Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Netherlands
Netherlands: Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates was 104.2% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Netherlands, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
Netherlands recorded 104.2% for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in 2023. That is the lowest value across all 21 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.1% on the previous year and down 2.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Netherlands peaked at 108.2% in 2004 and was at its lowest, 104.2%, in 2023.
That places Netherlands 73rd out of 217 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Netherlands, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 106.7% | — |
| 2002 | 107.0% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 108.0% | +1.0% |
| 2004 | 108.2% | +0.2% |
| 2005 | 107.9% | -0.2% |
| 2006 | 107.8% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 107.7% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 107.3% | -0.3% |
| 2009 | 107.0% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 106.8% | -0.3% |
| 2011 | 107.1% | +0.3% |
| 2012 | 107.0% | -0.0% |
| 2015 | 106.1% | -0.9% |
| 2016 | 105.7% | -0.4% |
| 2017 | 105.0% | -0.6% |
| 2018 | 104.6% | -0.5% |
| 2019 | 104.6% | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 104.3% | -0.2% |
| 2021 | 104.4% | +0.0% |
| 2022 | 104.2% | -0.2% |
| 2023 | 104.2% | -0.1% |
Netherlands compared with similar countries
- Netherlands's 104.2% is above the median for high income countries, which is 99.8%, 1.0× the median. (78 countries reporting)
- Netherlands's 104.2% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 101.2%, 1.0× the median. (53 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 107.5% | 106.7% | 108.2% | 9 |
| 2010s | 105.8% | 104.6% | 107.1% | 8 |
| 2020s | 104.3% | 104.2% | 104.4% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Netherlands
More education data for Netherlands
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 118,472 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 23,856 (1985)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 247,743 (2023)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 240,049 (2023)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.61 million (2023)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 1.14 million (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate 0.0937 % change on previous year (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2023)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.064 units per person (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Netherlands?
- Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates in Netherlands was 104.2% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Netherlands?
- The highest recorded value was 108.2% in 2004.
- What is the lowest primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates recorded in Netherlands?
- The lowest recorded value was 104.2% in 2023.
- How does Netherlands rank for primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates?
- Netherlands ranks 73rd out of 217 countries with data for 2023.
- Is primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates rising or falling in Netherlands?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Netherlands data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Primary, secondary and tertiary education enrollment and completion rates. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Number of children of any age group who are enrolled in primary education, expressed as a percentage of the total population of the official primary school age.