Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium
Belgium: Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers was 59.3% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium, 2005–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium is 59.3%, measured in 2023.
The figure is down 4.2% on the previous year and up 52.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium peaked at 62.7% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 10.5%, in 2005.
Belgium ranks 33rd of 64 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 15 years of available data.
Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2005 | 10.5% | — |
| 2006 | 12.7% | +21.0% |
| 2007 | 14.0% | +10.2% |
| 2008 | 17.5% | +25.0% |
| 2009 | 29.2% | +66.9% |
| 2010 | 33.3% | +14.0% |
| 2011 | 31.9% | -4.2% |
| 2012 | 39.0% | +22.3% |
| 2014 | 49.7% | +27.4% |
| 2015 | 49.3% | -0.8% |
| 2019 | 56.9% | +15.4% |
| 2020 | 62.7% | +10.2% |
| 2021 | 60.8% | -3.0% |
| 2022 | 61.9% | +1.8% |
| 2023 | 59.3% | -4.2% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 16.8% | 10.5% | 29.2% | 5 |
| 2010s | 43.4% | 31.9% | 56.9% | 6 |
| 2020s | 61.2% | 59.3% | 62.7% | 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 proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium?
- Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium was 59.3% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 62.7% in 2020.
- What is the lowest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 10.5% in 2005.
- How does Belgium rank for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers?
- Belgium ranks 33rd out of 64 countries with data for 2023.
- Is proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 52.1%. 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 Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers, magazines or electronic books in digital format, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release