001–2023

Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Belgium, 2001–2023

00.511.522001201220232001: 0.744 %2002: 0.551 %2003: 0.185 %2004: 0.179 %2005: 0.459 %2006: 0.168 %2007: 0.496 %2008: 0.6 %2009: 0.631 %2010: 0.649 %2011: 1.3 %2012: 0.938 %2013: 1.2 %2014: 1.7 %2015: 2 %2016: 2 %2017: 0.953 %2018: 0.936 %2019: 1.1 %2020: 1 %2021: 1.1 %2022: 1.6 %2023: 1.6 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Belgium stood at 1.6%.

That represents a change of up 0.5% on the previous year and up 28.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Belgium peaked at 2.0% in 2016 and was at its lowest, 0.2%, in 2006.

Belgium ranks 165th of 179 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.

Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%) in Belgium, 2001 to 2023.
Year % Change
2001 0.7%
2002 0.6% -25.9%
2003 0.2% -66.4%
2004 0.2% -3.7%
2005 0.5% +157.2%
2006 0.2% -63.4%
2007 0.5% +194.4%
2008 0.6% +21.2%
2009 0.6% +5.2%
2010 0.6% +2.7%
2011 1.3% +96.7%
2012 0.9% -26.5%
2013 1.2% +32.9%
2014 1.7% +39.2%
2015 2.0% +16.1%
2016 2.0% +0.6%
2017 1.0% -53.0%
2018 0.9% -1.8%
2019 1.1% +22.6%
2020 1.0% -12.8%
2021 1.1% +5.3%
2022 1.6% +51.0%
2023 1.6% +0.5%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 1.6% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.6%, 35% of the median. (69 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 1.6% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.3%, 38% of the median. (50 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.4% 0.2% 0.7% 9
2010s 1.3% 0.6% 2.0% 10
2020s 1.3% 1.0% 1.6% 4

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 162 France 2.0% compare
  2. 163 Israel 1.9% compare
  3. 164 Sweden 1.7% compare
  4. 166 Japan 1.5% compare
  5. 167 Netherlands 1.4% compare
  6. 168 Lithuania 1.1% compare

See the full ranking of 179 places →

More education data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Belgium?
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Belgium was 1.6% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 2.0% in 2016.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 0.2% in 2006.
How does Belgium rank for out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper?
Belgium ranks 165th out of 179 countries with data for 2023.
Is out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 28.2%. 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, published as part of Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-adolescents-and-youth-of-lower-and-upper-secondary-school-age-both-2/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for adolescents and youth of lower and upper secondary school age, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
179 places, 3,006 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release