Level of education

2022 confirms the increase in the education level of 30-34-year-olds

Work & training
2022 confirms the increase in the education level of 30-34-year-olds

The share of 30-34-year-olds with a higher education diploma in Belgium amounts to 53.1% in 2022 (49.9% in 2021). As in previous years, this figure has never been this high.

There is a big difference between women and men: 60.6% of women aged 30-34 have a higher education diploma compared to 45.6% of men.

With 60.5%, Brussels has the highest rate of 30-34-year-olds with a higher education diploma. This figure is 56.2% in Flanders and 44.3% in Wallonia.

Onderwijsniveau
Higher education
Content

Share of people aged 30-34 having completed higher education

Belgium 2000 2005 2010 2015 2018 2019 2020 2021 (b) 2022
Total 35.2% 39.2% 44.4% 42.7% 47.5% 47.5% 47.8% 49.9% 53.1%
Men 33.3% 35.1% 39.0% 36.7% 40.6% 39.8% 40.2% 43.3% 45.6%
Women 37.2% 43.5% 50.0% 48.7% 54.4% 55.2% 55.5% 56.4% 60.6%
Brussels-Capital Region 2000 2005 2010 2015 2018 2019 2020 2021 (b) 2022
Total 43.9% 49.8% 48.7% 48.4% 56.2% 55.6% 58.2% 58.4% 60.5%
Men 41.2% 49.1% 48.0% 47.1% 54.6% 52.8% 55.9% 56.8% 53.8%
Women 46.8% 50.6% 49.4% 49.7% 57.7% 58.2% 60.4% 60.0% 67.1%
Flemish Region 2000 2005 2010 2015 2018 2019 2020 2021 (b) 2022
Total 36.4% 40.0% 45.0% 43.2% 48.2% 48.5% 49.3% 52.4% 56.2%
Men 34.9% 35.5% 38.6% 36.0% 39.4% 39.8% 40.8% 44.8% 48.9%
Women 38.0% 44.6% 51.4% 50.4% 56.9% 57.2% 57.8% 59.9% 63.5%
Walloon Region 2000 2005 2010 2015 2018 2019 2020 2021 (b) 2022
Total 30.0% 33.9% 41.5% 39.1% 42.5% 42.2% 40.6% 41.7% 44.3%
Men 27.6% 28.9% 35.6% 33.2% 36.4% 34.1% 32.1% 34.7% 35.9%
Women 32.5% 38.9% 47.5% 45.0% 48.6% 50.3% 49.1% 48.7% 52.7%
(a) Break in the results following a considerable reform of the Labour Force Survey.
(b) Break in the results in 2021 due to the revision of the questionnaire.

Labour Force Survey (LFS)

Purpose and brief description

The Labour Force Survey (LFS) is a socio-economic sample survey of households. Its main objective is to classify the working age population (15 and older) into three groups (employed, unemployed and inactive people) 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 of the FPS Economy. The objective is to gather 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 temporary employment, the profession, the educational level of the working age population, etc.

Population

Members of private households aged 15 or older.

Sample frame

Demographic data from the National Register

Data collection method and sample size

In the first interview data are collected face to face. Since 2017, there are three shorter follow-up surveys to which households respond online or by telephone.

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

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

Response rate

The response rate is +75 %.

Periodicity

Quarterly.

Release calendar

Results available +/- 3 months after the reference period

Definitions

Low-skilled people are people who have at most a diploma of lower secondary education. Medium-skilled people are people who obtained a diploma of upper secondary education but not of higher education. Highly-skilled people obtained a diploma of higher education.

Forms

Metadata

Methodologies of the surveys

Legislation