Spain

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indicator	value	unit
Population	46.1	mil.
Visitors per year	99.2	mil.
Renewable energy	11.9	%

How’s Life?

Spain performs well in a number of well-being dimensions relative to other countries in the Better Life Index. Spain outperforms the average in work-life balance, health, social connections and safety. It underperforms average in jobs, education, and life satisfaction. These assessments are based on available selected data.

Money, while it cannot buy happiness, is an important means to achieving higher living standards. In Spain, the average household net-adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 27 155 a year, less than the OECD average of USD 30 490 a year.

In terms of employment, about 62% of people aged 15 to 64 in Spain have a paid job, below the OECD employment average of 66%. Some 67% of men are in paid work, compared with 57% of women. In Spain, 2% of employees work very long hours in paid work, below the OECD average of 10%, with 4% of men working very long hours in paid work compared with 1% of women.

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job. In Spain, 63% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, lower than the OECD average of 79%. However, completion varies between men and women, as 60% of men have successfully completed high school compared with 66% of women. In terms of the quality of the education system, the average student scored lower than the OECD average of 488 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA).

In terms of health, life expectancy at birth in Spain is around 84 years, three years higher than the OECD average of 81 years. Life expectancy for women is 87 years, compared with 81 for men. The level of atmospheric PM2.5 – tiny air pollutant particles small enough to enter and cause damage to the lungs – is 10 micrograms per cubic meter, below the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter. In Spain, 76% of people say they are satisfied with the quality of their water, lower than the OECD average of 84%.

Concerning the public sphere, there is a strong sense of community and high levels of civic participation in Spain, where 93% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in time of need, more than the OECD average of 91%. Voter turnout, a measure of citizens' participation in the political process, was 72% during recent elections, higher than the OECD average of 69%. Social and economic status can affect voting rates; voter turnout for the top 20% of the population is an estimated 79% and for the bottom 20% it is an estimated 69%.

When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, Spainiards gave it a 6.5 grade on average, lower than the OECD average of 6.7.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Topics

OECD in Action

OECD Economic Surveys: Spain

OECD’s periodic surveys of the Spanish economy. Each edition surveys the major challenges faced by the country, evaluates the short-term outlook, and makes specific policy recommendations. Special chapters take a more detailed look at specific challenges. Extensive statistical information is included in charts and graphs.

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The Circular Economy in Granada, Spain

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Regional Strategies for the Social Economy: Examples from France, Spain, Sweden and Poland

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Spain: Country Health Profile 2019

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Spain in Detail

Housing – Spain expand

Key Findings

Living in satisfactory housing conditions is one of the most important aspects of people's lives. Housing is essential to meet basic needs, such as shelter, but it is not just a question of four walls and a roof. Housing should offer a place to sleep and rest where people feel safe and have privacy and personal space; somewhere they can raise a family. All of these elements help make a house a home. And of course there is the question whether people can afford adequate housing.

Housing costs take up a large share of the household budget and represent the largest single expenditure for many individuals and families, by the time you add up elements such as rent, gas, electricity, water, furniture or repairs. In Spain, households on average spend nearly 22% of their gross adjusted disposable income on keeping a roof over their heads, above the OECD average of 20%.

In addition to housing costs it is also important to examine living conditions, such as the average number of rooms shared per person and whether households have access to basic facilities. The number of rooms in a dwelling, divided by the number of persons living there, indicates whether residents are living in crowded conditions. Overcrowded housing may have a negative impact on physical and mental health, relations with others and children's development. In addition, dense living conditions are often a sign of inadequate water and sewage supply. In Spain, the average home contains 1.9 rooms per person, more than the OECD average of 1.7 rooms per person. In terms of basic facilities, nearly every dwelling (99.7%) sampled in Spain contains private access to an indoor flushing toilet, more than the OECD average of 97%.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Income – Spain expand

Key Findings

While money may not buy happiness, it is an important means to achieving higher living standards and thus greater well-being. Higher economic wealth may also improve access to quality education, health care and housing.

Household net adjusted disposable income is the amount of money that a household earns each year after taxes and transfers. It represents the money available to a household for spending on goods or services. In Spain, the average household net adjusted disposable income per capita is USD 27 155 a year, lower than the OECD average of USD 30 490.

