Portugal vs Spain: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher

Portugal
95.6%
in 2024
Spain
94.4%
in 2024
Portugal rank
63rd
Spain rank
66th

Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher over time

  • Portugal
  • Spain
20406080100197019972024

How they compare

Portugal currently reports 95.6% against 94.4% in Spain, a difference of 1.2%.

The two have swapped places 5 times across 26 shared years of data; in 1970 it was Spain ahead.

Portugal ranks 63rd and Spain ranks 66th of 136 countries.

Across the 6 decades both report, Portugal averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 5.

Head to head by decade

Decade Portugal Spain Difference Ahead
1970s 38.4% 74.2% 35.8% Spain
1980s 14.0% 53.1% 39.1% Spain
1990s 77.2% 100.0% 22.8% Spain
2000s 83.7% 90.1% 6.4% Spain
2010s 90.2% 90.5% 0.3% Spain
2020s 94.6% 94.1% 0.5% Portugal

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, Portugal or Spain?
Portugal, at 95.6% against 94.4% in Spain as of 2024.
What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher between Portugal and Spain?
1.2%, with Portugal ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Portugal and Spain?
26 years are reported by both, from 1970 to 2024.
How do Portugal and Spain rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher?
Portugal ranks 63rd and Spain ranks 66th of 136 countries.
Where does this data come from?
UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, population 25+ years, both sexes (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Portugal vs Spain: Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 31 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/educational-attainment-rate-completed-primary-education-or-higher-population-25-years-2/portugal/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed primary education or higher, population 25+ years, both sexes (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
137 places, 2,264 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release