Girona concentrates the largest proportion of the population with basic studies in all of Catalan territory according to the latest official data. The annual Population Census of the National Institute of Statistics corresponding to 2024 reveals that 325,730 people aged 15 or over have completed at most compulsory education.
This figure includes those who have no education, have only primary education, or have completed compulsory secondary education. It represents 46.5% of the total population analyzed in the demarcation and places the province in a unique position on the regional educational map.
The training gap exceeds the Catalan average
The largest category within this group corresponds to those who have completed the first stage of secondary education. They are 220,868 inhabitants, which is equivalent to 31.5% of the total surveyed. They are followed by 80,870 people with only primary studies and 23,992 with no qualifications.
Girona is the Catalan province with the highest population weight without studies or only with primary education, with 15%. This reality contrasts with the rest of the demarcations, where Barcelona registers the lowest percentage with 12.2%, followed by Tarragona with 13.8% and Lleida with 14.5%.
"Girona surpasses the Catalan average of 40% in population that does not go beyond ESO" - National Institute of Statistics, Census 2024
The global figure places the demarcation above the regional and also the state average, which stands at 44.4%. In the national ranking of provinces and autonomous cities, Girona occupies position 31 out of 52 when analyzing the population that has no studies beyond compulsory secondary education.
Functional illiteracy declines
The indicators show a slight improvement in the lowest strata of education. The number of people without studies decreased compared to the previous year, going from 24,905 in 2023 to 23,992. The population with only primary studies also decreased, falling from 81,608 to 80,870 people.
This reduction of 913 individuals without any qualification reflects a slow but steady trend towards basic literacy. At the state level, the Spanish percentage is 14.8%, a figure very similar to that presented by Girona in this specific section.
Higher degrees gain ground
Higher education adds up to 208,084 inhabitants in Girona, which represents 29.7% of the total. This is an increase of 7,868 people compared to the previous year, although the demarcation remains below the Catalan average for higher education, which is 36.7%.
There are 124,083 people with university degrees in Girona, 3,398 more than the previous year. Of this group, 71,709 have degrees of up to 240 credits or diplomas and 52,374 have degrees of more than 240 credits or bachelor's degrees.
"People with vocational training total 125,697, almost 4,000 more than in 2023" - National Institute of Statistics, 2024 Census
Vocational training is experiencing notable growth. People with this type of qualification or equivalent number 125,697, almost 4,000 more than in 2023. Of this figure, 69,221 correspond to the second stage of secondary education with a vocational orientation and 56,476 to higher-level vocational training.
The number of master's degrees increased from 18,523 to 20,738 people. Despite these advances, Girona is the Catalan demarcation with less weight of higher educational level, falling behind Tarragona, Lleida, and Barcelona in all high qualification indicators.
The distance with Barcelona is evident when comparing the extremes of the educational pyramid. While the Catalan capital manages to have only 37.8% of its population not exceeding ESO, Girona maintains a structure where almost half of its citizens do not access post-compulsory studies.