Share of students from abroad in Belgium
Belgium: Share of students from abroad was 10.4 in 2023. ▲ Rising
Latest (2023)
10.4
Change on year
up 2.5%
World rank
42nd
of 134 countries
All-time high
12.02
in 2016
All-time low
5.4
in 2005
Years of data
25
1999–2023
Share of students from abroad in Belgium, 1999–2023
Source: Our World in Data.
Analysis
Belgium recorded 10.4 for share of students from abroad in 2023.
That represents a change of up 2.5% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students from abroad in Belgium peaked at 12.02 in 2016 and was at its lowest, 5.4, in 2005.
That places Belgium 42nd out of 134 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 25 years of available data.
Share of students from abroad in Belgium, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1999 | 10.27 | — |
| 2000 | 10.91 | +6.2% |
| 2001 | 10.62 | -2.6% |
| 2002 | 11 | +3.6% |
| 2003 | 11.18 | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 6.79 | -39.3% |
| 2005 | 5.4 | -20.4% |
| 2006 | 6.3 | +16.6% |
| 2007 | 6.4 | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 7.43 | +16.1% |
| 2009 | 7.98 | +7.5% |
| 2010 | 8.11 | +1.6% |
| 2011 | 8.19 | +0.9% |
| 2012 | 8.98 | +9.7% |
| 2013 | 9.98 | +11.1% |
| 2014 | 11.19 | +12.2% |
| 2015 | 11.18 | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 12.02 | +7.5% |
| 2017 | 8.54 | -29.0% |
| 2018 | 10.45 | +22.4% |
| 2019 | 10.04 | -3.9% |
| 2020 | 10.52 | +4.8% |
| 2021 | 9.83 | -6.6% |
| 2022 | 10.15 | +3.2% |
| 2023 | 10.4 | +2.5% |
Belgium compared with similar countries
- Belgium's 10.4 is below the median for high income countries, which is 10.58, 98% of the median. (60 countries reporting)
- Belgium's 10.4 is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 9.89, 1.1× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 10.27 | 10.27 | 10.27 | 1 |
| 2000s | 8.4 | 5.4 | 11.18 | 10 |
| 2010s | 9.87 | 8.11 | 12.02 | 10 |
| 2020s | 10.22 | 9.83 | 10.52 | 4 |
Countries ranked near Belgium
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 share of students from abroad in Belgium?
- Share of students from abroad in Belgium was 10.4 in 2023, according to Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students from abroad recorded in Belgium?
- The highest recorded value was 12.02 in 2016.
- What is the lowest share of students from abroad recorded in Belgium?
- The lowest recorded value was 5.4 in 2005.
- How does Belgium rank for share of students from abroad?
- Belgium ranks 42nd out of 134 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students from abroad rising or falling in Belgium?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Belgium data come from?
- The figures come from Our World in Data, published as part of Share of students from abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 25 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).