Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium

Belgium: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 67.9% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
67.9%
World rank
29th
of 53 countries
All-time high
70.6%
in 2012
All-time low
64.9%
in 2000
Years of data
8
2000–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium, 2000–2022

0204060802000201120222000: 64.9 %2003: 66.4 %2006: 65.6 %2009: 67.9 %2012: 70.6 %2015: 70.2 %2018: 70.5 %2022: 67.9 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2022, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium stood at 67.9%.

The figure is down 3.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium peaked at 70.6% in 2012 and was at its lowest, 64.9%, in 2000.

That places Belgium 29th out of 53 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 64.9%
2003 66.4% +2.3%
2006 65.6% -1.2%
2009 67.9% +3.4%
2012 70.6% +3.9%
2015 70.2% -0.5%
2018 70.5% +0.4%
2022 67.9% -3.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 66.2% 64.9% 67.9% 4
2010s 70.4% 70.2% 70.6% 3
2020s 67.9% 67.9% 67.9% 1

Countries ranked near Belgium

  1. 26 Israel 69.3% compare
  2. 27 Germany 68.8% compare
  3. 28 Turkey 68.1% compare
  4. 30 Chile 64.7% compare
  5. 31 Slovakia 63.9% compare
  6. 32 Serbia 62.8% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Belgium

All data for Belgium →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium was 67.9% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Belgium?
The highest recorded value was 70.6% in 2012.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Belgium?
The lowest recorded value was 64.9% in 2000.
How does Belgium rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Belgium ranks 29th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Belgium?
Over the last ten years it is down 3.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Belgium data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/belgium/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/belgium/">Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Belgium</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.