Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Spain
Spain: Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal was 20.5% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Spain, 1990–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics. Measured in %.
Analysis
Spain recorded 20.5% for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in 2024. That is the highest value across all 34 years on record.
Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.3% on the previous year and up 64.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Spain peaked at 20.5% in 2024 and was at its lowest, 3.4%, in 1990.
Spain ranks 11th of 103 countries on this measure, in the top 10%.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 34 years of available data.
Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Spain, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 3.4% | — |
| 1991 | 3.8% | +10.4% |
| 1992 | 4.6% | +20.4% |
| 1993 | 4.7% | +2.4% |
| 1994 | 5.5% | +17.0% |
| 1995 | 5.9% | +7.6% |
| 1996 | 5.9% | +0.8% |
| 1997 | 5.9% | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 5.7% | -4.8% |
| 1999 | 6.5% | +15.7% |
| 2000 | 5.8% | -11.2% |
| 2001 | 5.8% | -0.5% |
| 2002 | 5.8% | +1.3% |
| 2003 | 6.2% | +5.2% |
| 2004 | 6.7% | +9.3% |
| 2006 | 14.9% | +121.5% |
| 2007 | 14.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 14.1% | -5.3% |
| 2009 | 14.7% | +4.3% |
| 2010 | 13.5% | -8.2% |
| 2011 | 13.6% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 13.6% | -0.0% |
| 2013 | 13.8% | +1.5% |
| 2014 | 12.4% | -9.7% |
| 2015 | 12.4% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 11.9% | -3.8% |
| 2017 | 12.4% | +4.0% |
| 2018 | 13.4% | +8.0% |
| 2019 | 13.8% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 14.2% | +3.0% |
| 2021 | 18.8% | +32.3% |
| 2022 | 19.9% | +5.9% |
| 2023 | 20.4% | +2.8% |
| 2024 | 20.5% | +0.3% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 20.5% is above the median for high income countries, which is 9.5%, 2.2× the median. (42 countries reporting)
- Spain's 20.5% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 8.4%, 2.4× the median. (41 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Spain changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.
| Year | Change | From | To |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2006 | +121.5% | 6.7% | 14.9% |
| 2021 | +32.3% | 14.2% | 18.8% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 5.2% | 3.4% | 6.5% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.9% | 5.8% | 14.9% | 9 |
| 2010s | 13.1% | 11.9% | 13.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.8% | 14.2% | 20.5% | 5 |
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 participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Spain?
- Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal in Spain was 20.5% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 20.5% in 2024.
- What is the lowest participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 3.4% in 1990.
- How does Spain rank for participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal?
- Spain ranks 11th out of 103 countries with data for 2024.
- Is participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 64.8%. 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 Participation rate of youth and adults in formal and non-formal education and training in the previous 12 months, 25-54 years old, female (%). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release