School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Belgium
Belgium: School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) was 18.92 years in 2023. ▬ Flat
Latest (2023)
18.92 years
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
7th
of 186 countries
All-time high
19.79 years
in 2015
All-time low
18.31 years
in 2001
Years of data
23
2001–2023
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Belgium, 2001–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in years.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 18.92 years for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in 2023.
That represents a change of down 0.4% on the previous year and down 2.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Belgium peaked at 19.79 years in 2015 and was at its lowest, 18.31 years, in 2001.
Belgium ranks 7th of 186 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years) (both) in Belgium, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2001 | 18.31 years | — |
| 2002 | 18.48 years | +0.9% |
| 2003 | 18.7 years | +1.2% |
| 2004 | 18.48 years | -1.2% |
| 2005 | 18.84 years | +1.9% |
| 2006 | 19.05 years | +1.2% |
| 2007 | 19.1 years | +0.2% |
| 2008 | 19.14 years | +0.2% |
| 2009 | 19.17 years | +0.1% |
| 2010 | 19.22 years | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 19.05 years | -0.9% |
| 2012 | 19.16 years | +0.6% |
| 2013 | 19.35 years | +1.0% |
| 2014 | 19.71 years | +1.8% |
| 2015 | 19.79 years | +0.4% |
| 2016 | 19.66 years | -0.7% |
| 2017 | 19.76 years | +0.5% |
| 2018 | 19.56 years | -1.0% |
| 2019 | 19.57 years | +0.0% |
| 2020 | 19.28 years | -1.5% |
| 2021 | 18.95 years | -1.7% |
| 2022 | 19 years | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 18.92 years | -0.4% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 18.92 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 16.09 years, 1.2× the median. (70 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 18.92 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.14 years, 1.2× the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 18.81 years | 18.31 years | 19.17 years | 9 |
| 2010s | 19.48 years | 19.05 years | 19.79 years | 10 |
| 2020s | 19.04 years | 18.92 years | 19.28 years | 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 school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Belgium?
- School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes in Belgium was 18.92 years in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 19.79 years in 2015.
- What is the lowest school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 18.31 years in 2001.
- How does Belgium rank for school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes?
- Belgium ranks 7th out of 186 countries with data for 2023.
- Is school life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.2%. 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, published as part of School life expectancy, primary to tertiary, both sexes (years). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 23 observations, free to reuse under CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics).
About this data
February 2026 Data Release