Spain
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Spain
Overview of the education system (EAG 2025)
  • The share of 25-34 year-olds without upper secondary fell from 30% to 24% in Spain between 2019 and 2024, alongside the OECD decline to 13%.
  • Among 25-34 year-olds, 21.1% without upper secondary are unemployed, compared to 13.7% with upper secondary and 9.3% with tertiary attainment.
  • In 2024, 18% of 25-34 year-olds in Spain held a master’s or equivalent degree, above the OECD average of 16% and up from 17% in 2019.
  • In Spain, the wage gap is 18% between those with and without upper secondary and 49% between upper secondary and tertiary, the latter below the OECD average of 54%.
  • In Spain, 47% of first-time tertiary entrants enrol in bachelor’s programmes, well below the OECD average of 78%.
  • Women accounted for 54% of first-time tertiary entrants in 2023 in Spain, up from 51% in 2013 and equal to the OECD average.
  • In Spain, 20% of bachelor’s graduates are in STEM, 20% in business, administration and law, and 25% in arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information.
    • | Education at a Glance 2025 | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2025 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Spain | Ministerio de Educación, y Formación Personal (Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, in Spanish ) | Instituto Nacional de Estadística (National Statistics Institute) |

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    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

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    Attainment

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.2 %, rank 6/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.8 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (34.7 %, rank 7/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary attainment among 25-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who have attained a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary qualification is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.2 %, rank 29/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the percentage of 25-64 year-olds who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (11.6 %, rank 28/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of below upper secondary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (44.7 %, rank 9/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.8 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-olds who have attained a vocational degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.6 %, rank 31/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The level of short-cycle tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.5 %, rank 3/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    In Spain, the share of 25-64 year-old men who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (9.2 %, rank 28/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (14 %, rank 28/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (27.7 %, rank 5/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.7 %, rank 7/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old men who attained below upper secondary education in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (37.9 %, rank 7/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained below upper secondary education in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (31.5 %, rank 7/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Spain is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.8 %, rank 38/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old women who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Spain is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.7 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-34 year-old men who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Spain is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.1 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old women who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Spain is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.9 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 55-64 year-old men who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Spain is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (23.3 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 55-64 year-old women who attained upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education in Spain is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (24.2 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Spain has one of the largest share of women among 55-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education. (54.9 %, rank 2/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of 25-34 year-old women who have attained a short cycle tertiary degree is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (13.4 %, rank 5/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained a short cycle tertiary degree is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (17.4 %, rank 3/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Attainment by field of education

