State of the Union / Education

How well educated are we?

A qualification increases the chance of a job and a good income. Here you can see how many young people leave school without a qualification, how many young adults have a higher education degree, and how many 15-year-olds fall short of the basic level in maths and reading in the international PISA test.

Higher education degree

How many young adults have a higher education degree?

52.7%

Belgium, 2025

That is higher than the EU average (44.8%).
In 2015 it was 43.1%.

This concerns people aged 25 to 34 with a bachelor's, master's or equivalent degree.

About 53 in 100 25- to 34-year-olds have a higher education degree.

Definition and source

Definition: Share of 25- to 34-year-olds with a higher education degree.
Dataset: Eurostat · edat_lfse_03
Exact query: open the raw data
Exact query: open the raw data
Updated by the source: 10 September 2026
Copy as CSV: diploma_hoger_onderwijs.csv (handy for reuse; the source itself remains the reference)

Early school leavers

How many young people leave school without a qualification?

7.3%

Belgium, 2025

That is lower than the EU average (9.1%).
In 2015 it was 10.1%.

Young people without a secondary school qualification often have a harder time on the labour market.

About 7 in 100 young people aged 18 to 24 have no secondary qualification and are no longer in education or training.

Definition and source

Definition: Share of 18- to 24-year-olds without a secondary school qualification who are no longer in education or training.
Dataset: Eurostat · edat_lfse_14
Exact query: open the raw data
Exact query: open the raw data
Updated by the source: 10 September 2026
Copy as CSV: vroegtijdige_schoolverlaters.csv (handy for reuse; the source itself remains the reference)

Low achievers in maths (PISA)

How many 15-year-olds fall short of the basic level in maths?

28.4%

Belgium, 2025

That is lower than the EU average (33.9%).
In 2015 it was 20.1%.

PISA is an international test taken by 15-year-olds every few years. Those below level 2 struggle with simple applications, such as comparing prices or reading a simple chart. Education is the responsibility of the communities; Eurostat only publishes the figure for Belgium as a whole.

About 28 in 100 15-year-olds fall short of the basic level in maths.

Definition and source

Definition: Share of 15-year-olds scoring below level 2 in mathematics in the OECD PISA test.
Dataset: Eurostat · sdg_04_40
Exact query: open the raw data
Updated by the source: 8 October 2026
Copy as CSV: pisa_wiskunde.csv (handy for reuse; the source itself remains the reference)

Low achievers in reading (PISA)

How many 15-year-olds fall short of the basic level in reading?

28.9%

Belgium, 2025

That is lower than the EU average (31.3%).
In 2015 it was 19.5%.

Those below level 2 find it hard to identify the main idea of an ordinary text. As with maths, this covers Belgium as a whole; results per community appear in separate national reports.

Definition and source

Definition: Share of 15-year-olds scoring below level 2 in reading in the OECD PISA test.
Dataset: Eurostat · sdg_04_40
Exact query: open the raw data
Updated by the source: 8 October 2026
Copy as CSV: pisa_lezen.csv (handy for reuse; the source itself remains the reference)

Difficult words explained

Higher education: A bachelor's or master's degree, or equivalent training after secondary school.