Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium
Belgium: Proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers was 63.2% 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
In 2023, proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium stood at 63.2%.
The figure is down 1.1% on the previous year and up 47.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers in Belgium peaked at 65.4% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 12.9%, in 2005.
That places Belgium 30th out of 65 countries with data for 2023, putting it 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 | 12.9% | — |
| 2006 | 15.8% | +22.5% |
| 2007 | 16.9% | +7.0% |
| 2008 | 20.9% | +23.7% |
| 2009 | 34.1% | +63.2% |
| 2010 | 37.7% | +10.6% |
| 2011 | 37.4% | -0.8% |
| 2012 | 42.9% | +14.7% |
| 2014 | 52.9% | +23.3% |
| 2015 | 52.4% | -0.9% |
| 2019 | 59.0% | +12.6% |
| 2020 | 65.4% | +10.8% |
| 2021 | 61.9% | -5.4% |
| 2022 | 63.9% | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 63.2% | -1.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 20.1% | 12.9% | 34.1% | 5 |
| 2010s | 47.1% | 37.4% | 59.0% | 6 |
| 2020s | 63.6% | 61.9% | 65.4% | 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 63.2% 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 65.4% in 2020.
- What is the lowest proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 12.9% in 2005.
- How does Belgium rank for proportion of youth and adults that read or downloaded newspapers?
- Belgium ranks 30th out of 65 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 47.3%. 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, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
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