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of humanities (except languages), social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (5.6 %, rank 26/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (13.2 %, rank 23/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    In Spain, the average age of new entrants in bachelor's programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (20.1 Years, rank 36/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the average age of new entrants in master's long first degree (LFD) programmes is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.2 Years, rank 25/26 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of first-time entrants in bachelor's programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (47.1 %, rank 33/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    In agriculture, forestry, fisheries and veterinary, the share of female new entrants to bachelor’s programmes in Spain was among the smallest internationally. (31.5 %, rank 37/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of female new entrants to doctoral programmes in business, administration and law was among the smallest internationally. (40.4 %, rank 34/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (48.8 %, rank 28/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female who enter tertiary education in the field of information and communication technologies (ICTs) is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (16.1 %, rank 30/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of female among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of education is relatively small. (61.6 %, rank 31/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Spain is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (45.4 %, rank 35/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering short cycle tertiaryprogrammes in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics in Spain is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (17.3 %, rank 23/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in engineering, manufacturing and construction in Spain is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (58.3 %, rank 35/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    Enrolment in early childhood education (ISCED 0) among 3- to 5-year-olds placed Spain among the highest across countries. (97.6 %, rank 3/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate of children under age 3 in ECEC (ISCED 01) was one of the highest across participating countries. (45.9 %, rank 10/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of three-year-olds in early childhood education in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (96.6 %, rank 7/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in early childhood and primary education in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (97.9 %, rank 6/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of students in government-dependent private tertiary educational institutions is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.1 %, rank 18/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Enrolment in pre-primary education (ISCED 02) among 3- to 5-year-olds in Spain was among the highest internationally. (97.6 %, rank 4/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of tertiary students enrolled in public institutions is relatively small. (0 %, rank 24/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (60.9 %, rank 32/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of lower secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Spain is one of the highest compared to other countries with available data. (29.2 %, rank 7/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Spain has one of the smallest shares of lower secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes. (1.7 %, rank 15/22 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Spain is relatively high compared to the other countries. (25.9 %, rank 6/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of upper secondary students enrolled in programmes giving full level completion without access to tertiary education in Spain is relatively high compared to the other countries. (29.8 %, rank 9/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of post-secondary non-tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes in Spain is among the highest. (42.5 %, rank 1/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of post-secondary non-tertiary students enrolled in programmes giving full level completion without access to tertiary education is relatively large compared to other OECD or partner contries. (100 %, rank 1/15 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Students enrolled in programmes providing full completion and access to tertiary education among all students enrolled in post-secondary non-tertiary vocational programmes are proportionally less in Spain than in the other countries. (0 %, rank 22/22 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of short-cycle tertiary students enrolled in vocational programmes is comparativele high. (3 %, rank 3/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The percentage of below-two year-olds in early childhood education in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (32.9 %, rank 7/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in post-secondary non-tertiary programmes in Spain is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 27/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The enrolment rate among students aged 15-19 in short-cycle tertiary programmes in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.9 %, rank 5/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of four-year-olds in primary education in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0 %, rank 7/46 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of five-year-olds in ECEC in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (98.3 %, rank 9/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female students enrolled in lower secondary vocational programmes is one of the lowest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (44.2 %, rank 15/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The average age of graduates from general programmes at the upper secondary level in Spain is comparatively low. (17.6 Years, rank 31/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of graduates from vocational programmes at the upper secondary level in Spain is comparatively high. (25.7 Years, rank 10/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the average age of post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data (42.7 Years, rank 2/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of first-time bachelor's graduates is relatively low in Spain. (42.5 %, rank 32/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of short-cycle tertiary graduates in Spain is among the youngest. (24.7 Years, rank 19/25 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of bachelor's or equivalent graduates in Spain is among the youngest. (23.7 Years, rank 26/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The average age of master's or equivalent graduates in Spain is among the oldest. (30.4 Years, rank 4/22 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary general programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (52.8 %, rank 8/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among OECD and partner countries with available data, Spain has one of the smallest shares of women graduates from tertiary programmes. (55.4 %, rank 30/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of female graduates among post-secondary non-tertiary graduates from vocational programmes in Spain is relatively high. (60.9 %, rank 8/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of female first-time graduates in short-cycle tertiary programmes is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (50.5 %, rank 19/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The percentage of tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.3 %, rank 35/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of doctoral graduates in the field of arts and humaties in Spain is relatively large. (13 %, rank 10/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (15.1 %, rank 32/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of upper secondary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.4 %, rank 7/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is relatively low. (9.9 %, rank 20/25 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3 %, rank 2/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of STEM is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 34/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 7/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of arts and humanities is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (1 %, rank 8/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of STEM is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (3 %, rank 10/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of short-cycle tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively high compared to other OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (2 %, rank 7/37 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of arts and humanities is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1 %, rank 6/45 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of bachelor's, master's and doctoral or equivalent graduates in the field of health and welfare is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2 %, rank 2/45 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    The proportion of female tertiary graduates in education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries. (22.1 %, rank 5/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.5 %, rank 35/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of female tertiary graduates in the field of sciences, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10.1 %, rank 39/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of education is relatively high in Spain. (9.9 %, rank 5/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of male tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (19.3 %, rank 35/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of male tertiary graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively high in Spain. (10.8 %, rank 6/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the percentage of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (69.4 %, rank 21/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes in the field of services is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries. (43.4 %, rank 33/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of arts and humanities is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (60 %, rank 38/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (48.2 %, rank 39/43 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of science, technology, engineering and mathematics is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (27.2 %, rank 38/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of female graduates in tertiary education in the fields of information and communication technologies is one of the smallest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (13.5 %, rank 40/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Completion rates

    In Spain, the completion rate of female new entrants to bachelor's programmes in Education, measured three years after the theoretical end of the programme, was among the highest internationally. (90.2 %, rank 4/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Dropout rates

    The drop out rate of female new entrants to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration was among the lowest across countries with available data. (9.8 %, rank 25/30 , 2020) Download Indicator

