Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Spain

Spain: Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes was 2.05 million number in 2018. ▲ Rising

Latest (2018)
2.05 million number
Change on year
up 2.1%
World rank
22nd
of 193 countries
All-time high
2.05 million number
in 2018
All-time low
224,904 number
in 1971
Years of data
48
1971–2018

Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Spain, 1971–2018

0500.0k1.0M1.5M2.0M197119942018

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in number.

Analysis

In 2018, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Spain stood at 2.05 million number. That is the highest value across all 48 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 2.1% on the previous year and up 15.2% over ten years.

Over the whole period, enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Spain peaked at 2.05 million number in 2018 and was at its lowest, 224,904 number, in 1971.

That places Spain 22nd out of 193 countries with data for 2018, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 48 years of available data.

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 457,550 number 224,904 number 662,812 number 9
1980s 856,922 number 682,568 number 1.10 million number 10
1990s 1.49 million number 1.17 million number 1.79 million number 10
2000s 1.81 million number 1.78 million number 1.84 million number 10
2010s 1.97 million number 1.88 million number 2.05 million number 9

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 19 Thailand 2.41 million number compare
  2. 20 Colombia 2.41 million number compare
  3. 21 Venezuela, República Bolivariana de 2.12 million number compare
  4. 23 Vietnam 1.97 million number compare
  5. 24 Italy 1.90 million number compare
  6. 25 Peru 1.90 million number compare

See the full ranking of 238 places →

More education data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Spain?
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Spain was 2.05 million number in 2018, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
What is the highest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 2.05 million number in 2018.
What is the lowest enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 224,904 number in 1971.
How does Spain rank for enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes?
Spain ranks 22nd out of 193 countries with data for 2018.
Is enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is up 15.2%. 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 Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes in Spain. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Retrieved 18 August 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/enrolment-in-tertiary-education-all-programmes-both-sexes-number/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Enrolment in tertiary education, all programmes, both sexes (number)
Unit
number
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
238 places, 8,058 data points, 1970–2020
Last refreshed

The total number of students enrolled at public and private tertiary education institutions.