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The gap in basic skills between the Spanish population and OECD average has tripled since the generation educated entirely under Spain’s former EGB system

Basic skills among Spain’s working-age population (16 to 65 years old) remains below the OECD average. Although overall skill levels have improved over time, the gap with the international average is growing among younger cohorts.  Spain ranks among the five OECD countries that have improved their skills the least in recent decades. Currently, the gap between the skills of young Spaniards aged 25 to 34 and the OECD average is three times greater than that observed among those aged 55 to 65, who were educated entirely under Spain’s EGB* system. The widening gap is entirely attributed to the quality of education (measured by the skills acquired at the same level of education). In fact, for the same educational level, the 55-65 age group surpasses the OECD average in all three skills.

* EGB stands for Educación General Básica, which was the core of Spain’s education system from 1970 to the early 1990s. It was introduced under the 1970 General Education Law and aimed to provide compulsory, universal education for children between the ages of 6 and 14.