School-age population (primary level) in Belgium
Belgium: School-age population (primary level) was 790,278 in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
790,278
Change on year
down 0.9%
World rank
27th
of 72 countries
All-time high
807,065
in 2020
All-time low
712,894
in 2006
Years of data
25
2000–2024
School-age population in Belgium, 2000–2024
Source: UNICEF.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 790,278 for school-age population in 2024.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.9% on the previous year and up 5.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school-age population in Belgium peaked at 807,065 in 2020 and was at its lowest, 712,894, in 2006.
Belgium ranks 27th of 72 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
School-age population (primary level) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 751,882 | — |
| 2001 | 746,315 | -0.7% |
| 2002 | 741,069 | -0.7% |
| 2003 | 734,007 | -1.0% |
| 2004 | 725,073 | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 716,286 | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 712,894 | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 714,887 | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 716,811 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 715,438 | -0.2% |
| 2010 | 715,751 | +0.0% |
| 2011 | 726,832 | +1.5% |
| 2012 | 733,184 | +0.9% |
| 2013 | 740,507 | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 750,273 | +1.3% |
| 2015 | 765,431 | +2.0% |
| 2016 | 781,327 | +2.1% |
| 2017 | 793,140 | +1.5% |
| 2018 | 801,203 | +1.0% |
| 2019 | 805,796 | +0.6% |
| 2020 | 807,065 | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 803,784 | -0.4% |
| 2022 | 798,119 | -0.7% |
| 2023 | 797,575 | -0.1% |
| 2024 | 790,278 | -0.9% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 790,278 is above the median for high income countries, which is 380,422, 2.1× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 790,278 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 432,925, 1.8× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 727,466 | 712,894 | 751,882 | 10 |
| 2010s | 761,344 | 715,751 | 805,796 | 10 |
| 2020s | 799,364 | 790,278 | 807,065 | 5 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
- 24 Tajikistan 1.06 million compare
- 25 Romania 1.04 million compare
- 26 Libya 831,504 compare
- 28 Sweden 748,542 compare
- 29 Turkmenistan 664,216 compare
- 30 Kyrgyzstan 637,102 compare
More education data for Belgium
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.32 (2023)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 98.34 (2023)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is school-age population in Belgium?
- School-age population in Belgium was 790,278 in 2024, according to UNICEF.
- What is the highest school-age population recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 807,065 in 2020.
- What is the lowest school-age population recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 712,894 in 2006.
- How does Belgium rank for school-age population?
- Belgium ranks 27th out of 72 countries with data for 2024.
- Is school-age population rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 5.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of School-age population (primary level). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required).