Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Belgium

Belgium: Population of compulsory school age, both sexes was 1.75 million in 2024. ▲ Rising

Latest (2024)
1.75 million
Change on year
up 0.1%
World rank
84th
of 197 countries
All-time high
1.75 million
in 2024
All-time low
1.46 million
in 2010
Years of data
24
2001–2024

Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Belgium, 2001–2024

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M2001201220242001: 1.5M2002: 1.5M2003: 1.5M2004: 1.5M2005: 1.5M2006: 1.5M2007: 1.5M2008: 1.5M2009: 1.5M2010: 1.5M2011: 1.5M2012: 1.5M2013: 1.5M2014: 1.5M2015: 1.5M2016: 1.5M2017: 1.5M2018: 1.6M2019: 1.6M2020: 1.6M2021: 1.7M2022: 1.7M2023: 1.7M2024: 1.8M

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.

Analysis

In 2024, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Belgium stood at 1.75 million. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.

The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 17.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Belgium peaked at 1.75 million in 2024 and was at its lowest, 1.46 million, in 2010.

That places Belgium 84th out of 197 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.

Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number) in Belgium, 2001 to 2024.
Year Value Change
2001 1.47 million
2002 1.47 million +0.2%
2003 1.47 million +0.3%
2004 1.48 million +0.3%
2005 1.48 million -0.0%
2006 1.48 million +0.1%
2007 1.48 million -0.0%
2008 1.48 million -0.2%
2009 1.47 million -0.5%
2010 1.46 million -0.4%
2011 1.47 million +0.7%
2012 1.48 million +0.2%
2013 1.49 million +0.6%
2014 1.50 million +0.6%
2015 1.51 million +0.8%
2016 1.53 million +1.2%
2017 1.54 million +1.0%
2018 1.55 million +0.9%
2019 1.57 million +0.9%
2020 1.58 million +0.9%
2021 1.72 million +8.8%
2022 1.73 million +0.6%
2023 1.75 million +1.1%
2024 1.75 million +0.1%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 1.48 million 1.47 million 1.48 million 9
2010s 1.51 million 1.46 million 1.57 million 10
2020s 1.71 million 1.58 million 1.75 million 5

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 81 Sierra Leone 1.90 million compare
  2. 82 Tunisia 1.89 million compare
  3. 83 Turkmenistan 1.78 million compare
  4. 85 Paraguay 1.67 million compare
  5. 86 Congo 1.65 million compare
  6. 87 Central African Republic 1.60 million compare

See the full ranking of 418 places →

More education data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Belgium?
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Belgium was 1.75 million in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 1.75 million in 2024.
What is the lowest population of compulsory school age, both sexes recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 1.46 million in 2010.
How does Belgium rank for population of compulsory school age, both sexes?
Belgium ranks 84th out of 197 countries with data for 2024.
Is population of compulsory school age, both sexes rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 17.2%. 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 Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Population of compulsory school age, both sexes in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/population-of-compulsory-school-age-both-sexes-number-2/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Population of compulsory school age, both sexes (number)
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
418 places, 11,049 data points, 1974–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release