    For male new entrants, the drop out rate by the end of the theoretical duration of the programme placed Spain among the lowest across countries. (17.4 %, rank 21/30 , 2020) Download Indicator

    The overall drop out rate of new entrants to bachelor's programmes by the end of the theoretical duration ranked Spain among the lowest internationally. (13.2 %, rank 24/30 , 2020) Download Indicator

    Female drop out rates by the end of the theoretical duration plus one year were among the lowest across participating countries. (10.6 %, rank 27/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    For male new entrants, drop out rates one year beyond the theoretical duration placed Spain among the lowest internationally. (18.8 %, rank 22/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Drop out rates of all new entrants to bachelor's programmes one year beyond the theoretical duration ranked Spain among the lowest across countries with available data. (14.3 %, rank 25/30 , 2021) Download Indicator

    Female drop out rates by the end of the theoretical duration plus three years placed Spain among the lowest across countries. (12.6 %, rank 25/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Male drop out rates to bachelor's programmes, measured three years beyond the theoretical duration, were among the lowest internationally. (22.2 %, rank 22/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The overall drop out rate of new entrants by the end of the theoretical duration plus three years was among the lowest across countries with available data. (16.9 %, rank 22/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Spain, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is relatively low, compared to other countries with available data. (2.6 %, rank 28/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the percentage of new entrants to doctoral programmes in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively high, compared to other countries with available data. (13.8 %, rank 9/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In Spain, international or foreign students from Latin America and the Caribbean are most represented among all international or foreign students, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (46.7 %, rank 6/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of international graduates among bachelor's first-time graduates is relatively low. (2.2 %, rank 28/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of international graduates among first-time doctorate graduates is relatively low. (17.7 %, rank 21/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.2 %, rank 39/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes among men is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (2.2 %, rank 38/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of international or foreign students enrolled in bachelor's programmes among women is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (2.1 %, rank 38/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    In Spain, the share of international and foreign students among all students in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (2.1 %, rank 34/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of students enrolled in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics among all international or foreign students is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (20.7 %, rank 32/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Spain, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (0 %, rank 4/32 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the private expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds on primary to post-secondary non-tertiary level is high. (0.3 %, rank 9/30 , 2022) Download Indicator

    The proportion of private expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds for primary to tertiary education is comparatively high in Spain. (0.7 %, rank 9/28 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    In Spain, international expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of total expenditure on primary to tertiary education is relatively low. (0.6 %, rank 22/30 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Nature of expenditure

    In Spain, the share of capital expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.2 %, rank 31/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of current expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (95.8 %, rank 5/35 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of capital expenditure on secondary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.1 %, rank 29/33 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of capital expenditure on tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (12.8 %, rank 7/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of current expenditure on tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (87.2 %, rank 30/36 , 2022) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in pre-primary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (92.9 %, rank 32/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of women among teaching staff is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (65.5 %, rank 30/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of female teachers aged 50 or more in lower secondary education is especially low in Spain. (62 %, rank 29/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of tertiary teachers older than 50 is relatively high, compared to other countries with data available. (47 %, rank 9/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of tertiary teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (3.7 %, rank 26/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of teachers under 30 in early childhood educational development is especially low in Spain. (9.2 %, rank 18/19 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the percentage of teachers under 30 in pre-primary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.2 %, rank 28/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the percentage of teachers aged between 30 and 49 in pre-primary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (62.8 %, rank 6/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of male teachers in pre-primary education is especially high in Spain. (7.1 %, rank 9/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The percentage of teachers under 30 in Spain is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (6.1 %, rank 25/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of upper secondary vocational education teachers aged 50 or more is relatively low, compared to the other countries with available data. (38.9 %, rank 23/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the percentage of teachers aged between 30 and 49 in upper secondary vocational education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (55 %, rank 10/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    After 15 years of experience, a lower secondary teacher with minimum qualification can expect to have one of the highest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (70856 USD Equivalent, rank 9/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    Starting salaries for lower secondary teachers with minimum training are especially high. (61074 USD Equivalent, rank 7/44 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Salaries of lower secondary teachers with minimum training after 10 years of experience are especially high. (66506 USD Equivalent, rank 10/40 , 2023) Download Indicator

