Share of population with no formal education in Belgium
Belgium: Share of population with no formal education was 3.0% in 2020. ◆ Volatile
Share of population with no formal education in Belgium, 1870–2020
Source: Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of population with no formal education in Belgium is 3.0%, measured in 2020.
That represents a change of down 23.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of population with no formal education in Belgium peaked at 47.2% in 1875 and was at its lowest, 1.2%, in 1965.
That places Belgium 55th out of 111 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The series is highly variable year to year, so single readings are best treated with caution.
Share of population with no formal education in Belgium, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 44.2% | — |
| 1875 | 47.2% | +6.8% |
| 1880 | 45.1% | -4.4% |
| 1885 | 43.8% | -2.9% |
| 1890 | 45.0% | +2.7% |
| 1895 | 44.1% | -2.0% |
| 1900 | 42.5% | -3.6% |
| 1905 | 40.1% | -5.6% |
| 1910 | 33.8% | -15.7% |
| 1915 | 31.5% | -6.8% |
| 1920 | 29.5% | -6.3% |
| 1925 | 26.3% | -10.8% |
| 1930 | 21.8% | -17.1% |
| 1935 | 18.1% | -17.0% |
| 1940 | 12.3% | -32.0% |
| 1945 | 6.1% | -50.4% |
| 1950 | 2.7% | -55.7% |
| 1955 | 2.2% | -18.5% |
| 1960 | 1.8% | -18.2% |
| 1965 | 1.2% | -33.3% |
| 1970 | 1.2% | +0.0% |
| 1975 | 2.5% | +108.3% |
| 1980 | 3.6% | +44.0% |
| 1985 | 4.2% | +16.7% |
| 1990 | 4.2% | +0.0% |
| 1995 | 3.8% | -9.5% |
| 2000 | 3.2% | -15.8% |
| 2005 | 4.2% | +31.2% |
| 2010 | 3.9% | -7.1% |
| 2015 | 3.5% | -10.3% |
| 2020 | 3.0% | -14.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 45.7% | 44.2% | 47.2% | 2 |
| 1880s | 44.5% | 43.8% | 45.1% | 2 |
| 1890s | 44.5% | 44.1% | 45.0% | 2 |
| 1900s | 41.3% | 40.1% | 42.5% | 2 |
| 1910s | 32.6% | 31.5% | 33.8% | 2 |
| 1920s | 27.9% | 26.3% | 29.5% | 2 |
| 1930s | 20.0% | 18.1% | 21.8% | 2 |
| 1940s | 9.2% | 6.1% | 12.3% | 2 |
| 1950s | 2.5% | 2.2% | 2.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 1.5% | 1.2% | 1.8% | 2 |
| 1970s | 1.9% | 1.2% | 2.5% | 2 |
| 1980s | 3.9% | 3.6% | 4.2% | 2 |
| 1990s | 4.0% | 3.8% | 4.2% | 2 |
| 2000s | 3.7% | 3.2% | 4.2% | 2 |
| 2010s | 3.7% | 3.5% | 3.9% | 2 |
| 2020s | 3.0% | 3.0% | 3.0% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
More education data for Belgium
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 397,681 (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), annual growth rate -0.1517 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), per capita 0.0338 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), gaps filled 416,707 (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), annual growth rate -0.1203 % change on previous year (2023)
- Enrolment in primary education, male (number), per capita 0.0354 units per person (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 1.18 million (2023)
- Enrolment in secondary education, both sexes (number), annual growth 2.61 % change on previous year (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 80,763 (2023)
- Teachers in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth rate 1.55 % change on previous year (2023)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of population with no formal education in Belgium?
- Share of population with no formal education in Belgium was 3.0% in 2020, according to Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of population with no formal education recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 47.2% in 1875.
- What is the lowest share of population with no formal education recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.2% in 1965.
- How does Belgium rank for share of population with no formal education?
- Belgium ranks 55th out of 111 countries with data for 2020.
- Is share of population with no formal education rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is down 23.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is volatile.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Barro and Lee (2015); Lee and Lee (2016) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of population with no formal education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
The share of adults aged between 15 and 64 years old with no formal education.