Some 120,000 people in Belgium got their driving licences last year – 9% less than in 2000, according to figures from the Federal Mobility Ministry. In Brussels, there was even a drop of almost 27%.
In 2000, 132,706 candidates obtained their driving licences, compared to 120,721 in 2023, according to the figures reported by La Dernière Heure. While Brussels experienced a spectacular drop, the decline was less pronounced in Flanders (-7.3%) and Wallonia (-5.8%).
The average age at which someone gets their driving licence rose by a few months: from 21 years and 11 months in 2000 to 22 years and 5 months last year.
There are clear regional differences: in Brussels, the average age is 25 years and 5 months (+1 year and 5 months compared to the year 2000), in Flanders 22 years (+9.5 months) and in Wallonia 22 years and 3 months (-3.4 months).
Finally, the number of practical exams taken using a car with an automatic gearbox increased by 316%, to 11,550 in the first 11 months of 2023.