Household net wealth is the total value of a household’s financial and non-financial worth, such as money or shares held in bank accounts, the principal residence, other real estate properties, vehicles, valuables and other non-financial assets (e.g other consumer durables). In Spain, the average household net wealth is estimated at USD 366 534, higher than the OECD average of USD 323 960.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Jobs – Spain expand

Key Findings

Having a job brings many important benefits, including: providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. In Spain, around 62% of the working-age population aged 15 to 64 has a paid job. This figure is lower than the OECD employment average of 66%.

Unemployed persons are defined as those who are not currently working but are willing to do so and actively searching for work. Long-term unemployment can have a large negative effect on feelings of well-being and self-worth and result in a loss of skills, further reducing employability. In Spain, the percentage of the labour force that has been unemployed for a year or longer is currently at about 5%, higher than the OECD average of 1.3%.

The wages and other monetary benefits that come with employment are an important aspect of job quality. Spaniards earn USD 37 922 per year on average, less than the OECD average of USD 49 165.

Another essential factor of employment quality is job security, in terms of expected loss of earnings when someone becomes unemployed. This includes how likely you are to lose your job, how long you are likely to remain unemployed and how much financial assistance you can expect from government. Workers facing a high risk of job loss are more vulnerable, especially in countries with smaller social safety nets. In Spain, workers face an expected 15.8% loss of earnings if they become unemployed, much higher than the OECD average of 5.1% and one of the highest in the OECD.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Green entrepreneurship

The Red Emprendeverde (Green Entrepreneurship Network) is an online platform that was created by the Spanish Government’s public foundation Fundación Biodiversidad. Linking entrepreneurs, investors and civil society, the Network supports the business community in seizing opportunities to create and support green initiatives. Practically, it serves as a one-stop shop offering monitoring, technical assistance, training courses and more to entrepreneurs. The Network also shares best practices, contributes to enterprise creation, identifies promising projects, and clearly defines the meaning of green enterprise, green entrepreneur, eco-investor and other such terms.

For more information see: www.redemprendeverde.es

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Job Quality Database

Indicators

Community – Spain expand

Key Findings

Humans are social creatures. The frequency of our contact with others and the quality of our personal relationships are thus crucial determinants of our well-being.

A strong social network, or community, can provide emotional support during both good and bad times as well as provide access to jobs, services and other material opportunities. In Spain, 93% of people believe that they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, more than the OECD average of 91%.

A weak social network can result in limited economic opportunities, a lack of contact with others, and eventually, feelings of isolation. Socially isolated individuals face difficulties integrating into society as a contributing member and fulfilling personal aspirations.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Insights: Human Capital

Indicators

Education – Spain expand

Key Findings

A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country's social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competences needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. The Spanish can expect to go through 17.9 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, in line with the OECD average of 18 years.

Graduating from upper secondary education has become increasingly important in all countries, as the skills needed in the labour market are becoming more knowledge-based. High-school graduation rates therefore provide a good indication of whether a country is preparing its students to meet the minimum requirements of the job market. In Spain, 63% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, lower than the OECD average of 79%.

But graduation rates, while important, speak little to the quality of education received. The OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) reviews the extent to which students have acquired some of the knowledge and skills that are essential for full participation in modern societies. In 2018, PISA focused on examining students' reading ability, skills in maths and level in sciences, as research shows that these skills are more reliable predictors of economic and social well-being than the number of years spent in school.

The average student in Spain scored below the OECD average in reading literacy, maths and sciences. The best-performing school systems manage to provide high-quality education to all students.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Focusing on student well-being for better results

In Spain’s northwest region, Castile and Leon, students have been showing outstanding results compared to the country average. In PISA 2015 they scored high on average and only 5% of students were low achievers in science, reading and mathematics, compared to 13% of students across OECD countries. In 2004, Castile and Leon implemented the School Learning Environment plan, which focusing on well-being, including anti-bullying procedures, recognition for schools with best practices, and a school environment co-ordinator. Nearly all publicly funded schools are monitored and report on their learning environment plan twice a year. Student survey results from 2007-08 show that bullying is much lower in the region, only affecting 1 in 40 students compared to 1 in 26 students in Spain as a whole. Castile and Leon is continuing these efforts by adopting a more systematic, participative and integrated approach to update their plan, for example, by introducing a targeted anti-bullying plan.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Environment – Spain expand

