Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Belgium
Belgium: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 8.1% in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Belgium, 1992–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2023, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Belgium stood at 8.1%. That is the highest value across all 26 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 17.2% on the previous year and up 108.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Belgium peaked at 8.1% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 0.3%, in 1992.
That places Belgium 13th out of 51 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top quarter.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1992 | 0.3% | — |
| 1994 | 0.4% | +23.5% |
| 1995 | 0.4% | -3.0% |
| 1996 | 0.4% | +6.7% |
| 1997 | 0.4% | +4.7% |
| 2001 | 1.8% | +355.8% |
| 2003 | 3.3% | +82.2% |
| 2004 | 3.6% | +8.0% |
| 2005 | 4.2% | +15.9% |
| 2006 | 3.6% | -13.9% |
| 2007 | 3.9% | +7.8% |
| 2008 | 3.4% | -12.1% |
| 2009 | 3.5% | +1.4% |
| 2010 | 4.0% | +16.8% |
| 2011 | 4.0% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 3.6% | -9.7% |
| 2013 | 3.9% | +7.7% |
| 2014 | 3.8% | -2.2% |
| 2015 | 4.0% | +5.4% |
| 2016 | 3.6% | -9.2% |
| 2017 | 4.5% | +23.2% |
| 2018 | 3.5% | -21.0% |
| 2019 | 3.9% | +8.8% |
| 2020 | 2.9% | -24.9% |
| 2022 | 7.0% | +139.9% |
| 2023 | 8.1% | +17.2% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 8.1% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 7.0%, 1.2× the median. (28 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 8.1% is above the median for high income countries, which is 3.6%, 2.3× the median. (35 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2001 | +355.8% | 0.4% | 1.8% |
| 2022 | +139.9% | 2.9% | 7.0% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.4% | 5 |
| 2000s | 3.4% | 1.8% | 4.2% | 8 |
| 2010s | 3.9% | 3.5% | 4.5% | 10 |
| 2020s | 6.0% | 2.9% | 8.1% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
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 participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Belgium?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Belgium was 8.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 8.1% in 2023.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 0.3% in 1992.
- How does Belgium rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Belgium ranks 13th out of 51 countries with data for 2023.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 108.9%. 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 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 55-64 years old, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 26 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release