Government expenditure on education in Spain

Spain: Government expenditure on education was 4.59 in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
4.59
Change on year
down 4.7%
World rank
31st
of 68 countries
All-time high
4.9
in 2009
All-time low
1.46
in 1974
Years of data
43
1970–2022

Government expenditure on education in Spain, 1970–2022

123451970199620221970: 1.81971: 1.91972: 2.11974: 1.51976: 1.91977: 2.11978: 2.21979: 2.31987: 3.11988: 3.31989: 3.61990: 3.61991: 3.71992: 3.81993: 4.21994: 4.51995: 4.41996: 4.51998: 4.31999: 4.32000: 4.22001: 4.12002: 4.12003: 4.22004: 4.22005: 4.12006: 4.22007: 4.22008: 4.52009: 4.92010: 4.82011: 4.72012: 4.52013: 4.32014: 4.32015: 4.22016: 4.22017: 4.22018: 4.22019: 4.22020: 4.92021: 4.82022: 4.6

Source: UNICEF.

Analysis

The most recent figure for government expenditure on education in Spain is 4.59, measured in 2022.

The figure is down 4.7% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.

Over the whole period, government expenditure on education in Spain peaked at 4.9 in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.46, in 1974.

That places Spain 31st out of 68 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.

Government expenditure on education in Spain, year by year

Annual values for Government expenditure on education (% of GDP) in Spain, 1970 to 2022.
Year Value Change
1970 1.83
1971 1.89 +3.1%
1972 2.07 +9.3%
1974 1.46 -29.3%
1976 1.9 +30.1%
1977 2.08 +9.4%
1978 2.23 +7.4%
1979 2.34 +4.8%
1987 3.13 +33.8%
1988 3.33 +6.4%
1989 3.55 +6.7%
1990 3.64 +2.3%
1991 3.75 +3.0%
1992 3.84 +2.5%
1993 4.25 +10.6%
1994 4.49 +5.6%
1995 4.44 -1.1%
1996 4.46 +0.5%
1998 4.29 -3.8%
1999 4.26 -0.6%
2000 4.17 -2.3%
2001 4.11 -1.4%
2002 4.13 +0.5%
2003 4.17 +0.9%
2004 4.15 -0.4%
2005 4.14 -0.3%
2006 4.18 +0.9%
2007 4.25 +1.6%
2008 4.52 +6.4%
2009 4.9 +8.4%
2010 4.84 -1.2%
2011 4.72 -2.4%
2012 4.46 -5.5%
2013 4.33 -3.0%
2014 4.28 -1.2%
2015 4.25 -0.6%
2016 4.19 -1.3%
2017 4.18 -0.4%
2018 4.15 -0.7%
2019 4.2 +1.3%
2020 4.85 +15.4%
2021 4.81 -0.8%
2022 4.59 -4.7%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 1.98 1.46 2.34 8
1980s 3.34 3.13 3.55 3
1990s 4.16 3.64 4.49 9
2000s 4.27 4.11 4.9 10
2010s 4.36 4.15 4.84 10
2020s 4.75 4.59 4.85 3

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 28 Cyprus 4.74 compare
  2. 29 Malta 4.71 compare
  3. 30 Slovakia 4.66 compare
  4. 32 Portugal 4.55 compare
  5. 33 Bulgaria 4.5 compare
  6. 34 Saudi Arabia 4.48 compare

See the full ranking of 68 places →

More education data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is government expenditure on education in Spain?
Government expenditure on education in Spain was 4.59 in 2022, according to UNICEF.
What is the highest government expenditure on education recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 4.9 in 2009.
What is the lowest government expenditure on education recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 1.46 in 1974.
How does Spain rank for government expenditure on education?
Spain ranks 31st out of 68 countries with data for 2022.
Is government expenditure on education rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Spain data come from?
The figures come from UNICEF, published as part of Government expenditure on education (% of GDP). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Government expenditure on education in Spain. Statizoid, drawing on UNICEF. Retrieved 02 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/government-expenditure-on-education-percent-of-gdp/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Government expenditure on education (% of GDP)
Source
UNICEF
Licence
UNICEF Terms of Use (attribution required)
Coverage
68 places, 1,951 data points, 1970–2024
Last refreshed