Overview

• Spain has the lowest share in the OECD of 25–34 year‑olds with second‑stage secondary credentials at 22.8%, even as tertiary attainment reaches 53%, above the OECD and EU25 averages.
• In Mexico, the share of 25–34 year‑olds without upper secondary fell from 49% in 2019 to 41% in 2024, yet it remains the highest in the OECD.
• Mexico’s education financing eroded as per‑student spending sits near $4,066 and the education share of public budgets dropped from 15.8% to 13.2%, with households covering 16.2% of basic and upper‑secondary costs versus a 9.9% OECD average.
• The OECD notes an atypical Mexican pattern where unemployment among 25–34 year‑olds rises with education level (2.7% without upper secondary, 3.6% with upper secondary, 4.3% with tertiary).
• OECD‑wide tertiary attainment is at a record 48%, but only 43% of university students finish on time; Argentina’s tertiary rate is stagnant at about 19%, and Mexican civil society urges targeted scholarships, stronger early‑years coverage and better links between studies and jobs.