Homegrown talent
A European country in the top percent of higher education
Spain is the eleventh country in the world and the fourth in EU27
in tertiary enrolment (2025 GTCI Report, INSEAD)
Population with higher education 2024 (%)
Source: OECD. December 2025
Spain ranks
third in the EU in number of scientists and engineers,
according to Eurostat.
Spain is 9th worldwide in producing scientific publications,
according to Scimago Journal & Country Rank
Companies with difficulties in filling ICT vacancies in Europe
Source:
Eurostat, OCDE.
High level
training
Spain has a great deal of highly skilled human capital with a competitive advantage, thanks to the quality of education.
Spanish universities produce professionals with skills and competences that are highly valued internationally.
In Spain, the university system is made up of 91 universities (50 public and 41 private), as well as 322 research institutes and 78 science and technology parks.
Geographical distribution of
Spanish Universities
Academic year 2023-2024
Prestigious
business schools
Six Spanish business schools (IESE Business School, IE, Esade, ESIC, EADA and EAE) rank among the European’s top 20 business schools.
Furthermore, the MBAs from 3 Spanish business schools are among the top 10 best European MBA programmes according to the 2025 Global MBA Ranking, by Financial Times.
Source:
(Bloomberg Report 2025-26)
Global MBA Ranking 2025 | European Business School
| Ranking | Business School | Country |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Iese Business School | Spain |
| 2 | Insead | France / Singapur |
| 3 | SDA Bocconi School of Management | Italy |
| 4 | London Business School | UK |
| 5 | Esade Business School | Spain |
| 6 | HEC Paris | France |
| 7 | IE Business School | Spain |
| 8 | IMD-International Institute for Management Development | Switzerland |
| 9 | University of Oxford: Saïd | UK |
| 10 | ESCP Business School | France |
| ... | ... | .... |
| 34 | Eada Business School Barcelona | Spain |
Source:
Financial Times
Competitive
job market
Spain’s regulatory framework is modern, flexible and transparent and is based on the standards and best practices of the OECD.
Foreign companies based in Spain provide direct employment for 2 million workers, according to the Foreign Investment Registry (Last data availble, 2023).
Salary costs are also more competitive than in other major European economies.
Labour cost per hour worked, 2024 (€/hour)
Source:
DESTATIS
Productivity in Spain has been on an upward trend for the last ten years and continues to grow faster than in other European countries.
Labour market reform: more flexibility, productivity, employment and skills.
Unit Labour Cost | Index 2015=100
Real Productivity | Index 1999=100
This is a great time for Entrepreneurship in Spain. Supported by national and regional policies and incentives, this surge in new entrepreneurial initiatives promotes various forms of work-related alliances.
Source:
Mapa del Emprendimiento 2022. South Summit
Spain is open to foreign talent
Spain is an open and inclusive society. More than 6 million foreigners live in the Spanish territory (13% of the population) and are well integrated into the society. Spain is particularly attractive to Spanish-speaking talent.
Spain is the preferred destination of university students in the Erasmus exchange program according to the European Commission: mainly for the language, the quality of its universities and its open and inclusive culture towards foreigners.
In Spain there are specific formulas designed to facilitate worker, investor and entrepreneur relocations.
Spain has excellent diplomatic relations with nations world-wide. The Spanish passport is the third most highly valued by the countries (192) to which it offers visa-free entry (Visa Restriction lndex, 2025).