    It takes lower secondary teachers longer to progress through the salary scale in Spain compared to other OECD and partner countries. (39 Years, rank 3/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level is especially low. (10 Ratio, rank 34/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the vocational upper secondary level is especially low in Spain. (8.4 Ratio, rank 24/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the number of students per teacher in public lower secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.7 Ratio, rank 29/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level in private institutions is especially high in Spain. (14.8 Ratio, rank 8/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the number of students per teacher in public upper secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.9 Ratio, rank 38/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the number of students per teacher in all public secondary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.3 Ratio, rank 32/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the number of students per teacher in all private secondary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (14.6 Ratio, rank 5/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the number of students per teacher in public institutions tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (10.7 Ratio, rank 31/39 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the number of students per teacher in public institutions short-cycle tertiary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (9.2 Ratio, rank 16/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    In Spain, the intended instruction time for lower secondary students (in hours per year) is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1053 Hours, rank 7/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, compulsory instruction time for lower secondary students, in hours per year, is one of the longest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1053 Hours, rank 6/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in in private primary institutions are comparatively large in Spain. (23 Students, rank 7/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary private institutions are comparatively large in Spain. (26 Students, rank 4/34 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (86.8 %, rank 31/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (90.8 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is compartively low in Spain. (81.8 %, rank 31/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively low in Spain. (72.8 %, rank 30/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (78.4 %, rank 27/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (67.8 %, rank 29/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a short-cycle tertiary education is comparatively low. (80.9 %, rank 18/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 45-54 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (78.7 %, rank 32/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in Spain. (80.1 %, rank 27/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in Spain. (84.4 %, rank 18/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively low in Spain. (84.2 %, rank 29/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively low. (84.3 %, rank 31/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is comparatively low. (87 %, rank 35/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is compartively low in Spain. (83.2 %, rank 35/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is compartively low in Spain. (77.3 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low (82.4 %, rank 31/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of employed 25-64 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (78.4 %, rank 29/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of employed 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (69.2 %, rank 26/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of employed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (81.8 %, rank 27/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Spain. (72.3 %, rank 31/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment by field of education

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of educaton is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (81.9 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of humanities (except languages), social sciences, journalism and information is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (83.5 %, rank 21/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of arts and humanities, social sciences, journalism and information is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (79.9 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of business, administration and law is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (83.9 %, rank 25/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (84.5 %, rank 19/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education who studied in the field of engineering, manufacturing and construction is low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (86.5 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively high. (21.1 %, rank 5/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high. (9.3 %, rank 5/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (15.6 %, rank 5/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high. (6.3 %, rank 5/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (6.9 %, rank 4/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (4.8 %, rank 4/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a doctoral or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (4.4 %, rank 2/14 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (10.5 %, rank 2/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (10.7 %, rank 3/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the highest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (12.5 %, rank 2/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is one of the highest of all OECD countries and partner economies for which data are available. (15 %, rank 3/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively high in Spain. (9.6 %, rank 4/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is relatively high in Spain. (7.3 %, rank 4/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old with a short cycle tertiary education degree is relatively high in Spain. (11.3 %, rank 3/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is compartively high in Spain. (18.8 %, rank 6/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is compartively high in Spain. (9 %, rank 4/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with below upper secondary education is compartively high in Spain. (25.2 %, rank 6/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with tertiary education is compartively high in Spain. (9.6 %, rank 5/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (11.2 %, rank 1/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or a post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (14.5 %, rank 4/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (12.2 %, rank 5/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (9.4 %, rank 3/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (12.7 %, rank 3/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the share of unemployed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.6 %, rank 1/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high in Spain. (16.4 %, rank 5/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the unemployment rate of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high in Spain. (13.7 %, rank 3/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is low in Spain. (21.2 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with below upper secondary education is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (26.5 %, rank 33/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (9.1 %, rank 8/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the highest among countries with available data. (8.7 %, rank 10/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively low. (30.6 %, rank 34/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate 25-64 year-old women without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (36.5 %, rank 32/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (14.4 %, rank 28/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men without an upper secondary education is relatively low compared to other countries with available data. (18.2 %, rank 31/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (16.2 %, rank 10/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (7.2 %, rank 7/33 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively high. (11.8 %, rank 6/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively high. (8.6 %, rank 7/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old men with tertiary education is relatively high. (8 %, rank 9/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Earnings and educational attainment

