Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Belgium
Belgium: Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school was 97.7% in 2023. ▬ Flat
Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Belgium, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Belgium is 97.7%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.2% on the previous year and down 0.3% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Belgium peaked at 99.6% in 2001 and was at its lowest, 97.6%, in 2021.
That places Belgium 14th out of 178 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the top 10%.
Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 99.6% | — |
| 2002 | 99.4% | -0.1% |
| 2003 | 99.4% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 99.2% | -0.3% |
| 2005 | 99.5% | +0.4% |
| 2006 | 99.4% | -0.1% |
| 2007 | 99.3% | -0.1% |
| 2008 | 99.0% | -0.2% |
| 2009 | 98.7% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 98.6% | -0.2% |
| 2011 | 97.7% | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 97.9% | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 98.0% | +0.1% |
| 2014 | 97.9% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 97.9% | -0.0% |
| 2016 | 97.9% | -0.0% |
| 2017 | 98.1% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 98.0% | -0.1% |
| 2019 | 98.0% | -0.0% |
| 2020 | 98.2% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 97.6% | -0.5% |
| 2022 | 97.9% | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 97.7% | -0.2% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 97.7% is above the median for high income countries, which is 87.1%, 1.1× the median. (68 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 97.7% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 87.9%, 1.1× the median. (49 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 99.3% | 98.7% | 99.6% | 9 |
| 2010s | 98.0% | 97.7% | 98.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 97.9% | 97.6% | 98.2% | 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 share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Belgium?
- Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school in Belgium was 97.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children enrolled in pre-primary school recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 99.6% in 2001.
- What is the lowest share of children enrolled in pre-primary school recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 97.6% in 2021.
- How does Belgium rank for share of children enrolled in pre-primary school?
- Belgium ranks 14th out of 178 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of children enrolled in pre-primary school rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 0.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children enrolled in pre-primary school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of pre-primary school age (typically 3–5 years old) who are enrolled in pre-primary education.