Key Findings

The quality of our local living environment has a direct impact on our health and well-being. Outdoor air pollution is one important environmental issue that directly affects the quality of people's lives. Despite national and international interventions and decreases in major pollutant emissions, the health impacts of urban air pollution continue to worsen, with air pollution set to become the top environmental cause of premature mortality globally by 2050. Air pollution in urban centres, often caused by transport and the use of small-scale burning of wood or coal, is linked to a range of health problems, from minor eye irritation to upper respiratory symptoms in the short-term and chronic respiratory diseases such as asthma, cardiovascular diseases and lung cancer in the long-term. Children and the elderly may be particularly vulnerable.

PM2.5 – tiny particulate matter small enough to be inhaled into the deepest part of the lung – is monitored in OECD countries because it can harm human health and reduce life expectancy. In Spain, PM2.5 levels are 10 micrograms per cubic meter, lower than the OECD average of 14 micrograms per cubic meter and at the annual guideline set by the World Health Organization.

Access to clean water is fundamental to human well-being. Despite significant progress in OECD countries in reducing water pollution, improvements in freshwater quality are not always easy to discern. In Spain, 76% of people say they are satisfied with water quality, lower than the OECD average of 84%.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Promoting cleaner vehicles

Spain is the third largest European manufacturer of cars and the largest manufacturer of light commercial vehicles. Spain introduced the Efficient Vehicle Incentive Programme (PIVE) in 2012 to reduce the negative environmental impacts of vehicle use in Spain by modernising the nation's vehicle stock. The programme provided a subsidy to replace passenger vehicles over 10 years old and light commercial vehicles over 7 years old with high-efficiency models that use less fuel and CO₂ emissions. As of mid-2014, 2 885 car dealers were registered as collaborators. Following the programme’s reported success, the programme was extended for four additional phases.

PIVE is expected to deliver significant pollution reduction benefits, including reduced emissions of CO₂. Nearly 365 000 passenger cars and light commercial vehicles have already been replaced. An early evaluation estimates that the PIVE will result in fuel savings close to 127 million litres a year and reduce some 262 000 tonnes of CO₂ emissions per year. OECD/ITF analysis of the effectiveness of such replacement schemes underscores the need for targeted incentives and sufficient differentiation, including the need to control the type of replacement vehicle chosen.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being OECD Environmental Outlook to 2050

Indicators

Governance – Spain expand

Key Findings

Trust in government is essential for social cohesion and well-being. High voter turnout is a measure of citizens' participation in the political process. In the most recent elections for which data are available, voter turnout in Spain was 72% of those registered. This figure is higher than the OECD average of 69%.

Broader public engagement in the decision-making process is also important for holding the government to account and maintaining confidence in public institutions. The formal process for public engagement in developing laws and regulations is one way to measure the extent to which people can become involved in government decisions on key issues that affect their lives. In Spain, the level of stakeholder engagement in developing regulations is 1.8 (on a scale between 0 and 4); lower than the OECD average of 2.1.

For more information on estimates and years of reference, see FAQ section and BLI database.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Engaging citizens locally

The provincial Council of Biscay is committed to increasing co-operation and social participation. Buying into the concept that “a modern institution has to be close and be accessible to its citizens”, the Council created an easy-to-use website, as well as a smartphone application (“app”), to give people a real role in improving local policies that affect their everyday lives. Citizens can use either the website or app (called Opening municipalities or Udala zabaltzen) to report infrastructure issues like potholes. Each time a reported issue is solved, it is updated on the website so the public can see what action has been made, holding the municipality publicly accountable. This open government initiative also allows people to exchange opinions with the mayor of their municipality and make suggestions. The provincial council has also opened online surveys to determine where new infrastructure, or other improvements, might be needed. Both the website and app are examples of innovative tools which have resulted in more accountable, transparent and efficient service delivery.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being Regulatory Policy Outlook: Spain

Indicators

Health – Spain expand

Key Findings

Most OECD countries have enjoyed large gains in life expectancy over the past decades, thanks to improvements in living conditions, public health interventions and progress in medical care. Spain enjoys one of the highest life expectancies among OECD countries at nearly 84 years, three years above the OECD average of 81 years. Higher life expectancy is generally associated with higher health care spending per person, although many other factors have an impact on life expectancy (such as living standards, lifestyles, education and environmental factors).

