Productivity vs. educational attainment in Belgium
Belgium: Productivity vs. educational attainment was 84.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 2023. ◆ Volatile
Latest (2023)
84.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
8th
of 130 countries
All-time high
84.59 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour
in 2020
All-time low
11.12 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour
in 1950
Years of data
74
1950–2023
Productivity vs. educational attainment in Belgium, 1950–2023
Source: Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in international-$ in 2021 prices per hour.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 84.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour for productivity vs. educational attainment in 2023.
That represents a change of up 0.8% on the previous year and up 8.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, productivity vs. educational attainment in Belgium peaked at 84.59 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 2020 and was at its lowest, 11.12 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour, in 1950.
That places Belgium 8th out of 130 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Productivity vs. educational attainment in Belgium, year by year
| Year | international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 11.12 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | — |
| 1951 | 11.64 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.7% |
| 1952 | 11.96 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.7% |
| 1953 | 12.39 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.6% |
| 1954 | 13.03 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +5.1% |
| 1955 | 13.68 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +5.0% |
| 1956 | 14.13 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.3% |
| 1957 | 14.34 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.5% |
| 1958 | 14.41 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.5% |
| 1959 | 15.02 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.2% |
| 1960 | 15.52 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.3% |
| 1961 | 16.31 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +5.1% |
| 1962 | 17.03 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.4% |
| 1963 | 17.68 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.8% |
| 1964 | 18.73 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +5.9% |
| 1965 | 19.43 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.8% |
| 1966 | 20.01 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.0% |
| 1967 | 20.99 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.9% |
| 1968 | 22.04 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +5.0% |
| 1969 | 23.14 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +5.0% |
| 1970 | 24.61 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +6.3% |
| 1971 | 25.54 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.8% |
| 1972 | 27.57 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +8.0% |
| 1973 | 29.68 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +7.7% |
| 1974 | 31.12 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.8% |
| 1975 | 31.57 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.4% |
| 1976 | 33.81 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +7.1% |
| 1977 | 35 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.5% |
| 1978 | 36.71 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.9% |
| 1979 | 37.9 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.2% |
| 1980 | 40.99 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +8.1% |
| 1981 | 40.35 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -1.6% |
| 1982 | 39.88 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -1.2% |
| 1983 | 39.05 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -2.1% |
| 1984 | 38.33 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -1.8% |
| 1985 | 36.19 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -5.6% |
| 1986 | 39.21 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +8.3% |
| 1987 | 41.61 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +6.1% |
| 1988 | 44.45 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +6.8% |
| 1989 | 45.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.2% |
| 1990 | 46.73 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.9% |
| 1991 | 48.59 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.0% |
| 1992 | 51.35 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +5.7% |
| 1993 | 53.69 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.6% |
| 1994 | 55.56 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.5% |
| 1995 | 57.1 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.8% |
| 1996 | 56.9 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -0.4% |
| 1997 | 58.6 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.0% |
| 1998 | 57.93 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -1.1% |
| 1999 | 59.66 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +3.0% |
| 2000 | 62.14 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +4.1% |
| 2001 | 62.25 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 64.02 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.8% |
| 2003 | 65.09 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.7% |
| 2004 | 65.93 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.3% |
| 2005 | 71.19 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +8.0% |
| 2006 | 67.18 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -5.6% |
| 2007 | 68.51 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +2.0% |
| 2008 | 73.75 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +7.6% |
| 2009 | 72.63 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -1.5% |
| 2010 | 76.26 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +5.0% |
| 2011 | 77.3 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.4% |
| 2012 | 77.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.3% |
| 2013 | 77.65 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.2% |
| 2014 | 78.38 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.9% |
| 2015 | 75.52 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -3.7% |
| 2016 | 76.23 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.9% |
| 2017 | 77.5 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +1.7% |
| 2018 | 75.87 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -2.1% |
| 2019 | 79.8 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +5.2% |
| 2020 | 84.59 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +6.0% |
| 2021 | 83.71 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | -1.0% |
| 2022 | 83.72 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.0% |
| 2023 | 84.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | +0.8% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 84.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour is above the median for high income countries, which is 51.52 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour, 1.6× the median. (51 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 84.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 46.15 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour, 1.8× the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 13.17 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 11.12 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 15.02 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 1960s | 19.09 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 15.52 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 23.14 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 1970s | 31.35 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 24.61 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 37.9 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 1980s | 40.55 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 36.19 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 45.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 1990s | 54.61 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 46.73 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 59.66 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 2000s | 67.27 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 62.14 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 73.75 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 2010s | 77.21 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 75.52 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 79.8 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 10 |
| 2020s | 84.11 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 83.71 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 84.59 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 5 Austria 84.97 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 6 Netherlands 84.8 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 7 Luxembourg 84.76 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 9 United States 83.53 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 10 Germany 82.5 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
- 11 Sweden 80.74 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour compare
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 productivity vs. educational attainment in Belgium?
- Productivity vs. educational attainment in Belgium was 84.4 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 2023, according to Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest productivity vs. educational attainment recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 84.59 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 2020.
- What is the lowest productivity vs. educational attainment recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.12 international-$ in 2021 prices per hour in 1950.
- How does Belgium rank for productivity vs. educational attainment?
- Belgium ranks 8th out of 130 countries with data for 2023.
- Is productivity vs. educational attainment rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 8.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Feenstra et al. – Penn World Table (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Productivity vs. educational attainment. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 74 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Productivity is calculated as GDP divided by the total number of hours worked in the economy. This data is adjusted for inflation and differences in living costs between countries.