Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Belgium

Belgium: Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes was 4.7% in 2017. ▼ Falling

Latest (2017)
4.7%
Change on year
down 0.7%
World rank
63rd
of 188 countries
All-time high
13.7%
in 1975
All-time low
4.7%
in 2017
Years of data
26
1974–2017

Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Belgium, 1974–2017

4681012141974199520171974: 13.6 %1975: 13.7 %1976: 13 %1977: 13.2 %1978: 12.7 %1979: 12.4 %1980: 12.3 %1981: 11.3 %1982: 13 %1983: 10.1 %1984: 9.5 %1985: 10.3 %1986: 10.3 %1987: 10.1 %2003: 6.2 %2005: 6.5 %2006: 6.5 %2007: 6.9 %2008: 6.9 %2009: 6.9 %2012: 5.6 %2013: 5.3 %2014: 5.1 %2015: 4.8 %2016: 4.7 %2017: 4.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Belgium is 4.7%, measured in 2017. That is the lowest value across all 26 years on record.

That represents a change of down 0.7% on the previous year and down 32.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Belgium peaked at 13.7% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 4.7%, in 2017.

That places Belgium 63rd out of 188 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 26 years of available data.

Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes (%) in Belgium, 1974 to 2017.
Year % Change
1974 13.6%
1975 13.7% +1.3%
1976 13.0% -5.5%
1977 13.2% +1.6%
1978 12.7% -4.0%
1979 12.4% -1.9%
1980 12.3% -1.0%
1981 11.3% -7.9%
1982 13.0% +14.5%
1983 10.1% -21.7%
1984 9.5% -6.6%
1985 10.3% +8.6%
1986 10.3% +0.2%
1987 10.1% -2.0%
2003 6.2% -38.5%
2005 6.5% +4.4%
2006 6.5% +0.3%
2007 6.9% +6.3%
2008 6.9% -0.7%
2009 6.9% -0.2%
2012 5.6% -18.5%
2013 5.3% -5.5%
2014 5.1% -2.7%
2015 4.8% -6.4%
2016 4.7% -2.1%
2017 4.7% -0.7%

Belgium compared with similar countries

  • Belgium's 4.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 0.9%, 5.1× the median. (67 countries reporting)
  • Belgium's 4.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 0.6%, 8.2× the median. (50 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes 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.

YearChange FromTo
2003 -38.5% 10.1% 6.2%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 13.1% 12.4% 13.7% 6
1980s 10.9% 9.5% 13.0% 8
2000s 6.6% 6.2% 6.9% 6
2010s 5.0% 4.7% 5.6% 6

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 60 Angola 5.0% compare
  2. 61 Panama 4.7% compare
  3. 62 Saint Kitts and Nevis 4.7% compare
  4. 64 Bangladesh 4.5% compare
  5. 65 Lebanon 4.5% compare
  6. 66 Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 4.4% compare

See the full ranking of 188 places →

More education data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Belgium?
Repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Belgium was 4.7% in 2017, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 13.7% in 1975.
What is the lowest repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 4.7% in 2017.
How does Belgium rank for repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes?
Belgium ranks 63rd out of 188 countries with data for 2017.
Is repetition rate in grade 1 of primary education, both sexes rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 32.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 14 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/repetition-rate-in-grade-1-of-primary-education-both-sexes-percent/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Repetition rate in Grade 1 of primary education, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
188 places, 4,401 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Number of repeaters in a given grade in a given school year, expressed as a percentage of enrolment in that grade the previous school year. Divide the number of repeaters in a given grade in school year t+1 by the number of pupils from the same cohort enrolled in the same grade in the previous school year t.