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%).