Educational attainment and investment in education in Ibero-American countries

Abstract

Adults in all the Ibero-American countries covered by Education at a Glance are less likely to have an upper secondary education than the average across OECD countries, although the gap is narrower among the younger generation. The share of 25-34 year-olds with tertiary education across OECD countries is much higher than the share of 55-64 year-olds. This is also the case for Ibero-American countries, but only in Portugal and Spain is the increase above the OECD average, while other Ibero-American countries are lagging behind. Ibero-American governments face increasing demand for education. Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica and Portugal devote a larger share of private expenditure on tertiary educational institutions than the average across OECD countries, as a percentage of GDP.