France vs Spain: Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher
France
37.4%
in 2023
Spain
36.1%
in 2023
France rank
40th
Spain rank
42nd
Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher over time
- France
- Spain
How they compare
France currently reports 37.4% against 36.1% in Spain, a difference of 1.3%.
The two have swapped places 5 times across 19 shared years of data; in 2004 it was Spain ahead.
France ranks 40th and Spain ranks 42nd of 110 countries.
Across the 3 decades both report, France averaged higher in 1 and Spain in 2.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | France | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 21.8% | 23.8% | 2.0% | Spain |
| 2010s | 28.6% | 29.1% | 0.5% | Spain |
| 2020s | 36.0% | 34.9% | 1.1% | France |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population with post-secondary education or higher, France or Spain?
- France, at 37.4% against 36.1% in Spain as of 2023.
- What is the difference in share of the population with post-secondary education or higher between France and Spain?
- 1.3%, with France ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for France and Spain?
- 19 years are reported by both, from 2004 to 2023.
- How do France and Spain rank globally for share of the population with post-secondary education or higher?
- France ranks 40th and Spain ranks 42nd of 110 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with post-secondary education or higher. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
Share of adults aged 25 and older who have completed post-secondary or tertiary education.