Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Spain
Spain: Share of children in primary school age who are in school was 98.8% in 2024. ▲ Rising
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Spain, 1820–2024
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of children in primary school age who are in school in Spain is 98.8%, measured in 2024.
The figure is up 0.1% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of children in primary school age who are in school in Spain peaked at 100.0% in 1975 and was at its lowest, 11.0%, in 1820.
Spain ranks 55th of 209 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 57 years of available data.
Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Spain, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1820 | 11.0% | — |
| 1825 | 12.8% | +16.5% |
| 1830 | 14.9% | +16.1% |
| 1835 | 17.2% | +15.6% |
| 1840 | 19.9% | +15.2% |
| 1845 | 22.8% | +14.7% |
| 1850 | 26.0% | +14.1% |
| 1855 | 29.4% | +13.4% |
| 1860 | 41.9% | +42.4% |
| 1865 | 48.7% | +16.1% |
| 1870 | 52.5% | +7.8% |
| 1875 | 56.2% | +7.2% |
| 1880 | 60.0% | +6.7% |
| 1885 | 59.4% | -0.9% |
| 1890 | 55.9% | -6.0% |
| 1895 | 52.3% | -6.4% |
| 1900 | 48.7% | -6.9% |
| 1905 | 45.1% | -7.4% |
| 1910 | 41.5% | -7.9% |
| 1915 | 44.9% | +8.0% |
| 1920 | 44.6% | -0.6% |
| 1925 | 44.3% | -0.7% |
| 1930 | 50.0% | +13.0% |
| 1935 | 56.3% | +12.6% |
| 1940 | 51.5% | -8.6% |
| 1945 | 59.6% | +15.8% |
| 1950 | 63.5% | +6.5% |
| 1955 | 78.7% | +24.1% |
| 1960 | 81.3% | +3.3% |
| 1965 | 85.0% | +4.6% |
| 1970 | 94.0% | +10.6% |
| 1975 | 100.0% | +6.4% |
| 1980 | 100.0% | +0.0% |
| 2001 | 100.0% | -0.0% |
| 2002 | 100.0% | -0.0% |
| 2003 | 99.9% | -0.0% |
| 2004 | 99.9% | +0.0% |
| 2005 | 99.9% | -0.1% |
| 2006 | 99.8% | -0.0% |
| 2007 | 99.9% | +0.1% |
| 2008 | 99.4% | -0.5% |
| 2009 | 99.1% | -0.3% |
| 2010 | 98.2% | -0.9% |
| 2011 | 98.0% | -0.2% |
| 2012 | 97.7% | -0.3% |
| 2013 | 97.5% | -0.2% |
| 2014 | 97.4% | -0.1% |
| 2015 | 97.3% | -0.1% |
| 2016 | 97.4% | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 97.7% | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 98.0% | +0.3% |
| 2019 | 98.4% | +0.4% |
| 2020 | 98.6% | +0.2% |
| 2021 | 98.6% | -0.0% |
| 2022 | 98.7% | +0.1% |
| 2023 | 98.7% | -0.0% |
| 2024 | 98.8% | +0.1% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 98.8% is above the median for high income countries, which is 98.2%, 1.0× the median. (74 countries reporting)
- Spain's 98.8% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 98.6%, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Share of children in primary school age who are in school 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1860 | +42.4% | 29.4% | 41.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1820s | 11.9% | 11.0% | 12.8% | 2 |
| 1830s | 16.1% | 14.9% | 17.2% | 2 |
| 1840s | 21.3% | 19.9% | 22.8% | 2 |
| 1850s | 27.7% | 26.0% | 29.4% | 2 |
| 1860s | 45.3% | 41.9% | 48.7% | 2 |
| 1870s | 54.4% | 52.5% | 56.2% | 2 |
| 1880s | 59.7% | 59.4% | 60.0% | 2 |
| 1890s | 54.1% | 52.3% | 55.9% | 2 |
| 1900s | 46.9% | 45.1% | 48.7% | 2 |
| 1910s | 43.2% | 41.5% | 44.9% | 2 |
| 1920s | 44.4% | 44.3% | 44.6% | 2 |
| 1930s | 53.2% | 50.0% | 56.3% | 2 |
| 1940s | 55.5% | 51.5% | 59.6% | 2 |
| 1950s | 71.1% | 63.5% | 78.7% | 2 |
| 1960s | 83.2% | 81.3% | 85.0% | 2 |
| 1970s | 97.0% | 94.0% | 100.0% | 2 |
| 1980s | 100.0% | 100.0% | 100.0% | 1 |
| 2000s | 99.8% | 99.1% | 100.0% | 9 |
| 2010s | 97.8% | 97.3% | 98.4% | 10 |
| 2020s | 98.7% | 98.6% | 98.8% | 5 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More education data for Spain
- Gender gap education levels, gaps filled 98.71 (2024)
- Primary enrollment selected countries, gaps filled 98.76 (2024)
- 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)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of children in primary school age who are in school in Spain?
- Share of children in primary school age who are in school in Spain was 98.8% in 2024, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 100.0% in 1975.
- What is the lowest share of children in primary school age who are in school recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.0% in 1820.
- How does Spain rank for share of children in primary school age who are in school?
- Spain ranks 55th out of 209 countries with data for 2024.
- Is share of children in primary school age who are in school rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. 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 (2026); Lee and Lee (2016) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children in primary school age who are in school. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of children of primary school age (typically 6–11 years) who are enrolled in primary education.