Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Spain

Spain: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 71.7% in 2022. ▲ Rising

Latest (2022)
71.7%
World rank
23rd
of 53 countries
All-time high
77.0%
in 2015
All-time low
64.0%
in 2006
Years of data
7
2000–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Spain, 2000–2022

0204060802000201120222000: 73.2 %2003: 68.2 %2006: 64 %2009: 70 %2012: 73 %2015: 77 %2022: 71.7 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Spain recorded 71.7% for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in 2022.

That represents a change of down 1.7% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Spain peaked at 77.0% in 2015 and was at its lowest, 64.0%, in 2006.

That places Spain 23rd out of 53 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Spain, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Spain, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 73.2%
2003 68.2% -6.8%
2006 64.0% -6.1%
2009 70.0% +9.3%
2012 73.0% +4.2%
2015 77.0% +5.5%
2022 71.7% -6.9%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 68.9% 64.0% 73.2% 4
2010s 75.0% 73.0% 77.0% 2
2020s 71.7% 71.7% 71.7% 1

Countries ranked near Spain

  1. 20 Slovenia 73.4% compare
  2. 21 Norway 72.3% compare
  3. 22 France 71.9% compare
  4. 24 Portugal 71.4% compare
  5. 25 Hungary 70.9% compare
  6. 26 Israel 69.3% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Spain

All data for Spain →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Spain?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Spain was 71.7% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Spain?
The highest recorded value was 77.0% in 2015.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Spain?
The lowest recorded value was 64.0% in 2006.
How does Spain rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Spain ranks 23rd out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Spain?
Over the last ten years it is down 1.7%. 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 children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Spain. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 30 August 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/spain/

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About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.