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Spain received approximately 74,000 participants across all sectors of education in 2015-2016 and is the most popular Erasmus+ destination in Europe, followed by the UK and Germany
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Spain sent over 52,500 participants abroad in the academic year 2015-2016
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In 2015-2016, over 45,800 European students chose to complete higher education studies or traineeships in Spain within the Erasmus+ Programme
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According to data recently published by the European Commission, in 2015-2016 more higher education students from Spain took part in Erasmus+ mobility exchanges abroad than in any previous year
The European Commission recently presented its report on the achievements of the Erasmus+ Programme in 2016, which coincided with the end of celebrations to mark the Programme’s 30-year anniversary.
Five of the ten most popular universities among Erasmus+ participants from across Europe — those institutions with the greatest number of incoming and outgoing students — are Spanish. Within this ranking, the University of Granada has further consolidated its position as the leading institution in mobility figures, followed by the Complutense University of Madrid, the University of Valencia, and the Polytechnic University of Valencia.
The Erasmus+ Annual Report 2016 reaffirms the crucial role played by the Programme in building a more united Europe on the basis of common European values. Spain is once again the favourite country of European participants across all sectors of education (Early Childhood and Primary Education, Vocational Education and Training, Higher Education, and Lifelong Learning) hosting 73,803 participants in 2015-2016, followed by the United Kingdom (63,274 participants) and Germany (54,929 participants). These figures highlight the unrivalled attractiveness of Spain as a key destination within the world’s most successful mobility programme, which celebrates its 30-year anniversary in 2017.
With regard to higher education, since 2001 Spain has consistently maintained its number one position in Europe. The country continues to receive more students than any other European nation, ahead of Germany (34,922), the United Kingdom (31,362), France (30,145) and Italy (23,924). During the 2015-2016 academic year, 45,813 students chose to undertake higher education studies or traineeships in Spain.
With regard to participants sent abroad by higher education institutions in Spain, 45,826 completed mobility periods abroad in 2015-2016; an increase of 3,918 students and staff who participated in mobility programme compared to the previous year.
Spain: 30 years of achievements in Erasmus+
Spain has progressed from sending 95 students abroad in 1987 to approximately 71,000 in 2016, according to data published by the European Commission in their Erasmus+ Annual Report 2016.
Over the 30-year course of the Programme, it is estimated that Spain has managed the mobility activities of:
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625,300 higher education students, placing Spain in second place after Germany
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73,100 vocational education and training students
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114,400 academic staff and other participants
Taking into account all of the actions financed by the Erasmus+ Programme in Spain — mainly managed by the Spanish Service for the Internationalization of Education (SEPIE) — the number of participants in Spain has almost reached one million people since 1987.
The importance of the Erasmus+ Programme for Spain and, conversely, the importance of Spain for the Erasmus+ Programme, should both be highlighted. European programmes have significantly contributed to the modernisation of our educational institutions. They have also played a fundamental role in internationalization processes, substantially favouring the employability of our students by fostering their abilities and enabling them to gain new skills. On the whole, these programmes have notably enriched European identity.
It is also worth emphasising the effort that Spain puts into jointly financing the Erasmus+ Programme. The European Commission has commended its commitment and initiative in this regard, especially given that it is one of the main financial contributors to the Programme. Indeed, the European budget will grow even further thanks to a contribution of 29 million euro by Spain in 2017.
In 2018, the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport will continue to jointly finance the Programme, investing 30 million euro in the mobility of higher education students in Europe and across the globe within the ‘International Dimension’ framework of the Programme. In 2018 special emphasis will be placed on Latin America and the total budget of the Erasmus+ Programme in Spain will rise to €202,401.943, representing a 13.5% increase on the previous year.
