School enrolment for 0 to 3-year-olds in Spain rises ten points in a decade, exceeding OECD and EU averages

The enrolment rate in the first cycle of pre-primary education in Spain is higher than the OECD and EU averages, increasing by almost ten points (9.9) between 2013 and 2022, according to the report 'Education at a Glance 2024. OECD Indicators', published on Tuesday. School enrolment from 0 to 3 years of age thereby reaches 41.8%, placing Spain among the countries with the highest percentage, together with Sweden (47.3%) and Norway (58.9%).

In Spain, according to the study, 29.7% of under-2s and 64.2% of 2-year-olds were enrolled in early childhood education centres in 2022. On average for OECD countries, these percentages are 17.7% and 41.8%, respectively, and 13.4% and 38.6% in the EU.

The boost to pre-primary education can also be seen in the enrolment rate of 4-year-olds, which stands at 97%, well above the OECD and EU averages (89% and 92%, respectively).

The report also reveals that tertiary or higher education (Higher Vocational Training and university studies) has become the most common level of education among 25 to 34-year-olds in Spain. This is so much so that the percentage grew by 11 points between 2016 and 2023, from 41% to 52%. According to the study, the expansion of tertiary education in Spain has particularly benefited women, who attain this level of education in a higher proportion than men (58% and 46.1%, respectively). In Spain, the percentage of the population with a higher education stands at 41.4%, growing by 5.7 points between 2016 and 2023. This is slightly higher than the average for OECD (40.7%) and EU countries (37.3%).

In this regard, the report states that the higher the educational level, the higher the employment level. The data show that in Spain when a person goes on to obtain an upper secondary qualification, the probability of unemployment decreases by 28%. In fact, 84% of the Spanish population between 25 and 64 years of age with a higher education is employed. This contrasts with 61% of those with below the level of an upper secondary education.

The link between education and employment can be clearly seen in the 25 to 34-years age bracket with tertiary education, their employment rate having increased by 6.8 percentage points between 2016 and 2023, reaching 83%. This percentage is 71% in the case of those reaching upper secondary level.

The study also notes that Spain is among the countries that increased their public education spending in relation to GDP the most between 2015 and 2021. Overall, the increase in public spending on primary to tertiary education as a percentage of GDP was 14%, well above the OECD average (1%) and the average for EU countries (3%). In this period, total education expenditure in Spain rose from 4.4% of GDP to 4.9%. Of the countries selected for the national report, Spain is in fact the only one that has increased annually the percentage of the budget allocated to education at all levels.

This has allowed the percentage of students receiving public financial support to grow over the last decade. In this line, 40% of students in Spain will benefit from grants or scholarships in the 2022/2023 academic year, seven percentage points more than in the 2012/2013 academic year, when the percentage was 33%.

Although the Progress in International Reading Literacy Study (PIRLS) shows that the socio-economic level of students' households affects their performance, with performance being higher in high socio-economic environments, in Spain this gap is relatively small, and is in fact the lowest in OECD countries.

In terms of teaching staff, the report shows that in Spain the average student-teacher ratio from primary to tertiary education is below the OECD and EU averages at all levels of education, except for lower secondary education, where it is on a par with the EU average.

With regard to the choice of university degrees, the study shows that 15.5% of women choose specialisations in the field of education, and 22.7% in health and welfare. However, only 13% opt for STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) degrees, which is below the OECD average (15.5%) and EU countries (16.1%). To close the gender gap in these fields, the 'STEAM Alliance' has been created, a Ministry of Education, Vocational Training and Sports initiative that seeks to promote scientific and technological vocations in girls and young women, and which has already been joined by hundreds of companies and organisations.

Non official translation