Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium

Belgium: Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general was 59.7% in 2023. ▼ Falling

Latest (2023)
59.7%
Change on year
down 0.5%
World rank
214th
of 219 countries
All-time high
63.7%
in 1977
All-time low
39.0%
in 2008
Years of data
43
1971–2023

Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium, 1971–2023

02040601971199720231971: 46.3 %1972: 46.4 %1973: 53 %1974: 55.7 %1975: 59.5 %1976: 62.2 %1977: 63.7 %1983: 56.5 %1984: 54.4 %1985: 54.8 %1986: 54.6 %1987: 54.4 %1988: 53.8 %1991: 56.5 %1993: 47.4 %1994: 47.1 %1995: 46.7 %1996: 46.3 %1999: 46.1 %2000: 45.1 %2001: 42.8 %2002: 40.7 %2003: 40 %2004: 41.9 %2005: 40.4 %2006: 40 %2007: 39.5 %2008: 39 %2009: 39.1 %2010: 40.3 %2011: 40.7 %2012: 40.7 %2013: 54.1 %2014: 54.3 %2015: 54.9 %2016: 54.4 %2017: 55.8 %2018: 56.7 %2019: 57.4 %2020: 58.2 %2021: 59.6 %2022: 60 %2023: 59.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium is 59.7%, measured in 2023.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.5% on the previous year and up 10.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium peaked at 63.7% in 1977 and was at its lowest, 39.0%, in 2008.

Belgium ranks 214th of 219 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 43 years of available data.

Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general programmes, both sexes (%) in Belgium, 1971 to 2023.
Year % Change
1971 46.3%
1972 46.4% +0.2%
1973 53.0% +14.3%
1974 55.7% +5.0%
1975 59.5% +6.8%
1976 62.2% +4.6%
1977 63.7% +2.4%
1983 56.5% -11.3%
1984 54.4% -3.7%
1985 54.8% +0.7%
1986 54.6% -0.2%
1987 54.4% -0.5%
1988 53.8% -1.1%
1991 56.5% +5.1%
1993 47.4% -16.1%
1994 47.1% -0.6%
1995 46.7% -1.0%
1996 46.3% -0.9%
1999 46.1% -0.3%
2000 45.1% -2.3%
2001 42.8% -5.0%
2002 40.7% -5.0%
2003 40.0% -1.7%
2004 41.9% +4.9%
2005 40.4% -3.6%
2006 40.0% -1.1%
2007 39.5% -1.1%
2008 39.0% -1.4%
2009 39.1% +0.5%
2010 40.3% +2.9%
2011 40.7% +1.1%
2012 40.7% -0.1%
2013 54.1% +32.9%
2014 54.3% +0.3%
2015 54.9% +1.1%
2016 54.4% -0.8%
2017 55.8% +2.5%
2018 56.7% +1.7%
2019 57.4% +1.1%
2020 58.2% +1.5%
2021 59.6% +2.4%
2022 60.0% +0.6%
2023 59.7% -0.5%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 55.2% 46.3% 63.7% 7
1980s 54.7% 53.8% 56.5% 6
1990s 48.4% 46.1% 56.5% 6
2000s 40.9% 39.0% 45.1% 10
2010s 50.9% 40.3% 57.4% 10
2020s 59.4% 58.2% 60.0% 4

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 211 Croatia 62.0% compare
  2. 212 Honduras 61.4% compare
  3. 213 Netherlands 60.0% compare
  4. 215 Slovenia 59.4% compare
  5. 216 Finland 56.8% compare
  6. 217 Gambia 53.0% compare

See the full ranking of 440 places →

More education data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium?
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium was 59.7% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 63.7% in 1977.
What is the lowest share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 39.0% in 2008.
How does Belgium rank for share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general?
Belgium ranks 214th out of 219 countries with data for 2023.
Is share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is up 10.4%. 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 Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general programmes, both sexes (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-all-students-in-secondary-education-enrolled-in-general-programmes-both-sexes/belgium/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of all students in secondary education enrolled in general programmes, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
440 places, 19,519 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release