In 2025, Spain once again captured the attention of European analysts: nearly a quarter of young people under the age of 20 do not go beyond compulsory secondary education. This is twice the average rate across EU countries and is notably higher than even countries like Italy and Portugal. As a result, a significant portion of the youth face limited opportunities for employment and social integration.
Paradoxically, the country is experiencing a surplus of university and master’s graduates, yet there is a notable shortage of those with vocational education or bachelor’s degrees. This imbalance hinders the harmonious development of the labor market, where demand for mid-level specialists remains unmet. Experts note that the roots of the issue stretch back in time: many parents of today’s teenagers did not have the opportunity to pursue a good education themselves and cannot serve as role models for their children.
The situation is further aggravated by the fact that a third of adult Spaniards struggle with basic math problems or cannot quickly comprehend short texts. These indicators are significantly worse than the OECD average. As a result, Spain once again leads in the number of so-called ‘ni-ni’—young people who neither study nor work. More than half of them are actively looking for jobs but cannot find suitable positions due to a mismatch between their skills and employers’ requirements.
The labor market demands basic skills: literacy, numeracy, and the ability to solve simple problems. However, a significant portion of Spaniards falls short of these standards. This issue is especially acute among graduates of humanities and creative fields, where the unemployment rate is nearly twice as high as among those who chose technical or scientific disciplines.
Interestingly, Spain can boast nearly universal preschool enrollment, but this does not translate into consistent achievement in primary and secondary education. By age 12, Spanish students begin to lag behind their peers from other countries in language and mathematics. At the same time, the number of international students in Spanish universities is growing slowly, despite the overall increase in international mobility across Europe.
The government highlights achievements in reducing early school dropout rates and increasing education funding. However, the rate of premature school leaving remains among the highest in the EU. Authorities promise new measures and campaigns to motivate teenagers to continue their studies and choose in-demand professions. For now, Spain continues to struggle with the effects of an imbalanced education system and a persistent gap between acquired knowledge and the real needs of the economy.
