Average years of schooling in Spain
Spain: Average years of schooling was 10.61 years in 2020. ▲ Rising
Average years of schooling in Spain, 1870–2020
Source: Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.
Analysis
The most recent figure for average years of schooling in Spain is 10.61 years, measured in 2020. That is the highest value across all 24 years on record.
The figure is up 3.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, average years of schooling in Spain peaked at 10.61 years in 2020 and was at its lowest, 1.51 years, in 1870.
That places Spain 66th out of 162 countries with data for 2020, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 24 years of available data.
Average years of schooling in Spain, year by year
| Year | years | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1870 | 1.51 years | — |
| 1880 | 2.04 years | +35.5% |
| 1890 | 2.63 years | +29.1% |
| 1900 | 3.12 years | +18.5% |
| 1913 | 3.47 years | +11.2% |
| 1925 | 3.73 years | +7.5% |
| 1929 | 3.77 years | +1.1% |
| 1933 | 4.03 years | +6.9% |
| 1938 | 4.57 years | +13.4% |
| 1950 | 4.91 years | +7.4% |
| 1955 | 5.24 years | +6.6% |
| 1960 | 5.56 years | +6.2% |
| 1965 | 6.04 years | +8.5% |
| 1970 | 6.41 years | +6.2% |
| 1975 | 6.77 years | +5.7% |
| 1980 | 7.34 years | +8.4% |
| 1985 | 7.89 years | +7.6% |
| 1990 | 8.45 years | +7.0% |
| 1995 | 8.92 years | +5.6% |
| 2000 | 9.5 years | +6.5% |
| 2005 | 9.88 years | +4.0% |
| 2010 | 10.26 years | +3.8% |
| 2015 | 9.79 years | -4.6% |
| 2020 | 10.61 years | +8.3% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1870s | 1.51 years | 1.51 years | 1.51 years | 1 |
| 1880s | 2.04 years | 2.04 years | 2.04 years | 1 |
| 1890s | 2.63 years | 2.63 years | 2.63 years | 1 |
| 1900s | 3.12 years | 3.12 years | 3.12 years | 1 |
| 1910s | 3.47 years | 3.47 years | 3.47 years | 1 |
| 1920s | 3.75 years | 3.73 years | 3.77 years | 2 |
| 1930s | 4.3 years | 4.03 years | 4.57 years | 2 |
| 1950s | 5.07 years | 4.91 years | 5.24 years | 2 |
| 1960s | 5.8 years | 5.56 years | 6.04 years | 2 |
| 1970s | 6.59 years | 6.41 years | 6.77 years | 2 |
| 1980s | 7.62 years | 7.34 years | 7.89 years | 2 |
| 1990s | 8.69 years | 8.45 years | 8.92 years | 2 |
| 2000s | 9.69 years | 9.5 years | 9.88 years | 2 |
| 2010s | 10.03 years | 9.79 years | 10.26 years | 2 |
| 2020s | 10.61 years | 10.61 years | 10.61 years | 1 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More education data for Spain
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 2.83 million (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.08 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.058 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 1.38 million (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is average years of schooling in Spain?
- Average years of schooling in Spain was 10.61 years in 2020, according to Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest average years of schooling recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 10.61 years in 2020.
- What is the lowest average years of schooling recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.51 years in 1870.
- How does Spain rank for average years of schooling?
- Spain ranks 66th out of 162 countries with data for 2020.
- Is average years of schooling rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 3.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Spain data come from?
- The figures come from Leandro Prados de la Escosura (2021) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Average years of schooling. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 24 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Average number of years of total schooling (primary, secondary, and tertiary) for the population aged 15 and over.