OECD warns of rising school absenteeism in Spain

The OECD has issued a warning regarding rising school absenteeism, noting that in Spain, the trend is increasing, particularly during primary education. According to the report ‘Every day counts. Understanding, preventing and responding to school attendance problems’, Spanish student absences—defined as missing school once a week or every two weeks—showed a constant increase between 2015 and 2023. This deviates from the average trend in other developed nations, which sat at 15% in 2023.

Spain is among nine educational systems, including Chile, Finland, Italy, and the United States, where absenteeism did not decrease but grew steadily throughout the period. The OECD highlights that absenteeism trajectories often begin early; 36% of secondary students with prolonged absences had already experienced the issue during primary school. Such absences are linked to lower academic performance, reduced motivation, and diminished social skills.

Experts suggest that addressing absenteeism requires more than just tracking data or improving protocols. The issue is often viewed as a symptom of a deeper disconnection, where students feel the school environment lacks relevance to their futures or fails to provide a sense of belonging. Effective intervention may require reconnecting students with purpose and opportunity rather than focusing solely on attendance metrics.