Out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary in Belgium

Belgium: Out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary was 1.8% in 2023. ◆ Volatile

Latest (2023)
1.8%
Change on year
up 28.8%
World rank
145th
of 175 countries
All-time high
2.0%
in 2011
All-time low
0.0%
in 2001
Years of data
23
2001–2023

Out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary in Belgium, 2001–2023

00.511.522001201220232001: 0 %2002: 0.252 %2003: 0 %2004: 0.591 %2005: 0.229 %2006: 0.404 %2007: 0.549 %2008: 0.659 %2009: 0.75 %2010: 1.1 %2011: 2 %2012: 1.7 %2013: 1.6 %2014: 1.6 %2015: 1.8 %2016: 1.9 %2017: 1.4 %2018: 1.4 %2019: 1.4 %2020: 1.3 %2021: 1.6 %2022: 1.4 %2023: 1.8 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary in Belgium is 1.8%, measured in 2023.

The figure is up 28.8% on the previous year and up 11.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary in Belgium peaked at 2.0% in 2011 and was at its lowest, 0.0%, in 2001.

Belgium ranks 145th of 175 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 children one year before the official primary in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary entry age, male (%) in Belgium, 2001 to 2023.
Year % Change
2001 0.0%
2002 0.3%
2003 0.0% -100.0%
2004 0.6%
2005 0.2% -61.3%
2006 0.4% +76.7%
2007 0.5% +35.9%
2008 0.7% +20.0%
2009 0.7% +13.7%
2010 1.1% +43.1%
2011 2.0% +84.8%
2012 1.7% -15.6%
2013 1.6% -4.5%
2014 1.6% -1.3%
2015 1.8% +15.4%
2016 1.9% +4.1%
2017 1.4% -28.6%
2018 1.4% +0.6%
2019 1.4% +5.2%
2020 1.3% -8.1%
2021 1.6% +20.4%
2022 1.4% -12.6%
2023 1.8% +28.8%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 1.8% is below the median for high income countries, which is 4.7%, 38% of the median. (68 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 1.8% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 3.2%, 55% of the median. (50 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 0.4% 0.0% 0.7% 9
2010s 1.6% 1.1% 2.0% 10
2020s 1.5% 1.3% 1.8% 4

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 142 Mongolia 1.9% compare
  2. 143 Dominica 1.8% compare
  3. 144 Colombia 1.8% compare
  4. 146 Germany 1.6% compare
  5. 147 Sweden 1.5% compare
  6. 148 Spain 1.1% compare

See the full ranking of 175 places →

More education data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary in Belgium?
Out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary in Belgium was 1.8% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 2.0% in 2011.
What is the lowest out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 0.0% in 2001.
How does Belgium rank for out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary?
Belgium ranks 145th out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
Is out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 11.7%. 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 children one year before the official primary entry age, male (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 15 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/out-of-school-rate-for-children-one-year-before-the-official-primary-entry-age-male/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Out-of-school rate for children one year before the official primary entry age, male (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
175 places, 2,831 data points, 1998–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release