Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Belgium
Belgium: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 98.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Belgium, 1820–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 98.3% for share of children in primary school age who are in school in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and up 0.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Belgium peaked at 100.0% in 1945 and was at its lowest, 36.3%, in 1880.
That places Belgium 64th out of 209 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 56 years of available data.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 36.4% | — |
| 1825 | 38.8% | +6.6% |
| 1830 | 41.2% | +6.3% |
| 1835 | 57.4% | +39.1% |
| 1840 | 63.8% | +11.2% |
| 1845 | 59.0% | -7.5% |
| 1850 | 68.4% | +15.9% |
| 1855 | 73.1% | +6.9% |
| 1860 | 69.8% | -4.5% |
| 1865 | 73.7% | +5.5% |
| 1870 | 72.0% | -2.3% |
| 1875 | 76.3% | +6.0% |
| 1880 | 36.3% | -52.5% |
| 1885 | 59.4% | +63.8% |
| 1890 | 60.2% | +1.4% |
| 1895 | 68.4% | +13.5% |
| 1900 | 74.2% | +8.5% |
| 1905 | 75.9% | +2.2% |
| 1910 | 77.7% | +2.4% |
| 1915 | 76.2% | -1.9% |
| 1920 | 93.3% | +22.4% |
| 1925 | 78.1% | -16.3% |
| 1930 | 87.9% | +12.5% |
| 1935 | 94.2% | +7.3% |
| 1940 | 88.7% | -5.9% |
| 1945 | 100.0% | +12.7% |
| 1950 | 92.0% | -8.0% |
| 1955 | 81.3% | -11.6% |
| 1960 | 100.0% | +23.0% |
| 1965 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 1970 | 96.0% | -4.0% |
| 1975 | 96.5% | +0.6% |
| 1980 | 97.0% | +0.5% |
| 2001 | 99.9% | +3.0% |
| 2002 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2003 | 99.9% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 99.4% | -0.5% |
| 2005 | 99.5% | +0.0% |
| 2006 | 99.2% | -0.2% |
| 2007 | 99.1% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 98.9% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 98.8% | -0.1% |
| 2010 | 98.7% | -0.1% |
| 2011 | 97.9% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 98.1% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 98.2% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 98.2% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 98.1% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 98.1% | -0.1% |
| 2017 | 98.6% | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 98.7% | +0.0% |
| 2019 | 98.7% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 98.8% | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 98.5% | -0.2% |
| 2022 | 98.8% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 98.3% | -0.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 98.3% is above the median for high income countries, which is 98.2%, 1.0× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 98.3% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 98.6%, 100% of the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of children in primary school age who are in school 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1885 | +63.8% | 36.3% | 59.4% |
| 1880 | -52.5% | 76.3% | 36.3% |
| 1835 | +39.1% | 41.2% | 57.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 37.6% | 36.4% | 38.8% | 2 |
| 1830s | 49.3% | 41.2% | 57.4% | 2 |
| 1840s | 61.4% | 59.0% | 63.8% | 2 |
| 1850s | 70.7% | 68.4% | 73.1% | 2 |
| 1860s | 71.8% | 69.8% | 73.7% | 2 |
| 1870s | 74.2% | 72.0% | 76.3% | 2 |
| 1880s | 47.8% | 36.3% | 59.4% | 2 |
| 1890s | 64.3% | 60.2% | 68.4% | 2 |
| 1900s | 75.0% | 74.2% | 75.9% | 2 |
| 1910s | 77.0% | 76.2% | 77.7% | 2 |
| 1920s | 85.7% | 78.1% | 93.3% | 2 |
| 1930s | 91.0% | 87.9% | 94.2% | 2 |
| 1940s | 94.3% | 88.7% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1950s | 86.6% | 81.3% | 92.0% | 2 |
| 1960s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 96.2% | 96.0% | 96.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 97.0% | 97.0% | 97.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.4% | 98.8% | 99.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 98.3% | 97.9% | 98.7% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.6% | 98.3% | 98.8% | 4 |
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 share of children in primary school age who are in school in Belgium?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Belgium was 98.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1945.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 36.3% in 1880.
- How does Belgium rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Belgium ranks 64th out of 209 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 0.2%. 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 (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.