When asked "How is your health in general?" just above 75% of people in Spain reported to be in good health, more than the OECD average of 68%. Despite the subjective nature of this question, answers have been found to be a good predictor of people's future health care use. Gender, age and social status may affect answers to this question.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Life Satisfaction – Spain expand

Key Findings

Happiness or subjective well-being can be measured in terms of life satisfaction, the presence of positive experiences and feelings, and the absence of negative experiences and feelings. Such measures, while subjective, are a useful complement to objective data to compare the quality of life across countries.

Life satisfaction measures how people evaluate their life as a whole rather than their current feelings. When asked to rate their general satisfaction with life on a scale from 0 to 10, the Spanish on average gave it a 6.5 grade, below the OECD average of 6.7.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Safety – Spain expand

Key Findings

Personal security is a core element for the well-being of individuals. Do you feel safe out walking, alone at night, for example? In Spain, about 80% of people say that they feel safe walking alone at night, more than the OECD average of 74%.

The homicide rate (the number of murders per 100 000 inhabitants) is a more reliable measure of a country's safety level because, unlike other crimes, murders are usually always reported to the police. According to the latest OECD data, Spain's homicide rate is 0.7, lower than the OECD average of 2.6.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Social media for safety

The Spanish National Police turned to social media to conduct awareness campaigns, advertise success stories, and request citizen co-operation to solve cases. Content-rich messages with plain, professional language were often even humorous or provocative to get people's attention. They also kept interest constant by answering every question they received from their followers – reaching more than 3.5 million on Twitter – more than the FBI. The Spanish National Police also reach the public through their YouTube account and have more than 37 million views. Citizens often help to solve cases, ranging from drug trafficking to threats to public figures. This innovative use of social media has helped the national police increase preventative and operational safety.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being

Indicators

Work-Life Balance – Spain expand

Key Findings

Finding a suitable balance between work and life is a challenge for all workers, especially working parents. The ability to successfully combine work, family commitments and personal life is important for the well-being of all members in a household. Governments can help to address the issue by encouraging supportive and flexible working practices, making it easier for parents to strike a better balance between work and home life.

An important aspect of work-life balance is the amount of time a person spends at work. Evidence suggests that long work hours may impair personal health, jeopardise safety and increase stress. In Spain, some 3% of employees work very long hours in paid work, muchless than the OECD average of 10%.

The more people work, the less time they have to spend on other activities, such as time with others, leisure activities, eating or sleeping. The amount and quality of leisure time is important for people's overall well-being, and can bring additional physical and mental health benefits. In Spain, full-time workers devote 66% of their day on average, or 15.7 hours, to personal care (eating, sleeping, etc.) and leisure (socialising with friends and family, hobbies, games, computer and television use, etc.) – more than the OECD average of 15 hours.

Better Policies for Better Lives

Spain should strengthen its policies to combine work and family life

Families in Spain find it difficult to combine work and family life; both female employment rates and fertility rates are low in international comparison. At around 1.3 children per woman, fertility rates in Spain have been amongst the lowest in the OECD for the past two decades. Increasingly, women and men first want to establish themselves in the labour market before having children. This has led to a postponement of childbirth and the average age of first childbirth for mothers is now close to 30. Low fertility rates are also related to a fall in the number of large families and a significant proportion of women remaining childless.

Female employment in Spain has risen markedly over recent years, from 32.5% in 1995 to 51% today. However, despite this important increase, female employment in Spain is still below the OECD average (57.5%); and 75% of mothers go back to work only 8 years after childbirth. Governmental efforts in extending coverage and providing support to families to reduce the cost of childcare have led to an important increase in childcare participation. In 2010, 39.3% of children under 3 years old were enrolled in childcare services (the OECD average is 32.6%). However, out-of-school-hours care is limited and many working parents rely on informal providers: about a quarter of grandparents in Spain take care of their grandchildren on a daily basis.

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How's Life?: Measuring Well-being