Expenditure on tertiary education in Spain
Spain: Expenditure on tertiary education was 21.8% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Spain, 1970–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
In 2016, expenditure on tertiary education in Spain stood at 21.8%.
That represents a change of down 2.5% on the previous year and down 2.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Spain peaked at 23.4% in 2010 and was at its lowest, 13.5%, in 1979.
That places Spain 68th out of 160 countries with data for 2016, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 37 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Spain, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 19.3% | — |
| 1971 | 19.8% | +2.9% |
| 1972 | 16.1% | -18.5% |
| 1974 | 15.1% | -6.5% |
| 1976 | 16.3% | +7.8% |
| 1977 | 16.0% | -1.4% |
| 1978 | 14.8% | -7.7% |
| 1979 | 13.5% | -8.8% |
| 1987 | 14.7% | +8.9% |
| 1988 | 15.1% | +3.0% |
| 1989 | 16.0% | +5.9% |
| 1990 | 18.4% | +14.6% |
| 1991 | 19.0% | +3.3% |
| 1992 | 19.3% | +1.7% |
| 1993 | 17.8% | -7.7% |
| 1994 | 17.4% | -2.2% |
| 1995 | 18.1% | +3.9% |
| 1996 | 19.9% | +9.7% |
| 1998 | 19.8% | -0.4% |
| 1999 | 20.1% | +1.5% |
| 2000 | 21.8% | +8.5% |
| 2001 | 22.8% | +4.7% |
| 2002 | 22.8% | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 23.2% | +1.6% |
| 2004 | 22.9% | -1.4% |
| 2005 | 22.4% | -2.3% |
| 2006 | 22.3% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 22.9% | +2.7% |
| 2008 | 23.1% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 22.8% | -1.1% |
| 2010 | 23.4% | +2.6% |
| 2011 | 23.4% | +0.0% |
| 2012 | 22.3% | -4.8% |
| 2013 | 22.4% | +0.6% |
| 2014 | 22.5% | +0.2% |
| 2015 | 22.4% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 21.8% | -2.5% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 16.4% | 13.5% | 19.8% | 8 |
| 1980s | 15.3% | 14.7% | 16.0% | 3 |
| 1990s | 18.9% | 17.4% | 20.1% | 9 |
| 2000s | 22.7% | 21.8% | 23.2% | 10 |
| 2010s | 22.6% | 21.8% | 23.4% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More education data for Spain
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 344,203 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 37,817 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 570,954 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 538,977 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 3.71 million (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 2.83 million (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.058 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in Spain?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Spain was 21.8% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 23.4% in 2010.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 13.5% in 1979.
- How does Spain rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Spain ranks 68th out of 160 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is down 2.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.