    In Spain, the share of worker earning more than twice the median among those with a tertiary education degree is comparatively . (27 Index, rank 9/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the relative earnings of 25-34 year-olds with a bachelor’s or equivalent attainment ranked among the strongest internationally. (139 Index, rank 7/23 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old workers without an upper secondary education earning more than twice the overall median in Spain is one of the highest among countries with available data. (3 Index, rank 6/25 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-34 year-olds working full-time and full-year with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Spain. (107 Index, rank 18/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 25-64 year-olds working full-time and full-year with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Spain. (115 Index, rank 15/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, earnings of 45-54 year-olds working full-time and full-year with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education compared to those of adults without an upper secondary education are relatively low in Spain. (116 Index, rank 16/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education earning more than twice the overall median in Spain is one of the highest among countries with available data. (9 Index, rank 4/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education earning at or below half the overall median in Spain is one of the highest among countries with available data. (22 Index, rank 5/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-64 year-old workers with tertiary education earning at or below half the overall median in Spain is one of the highest among countries with available data. (12 Index, rank 8/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the distribution of worker earning more than the median but at or below 1.5 times the median among those with tertiary education is comparatively low. (21 Index, rank 26/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings, gender and educational attainment

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary education or post-secondary non-tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (78.6 %, rank 20/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education and income from employment) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (81.1 %, rank 8/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-64 year-olds with income from employment) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (87.5 %, rank 8/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education are one of the highest among countries with available data. (75.5 %, rank 8/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women (as a percentage of men's earnings) among full- and part-time 25-64 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (69.1 %, rank 21/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Spain, the proportion of young women's earnings as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with tertiary education working full-time full-year), is relatively high compared to OECD and other members with available data (88 %, rank 9/28 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (76.8 %, rank 20/24 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds without an upper secondary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (75.2 %, rank 21/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-34 year-olds with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the highest among countries with available data. (86.2 %, rank 6/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (25-64 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (76.3 %, rank 15/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Earnings of women as a percentage of men's earnings (45-54 year-olds with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education working full-time full-year) are one of the lowest among countries with available data. (73.6 %, rank 18/20 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of unemployed youth neither in formal education nor training among 18-24 year-olds in Spain is one of the highest among countries with available data. (17.6 %, rank 10/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of youth who have been unemployed for at least one year and not in formal education or training among 18-24 year-olds in Spain is one of the highest among countries with available data. (1.9 %, rank 5/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women without an upper secondary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Spain is relatively low (47.8 %, rank 24/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Spain is relatively high. (21.9 %, rank 3/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary in Spain is relatively high. (22.6 %, rank 8/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women with tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Spain is relatively high. (15.7 %, rank 9/35 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men with tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Spain is relatively high. (14.5 %, rank 5/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of 25-29 year-olds neither in employment nor in education and training with tertiary education in Spain is relatively high. (15.1 %, rank 6/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Spain is relatively high. (7.6 %, rank 4/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of women who are unemployed NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Spain is relatively high. (7.5 %, rank 7/34 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men who are unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Spain is relatively high. (9.3 %, rank 3/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of men who are unemployed NEET (18-24 year-olds) in Spain is relatively high. (10.8 %, rank 3/36 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of unemployed NEET (15-29 year-olds) in Spain is relatively high. (8.4 %, rank 3/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of youth neither employed nor in education or training among 25-29 year-olds in Spain is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (22.3 %, rank 9/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among 20-24 year-old men in Spain, a large share of them are neither employed nor in education or training. (21.2 %, rank 2/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among 25-29 year-old men in Spain, a large share of them are neither employed nor in education or training. (20.9 %, rank 3/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 18-24 year-olds who are neither employed nor in education or training is comparatively large in Spain. (17.6 %, rank 10/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The percentage of 18-24 year-old men neither employed nor in education or training is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (19.1 %, rank 6/37 , 2024) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Tertiary attainment among young adults has reached 48% on average across the OECD, the highest level ever, but progress has slowed since 2021. Attainment remains unequal, with women generally outpacing men, and older generations showing lower rates.
