A new study called “The economic impact of international students in Spain” was published in late 2024. Led by Spanish Education Programs (SAP), with the support of ACA member SEPIE, this study focuses on students from abroad who choose Spain as their educational destination. Six categories of programmes are included in the study: Study Abroad (US), Erasmus+, Language and Culture, Undergraduates, Graduates and participants in North American Language and Culture Assistants Program (NALCAP). 

The key findings are as follows: 

• In total, 602,662 internationals enrolled, within six categories, in the 2022-2023 academic year. 
• Their overall economic impact on the Spanish economy amounts to 6,345,053,146 euros, and the multiplier effect for student spend is 2.28. This indicates that for each euro spent on their academic program, these students disburse an additional 1.28 euros on a broad range of sectors of the Spanish economy. 
• The economic impact of international students in Spain increased by 67% in the past four academic years. The average per-student spending increased by 190%, from 3,633 euros (2018-2019) to 10,528 euros (2022-2023).  
• Master’s programmes are the category with the largest impact, followed by Undergraduates, Spanish Language and Culture, US Study Abroad, Erasmus+, and NALCAP. Graduate programs enrol 18.84% of all internationals in this study, and account for 46% of the overall impact. 
• International students and the academic providers that recruit them contribute to the financing of the Spanish taxation system in, at least, two ways: through a value added tax on the indirect spending (3,567,115,126 euros) ranging from 4% to 21% and through hiring of faculty and staff for whom they make payments to the social security administration. The number of professionals holding positions in Study Abroad, and Language & Culture international education groups combined amount to no less than 6,661.