Spain's educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) was 94.37% in 2024, the latest year in the World Bank's World Development Indicators. That is up 4.22 percentage points from 90.15% in 2014.
Key figures
| Value | Year | |
|---|---|---|
| Latest | 94.37% | 2024 |
| Five years earlier | 93.05% | 2019 |
| Ten years earlier | 90.15% | 2014 |
| Highest | 100% | 1996 |
| Lowest | 53.09% | 1981 |
| Average since 2015 | 92.94% | 2015–2024 |
| First recorded | 74.2% | 1970 |
What the numbers say
In 2024, Spain's educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) fell 0.28 percentage points on 2023 (from 94.65% to 94.37%).
Across the 22 yearly changes before that (1997 to 2023), the average change was +0.32 percentage points and a typical year strayed about 0.45 percentage points from that (the standard deviation). This year's change was 1.3 standard deviations below that average, so it was larger than a typical year, though not out of the range seen before.
On record, the biggest yearly rise was 1.14 percentage points in 2017 and the biggest yearly fall was 0.68 percentage points in 2005. The numbers show how large and when, not why; for the cause, look at what happened in that country in those years.
From 2015 to 2024 the straight-line trend is upward, about 0.46 percentage points a year. A straight line explains 93% of the movement over 10 observed years.
Worked out from the yearly values above. How the checks work: standard deviation, z-scores and straight-line trends.
How it compares
In 2024, Spain had the 16th highest value of the 36 economies reporting that year. Higher is not always better: for some indicators the lowest value is the one to aim for. See the full ranking.
Closest to Spain in the 2024 ranking
- Canada — 12th of 36: 96.43%
- Mongolia — 13th of 36: 95.82%
- Portugal — 14th of 36: 95.55%
- Puerto Rico (US) — 16th of 36: 94.22%
- Uruguay — 17th of 36: 93.83%
- North Macedonia — 18th of 36: 93.75%
What this measures
The percentage of population ages 25 and over that attained or completed primary education.
Limitations: Caution is required when using this indicator for cross-country comparison, since the countries do not always classify degrees and qualifications at the same International Standard Classification of Education (ISCED) levels, even if they are received at roughly the same age or after a similar number of years of schooling. Also, certain educational programmes and study courses cannot be easily classified according to ISCED. This indicator only measures educational attainment in terms of level of education attained, i.e. years of schooling, and does not necessarily reveal the quality of the education (learning achievement and other impacts).
All 29 values
| Year | Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) |
|---|---|
| 2024 | 94.37 |
| 2023 | 94.65 |
| 2022 | 94.19 |
| 2021 | 94.17 |
| 2020 | 93.22 |
| 2019 | 93.05 |
| 2018 | 91.92 |
| 2017 | 92.26 |
| 2016 | 91.12 |
| 2015 | 90.46 |
Educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) in nearby economies
- Albania — 99.28% (2023)
- Armenia — 99.65% (2023)
- Austria — 100% (2023)
- Azerbaijan — 99.94% (2023)
- Belgium — 95.77% (2023)
- Bosnia and Herzegovina — 91.4% (2023)
- Bulgaria — 99.24% (2023)
More education data for Spain
- Primary school starting age (years) — 6 (2025)
- Primary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
- Lower secondary school starting age (years) — 12 (2025)
- Secondary education, duration (years) — 6 (2025)
- Primary education, pupils — 2.83 million (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils — 3.71 million (2024)
- School enrollment, primary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.01 (2020)
- School enrollment, primary and secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.02 (2020)
- School enrollment, secondary (gross), gender parity index (GPI) — 1.03 (2020)
- Tertiary education, academic staff (% female)
Reading data like this
Questions people ask
- What is Spain's educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative)?
- 94.37% in 2024, according to the World Bank (World Development Indicators).
- How has it changed since 1970?
- It is up 20.17 percentage points from 74.2% in 1970. The highest value was 100% in 1996 and the lowest 53.09% in 1981.
- How does Spain rank?
- 16th highest of 36 economies with data for 2024.
- Is the latest change in educational attainment, at least completed primary, population 25+ years, total (%) (cumulative) unusual for Spain?
Source
World Bank, World Development Indicators, indicator SE.PRM.CUAT.ZS, licensed CC BY 4.0. Original source: Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), uri: https://databrowser.uis.unesco.org/resources, note: The data are obtained through the UIS API. Figures are fetched from the World Bank API and refreshed monthly; see the series on data.worldbank.org. The full definition and method are in the World Bank's metadata glossary. Comparisons use the same World Bank release.
Want to ask your own questions of data like this? Try AnalyzeIt: upload a file or ask about public data in plain words, and every figure comes with its working.
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