Netherlands vs Spain: Share of the population with completed tertiary education
Netherlands
30.9
in 2020
Spain
31.3
in 2020
Netherlands rank
21st
Spain rank
18th
Share of the population with completed tertiary education over time
- Netherlands
- Spain
How they compare
Spain currently reports 31.3 against 30.9 in Netherlands, a difference of 0.4.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 31 shared years of data; in 1870 it was Spain ahead.
Netherlands ranks 21st and Spain ranks 18th of 111 countries.
Across the 16 decades both report, Netherlands averaged higher in 11 and Spain in 4.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Netherlands | Spain | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 0.2 | 0.2 | 0 | — |
| 1880s | 0.2 | 0.25 | 0.05 | Spain |
| 1890s | 0.3 | 0.35 | 0.05 | Spain |
| 1900s | 0.45 | 0.4 | 0.05 | Netherlands |
| 1910s | 0.55 | 0.5 | 0.05 | Netherlands |
| 1920s | 0.75 | 0.55 | 0.2 | Netherlands |
| 1930s | 0.9 | 0.8 | 0.1 | Netherlands |
| 1940s | 1.15 | 1.1 | 0.05 | Netherlands |
| 1950s | 1.35 | 1.5 | 0.15 | Spain |
| 1960s | 2.9 | 2 | 0.9 | Netherlands |
| 1970s | 8.3 | 4.1 | 4.2 | Netherlands |
| 1980s | 13.65 | 8.5 | 5.15 | Netherlands |
| 1990s | 20.3 | 12.4 | 7.9 | Netherlands |
| 2000s | 26.45 | 25.95 | 0.5 | Netherlands |
| 2010s | 31.9 | 30.7 | 1.2 | Netherlands |
| 2020s | 30.9 | 31.3 | 0.4 | Spain |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher share of the population with completed tertiary education, Netherlands or Spain?
- Spain, at 31.3 against 30.9 in Netherlands as of 2020.
- What is the difference in share of the population with completed tertiary education between Netherlands and Spain?
- 0.4, with Spain ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Netherlands and Spain?
- 31 years are reported by both, from 1870 to 2020.
- How do Netherlands and Spain rank globally for share of the population with completed tertiary education?
- Netherlands ranks 21st and Spain ranks 18th of 111 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- Our World in Data, published as Share of the population with completed tertiary education. Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.