Share of students studying abroad in Spain
Spain: Share of students studying abroad was 2.1% in 2023. ▲ Rising
Share of students studying abroad in Spain, 1998–2023
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
The most recent figure for share of students studying abroad in Spain is 2.1%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 2.7% on the previous year and up 40.0% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students studying abroad in Spain peaked at 2.2% in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.3%, in 2008.
That places Spain 139th out of 175 countries with data for 2023, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 26 years of available data.
Share of students studying abroad in Spain, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1998 | 1.5% | — |
| 1999 | 1.5% | +0.9% |
| 2000 | 1.5% | +2.1% |
| 2001 | 1.5% | +0.1% |
| 2002 | 1.5% | -1.3% |
| 2003 | 1.5% | +2.0% |
| 2004 | 1.3% | -10.5% |
| 2005 | 1.4% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 1.4% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 1.4% | +3.6% |
| 2008 | 1.3% | -8.3% |
| 2009 | 1.3% | +1.9% |
| 2010 | 1.3% | +1.2% |
| 2011 | 1.4% | +5.6% |
| 2012 | 1.6% | +9.8% |
| 2013 | 1.5% | -2.3% |
| 2014 | 1.7% | +8.9% |
| 2015 | 1.8% | +7.0% |
| 2016 | 1.9% | +8.7% |
| 2017 | 2.1% | +6.9% |
| 2018 | 2.1% | -0.4% |
| 2019 | 2.1% | +0.2% |
| 2020 | 2.2% | +6.8% |
| 2021 | 2.1% | -5.4% |
| 2022 | 2.2% | +5.5% |
| 2023 | 2.1% | -2.7% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 2.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 5.3%, 41% of the median. (67 countries reporting)
- Spain's 2.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 6.1%, 35% of the median. (52 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 1.5% | 1.5% | 1.5% | 2 |
| 2000s | 1.4% | 1.3% | 1.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 1.7% | 1.3% | 2.1% | 10 |
| 2020s | 2.2% | 2.1% | 2.2% | 4 |
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 share of students studying abroad in Spain?
- Share of students studying abroad in Spain was 2.1% in 2023, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students studying abroad recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 2.2% in 2020.
- What is the lowest share of students studying abroad recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.3% in 2008.
- How does Spain rank for share of students studying abroad?
- Spain ranks 139th out of 175 countries with data for 2023.
- Is share of students studying abroad rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 40.0%. 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) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of students studying abroad. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Percentage of a country's tertiary level students studying abroad as international students. International students are those that move from their home countries for education, identified based on their past education, residence, or distinct immigration regulations.