Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Spain
Spain: Government spending on education overall vs. primary education was 4.6% in 2022. ▲ Rising
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Spain, 1970–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in % of GDP.
Analysis
The most recent figure for government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Spain is 4.6%, measured in 2022.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 4.7% on the previous year and up 2.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Spain peaked at 4.9% in 2009 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1974.
That places Spain 77th out of 199 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Spain, year by year
| Year | % of GDP | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 1.8% | — |
| 1971 | 1.9% | +3.1% |
| 1972 | 2.1% | +9.3% |
| 1974 | 1.5% | -29.3% |
| 1976 | 1.9% | +30.1% |
| 1977 | 2.1% | +9.4% |
| 1978 | 2.2% | +7.4% |
| 1979 | 2.3% | +4.8% |
| 1987 | 3.1% | +33.8% |
| 1988 | 3.3% | +6.4% |
| 1989 | 3.6% | +6.7% |
| 1990 | 3.6% | +2.3% |
| 1991 | 3.7% | +3.0% |
| 1992 | 3.8% | +2.5% |
| 1993 | 4.2% | +10.6% |
| 1994 | 4.5% | +5.6% |
| 1995 | 4.4% | -1.1% |
| 1996 | 4.5% | +0.5% |
| 1998 | 4.3% | -3.8% |
| 1999 | 4.3% | -0.6% |
| 2000 | 4.2% | -2.3% |
| 2001 | 4.1% | -1.4% |
| 2002 | 4.1% | +0.5% |
| 2003 | 4.2% | +0.9% |
| 2004 | 4.2% | -0.4% |
| 2005 | 4.1% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 4.2% | +0.9% |
| 2007 | 4.2% | +1.6% |
| 2008 | 4.5% | +6.4% |
| 2009 | 4.9% | +8.4% |
| 2010 | 4.8% | -1.2% |
| 2011 | 4.7% | -2.4% |
| 2012 | 4.5% | -5.5% |
| 2013 | 4.3% | -3.0% |
| 2014 | 4.3% | -1.2% |
| 2015 | 4.2% | -0.6% |
| 2016 | 4.2% | -1.3% |
| 2017 | 4.2% | -0.4% |
| 2018 | 4.2% | -0.7% |
| 2019 | 4.2% | +1.3% |
| 2020 | 4.9% | +15.4% |
| 2021 | 4.8% | -0.8% |
| 2022 | 4.6% | -4.7% |
Spain compared with similar countries
- Spain's 4.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 4.4%, 1.0× the median. (72 countries reporting)
- Spain's 4.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 4.5%, 1.0× the median. (51 countries reporting)
Biggest year-on-year movements
Years where Government spending on education overall vs. primary education 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1987 | +33.8% | 2.3% | 3.1% |
| 1974 | -29.3% | 2.1% | 1.5% |
| 1976 | +30.1% | 1.5% | 1.9% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 2.0% | 1.5% | 2.3% | 8 |
| 1980s | 3.3% | 3.1% | 3.6% | 3 |
| 1990s | 4.2% | 3.6% | 4.5% | 9 |
| 2000s | 4.3% | 4.1% | 4.9% | 10 |
| 2010s | 4.4% | 4.2% | 4.8% | 10 |
| 2020s | 4.7% | 4.6% | 4.9% | 3 |
Countries ranked near Spain
More reference data data for Spain
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 3.18 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 2.85 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 0.898 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Indirect emissions (N2O) - Agricultural Soils 11.76 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure applied to Soils 10.67 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure Management 6.03 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Manure left on Pasture 11.06 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - IPCC Agriculture 52.4 (2050)
- Emission Totals - Emissions (N2O) - Crop Residues 4.89 (2050)
Frequently asked questions
- What is government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Spain?
- Government spending on education overall vs. primary education in Spain was 4.6% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Spain?
- The highest recorded value was 4.9% in 2009.
- What is the lowest government spending on education overall vs. primary education recorded in Spain?
- The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1974.
- How does Spain rank for government spending on education overall vs. primary education?
- Spain ranks 77th out of 199 countries with data for 2022.
- Is government spending on education overall vs. primary education rising or falling in Spain?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.8%. 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 (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Government spending on education overall vs. primary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Total annual general government spending on all levels of education, expressed as a percentage of GDP.