    • Employment outcomes for tertiary-educated adults remain strong overall: 87% of them are employed compared to 60% of those without upper seconday. Tertiary education offers good protection against unemployment, but women and disadvantaged groups still face labour market gaps, and inactivity persists among some adults. Moreover, adults with tertiary education earn on average 54% more than those with only upper secondary education.
    • Gender pay gaps remain significant. Despite higher attainment, women with tertiary education consistently earn less than men, even when working full-time, and this gap persists across age groups (73% on average for women aged 25 to 64).
    • Fields of study strongly influence labour market outcomes. Graduates in engineering and in health and welfare fare particularly well, while women’s participation in STEM remains below parity (14% of graduates at tertiary level) despite being 58% of all tertiary graduates.
    • Internationalisation continues to expand in tertiary education. The share of international students has grown steadily, and OECD countries host a large proportion of the world’s mobile students, reinforcing their global role in higher education.
    • Sustaining tertiary education requires adequate investment. Spending per student is already at 21 021 USD and rising, and tertiary expenditure represents a notable share of GDP (1.4% on average in OECD), making efficiency and equity crucial for long-term sustainability.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Access and Participation  | Education policies: Finance and Funding | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Although many countries have near universal upper secondary attainment among 25–34 year-olds, on average across the OECD 13% of younger adults still lack an upper secondary qualification.
    • NEET shares are now below pre-pandemic levels in about half of OECD and partner countries with trend data; in 8 of these 16 countries the decline exceeds 1 percentage point, while 17 countries exceed pre-pandemic benchmarks and 6 saw increases of more than 2 percentage points.
    • Employment rates rise steadily with higher tertiary attainment: short-cycle 83%, bachelor’s 86%, master’s 90%, and doctoral or equivalent 93% among 25–64 year-olds.
    • Earnings premiums also increase with qualification level: on average across the OECD, short-cycle graduates earn 17% more than those with upper secondary; the advantage is 39% for bachelor’s and 83% for master’s/doctoral graduates.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
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    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 85% across the OECD. By contrast, only 29% of children under the age of 3 are enrolled.
    • Participation in early childhood education has grown over the past decade, with enrolment for children under age 3 increasing by 9 percentage points to 29%, and enrolment for ages 3 and above rising by 5 points to 85%.
    • The majority of students in vocational upper secondary education follow programmes that grant full access to tertiary education, with 76% of students enrolled in such programmes on average across the OECD.
    • Completion rates for bachelor’s programmes increase after the theoretical duration of programmes: on average, 44% of students graduate on time, compared to 69% three years after.
    • Students from Asia form the largest regional group of internationally mobile students in tertiary education, representing 58% of all foreign or international students across the OECD in 2023.
    • Only 43% of students complete a bachelor’s degree within the expected duration, though this rises to 59% with one additional year and 70% with three additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
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    • Governments spend on average USD 12 438 per student in primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education, and USD 15 102 per student in tertiary education including R&D.
    • Expenditure per student has risen in absolute terms since 2015, but its share in public budgets has declined, with government spending on education at almost 15% of total government expenditure on average in 2022.
    • Annual spending per student at primary and secondary levels varies widely across OECD countries, from under USD 3 000 in some systems to over USD 25 000 in the most highly funded ones.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education.
    • Spending per student differs markedly between public and private institutions, with expenditure in public tertiary institutions exceeding USD 33 000 in some countries, compared to less than USD 10 000 in others.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
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    • Students in OECD countries receive an average of 7 604 hours of compulsory instruction during primary and lower secondary education, with total hours ranging widely across education systems.
    • Compulsory instruction time averages 804 hours per year for primary students and 909 hours for lower secondary students, a difference of about 105 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in pre-primary education has fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2013 to 13 in 2023.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, teachers with 15 years of experience earn USD 55 725 at pre-primary level and USD 63 925 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries are 83–91% of the earnings of similarly educated tertiary-educated workers, while school heads usually earn more than tertiary-educated workers on average across OECD countries.
    • The ratio of students to academic staff is lower in public than in private institutions, averaging about 14 students per staff member in public tertiary institutions compared to 18 in private ones.
    • Nearly half of OECD and partner countries operate non-selective admission systems for first degrees, providing broad access to tertiary education, while entrance exams and centralised systems are also common.
    • The salaries of academic staff in tertiary education vary by seniority. On average, junior staff earn about 62 000 USD, while senior staff earn about 108 000 USD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teachers | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
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            Diagram of funding flows - Spain
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
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            Country Reviews for Spain
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Annex 3 
		of EAG 2024 for more details about the data collections.
            

    
            For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.