Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Spain

Spain: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education was 38.5% in 2023. β–² Rising

Latest (2023)
38.5%
Change on year
up 4.7%
World rank
32nd
of 101 countries
All-time high
38.5%
in 2023
All-time low
6.0%
in 1970
Years of data
34
1970–2023

Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Spain, 1970–2023

102030401970199620231970: 6 %1981: 18.8 %1992: 10.9 %1993: 12.2 %1994: 13.2 %1995: 14.4 %1996: 15.7 %1997: 16.3 %1998: 17.2 %1999: 18.3 %2000: 19.5 %2001: 20.7 %2002: 22.1 %2003: 22.5 %2004: 22.5 %2005: 24.4 %2006: 24.8 %2007: 25.4 %2008: 25.8 %2009: 26.4 %2010: 27 %2011: 27.9 %2012: 28.5 %2013: 31.3 %2014: 30.8 %2015: 31.6 %2016: 32.3 %2017: 33.5 %2018: 33.3 %2019: 34.6 %2020: 35.9 %2021: 37.2 %2022: 36.8 %2023: 38.5 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.

Analysis

In 2023, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Spain stood at 38.5%. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 4.7% on the previous year and up 23.0% over ten years.

Over the whole period, educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Spain peaked at 38.5% in 2023 and was at its lowest, 6.0%, in 1970.

That places Spain 32nd out of 101 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 6.0% 6.0% 6.0% 1
1980s 18.8% 18.8% 18.8% 1
1990s 14.8% 10.9% 18.3% 8
2000s 23.4% 19.5% 26.4% 10
2010s 31.1% 27.0% 34.6% 10
2020s 37.1% 35.9% 38.5% 4

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 29 Belgium 40.0% compare
  2. 30 Netherlands 39.6% compare
  3. 31 Switzerland 38.7% compare
  4. 33 Bulgaria 38.1% compare
  5. 34 Hungary 35.6% compare
  6. 35 Greece 34.3% compare

See the full ranking of 101 places β†’

More education data for Spain

All data for Spain β†’

Frequently asked questions

What is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Spain?
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Spain was 38.5% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 38.5% in 2023.
What is the lowest educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 6.0% in 1970.
How does Spain rank for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
Spain ranks 32nd out of 101 countries with data for 2023.
Is educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is up 23.0%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Spain data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education in Spain. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 19 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/educational-attainment-rate-completed-short-cycle-tertiary-education-or-higher-population-8/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, urban, female (%)
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY-SA 3.0 IGO (UNESCO Institute for Statistics)
Coverage
101 places, 1,571 data points, 1970–2025
Last refreshed

February 2026 Data Release