Level of education

Slight increase in young people with a higher education diploma

Work & training
Slight increase in young people with a higher education diploma

The percentage of 25-34-year-olds with a higher education diploma in Belgium is estimated at 50.7% in 2024, which is a slight increase compared to the previous year. This increase seems to be largely driven by women: in 2024, 56.9% of women aged 25-34 have a higher education diploma, compared to 44.4% of men. Even more strikingly, the gender gap keeps widening: it was 5.9 percentage points in 2000 and reaches 12.5 points in 2024. This is what emerged from the latest results on the education level published by Statbel, the Belgian statistical office. This percentage is one of the indicators of the SDGs (Sustainable Development Goals) for quality education. This figure is calculated at international level based on the Labour Force Survey.

In the early 2000s, just over a third of 25-34-year-olds had a higher education diploma. Today, this figure is close to one in two and the 45% target set by the United Nations for 2030 has already been reached since 2017.

As in recent years, this increase seems to be largely driven by women, who had already crossed this threshold in 2004. In 2024, 56.9% of women aged 25-34 have a higher education diploma, compared to 44.4% of men, a figure that is still below the SDG target. Even more strikingly, the gender gap keeps widening: it was 5.9 percentage points in 2000 and reaches 12.5 points in 2024.

Regional disparities are also significant. Brussels has the highest rate of higher education graduates among 25-34-year-olds, with 59.7% in 2024. In Flanders, this figure is more than 7 points lower (52.4%), while in Wallonia it drops to 43.3%. In each of the three regions, the gap between men and women continues to widen, reaching 14.2 percentage points in Wallonia.

37.2% of those aged 15 and over have a secondary education diploma

Beyond young adults, examining the entire population aged 15 and over offers a broader perspective on the rise in the level of education.

The evolution of diploma levels over nearly four decades shows a profound transformation in the level of education in Belgium. In 1987, the majority of the population aged 15 and over had not gone beyond primary education or had no diploma at all (38.7%). In 2024, the situation is radically different: the proportion of young people with only a primary school diploma or no qualifications has fallen to 9.8%. Upper secondary education is now the most common level of diploma (37.2%).

Onderwijsniveau

Labour force survey (LFS)

Purpose and short description

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a socio-economic household sample survey. Its main objective is to classify the working age population (15 and older) into three groups (employed, unemployed and inactive persons) and to provide descriptive and explanatory data on every category. This survey is also carried out in the other EU Member States and is coordinated by Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union. In Belgium, the LFS is organised by Statbel. The objective is to obtain comparable information at European level, in particular as regards employment and unemployment rates as defined by the International Labour Office (ILO), but also to collect and disseminate data that are otherwise not available, for example about the mobility of workers, the reasons for working part-time, the various forms of part-time employment, the occupation, the educational level of the working age population, ... .

Survey population

Members of private households aged 15 or older.

Sample frame

Demographic data from the National Register.

Data collection method and sample size

Data are collected through face-to-face interviews. Since 2017, there have been three (shorter) follow-up surveys to which households respond online or by telephone.

Households with only inactive persons older than 64 can also be interviewed by telephone.

Every year, around 47,000 households receive a letter asking them to take part in this survey.

Response rate

The response rate is above 75%.

Periodicity

Quarterly

Release calendar

Results availability: around 3 months after the end of the reference period.

Forms

Metadata

  • Employment, unemployment, labour market (NL-FR)
  • Labour force survey (LFS) (NL-FR)

Survey methodology

Regulations

  • Royal Decree of 10 January 1999 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey (NL-FR)
  • Royal decree amending the royal decree of 10 January 1999 on the organisation of a labour force sample survey (NL-FR)