The private daycare market - Spain

Since 2020, Spain's private nursery school market has been impacted by a declining birth rate, with the number of births falling from 358,747 in 2019 to 334,386 in 2022, a drop of approximately 5%. This has affected the enrollment of children aged 0-3 in these institutions. Despite the decrease in birth rate, Spain's Ministry of Education forecasted a slight increase of 2.04% in nursery school enrollment from the 2021-2022 to the 2022-2023 school year, up to 443,376 pupils.

The Spanish government has responded to this shift with a €670.1 million plan aimed at increasing public nursery school positions, which could affect the private sector. However, future projections suggest an eventual rise in the fertility rate to 1.32 children per woman, with a projected increase in births of 3.43% between 2023 and 2026, which signals potential growth for private nursery schools in the longer term.

Demand Analysis: Fluctuating Trends in Spain's Early Childhood Education Sector

In analyzing the demand within Spain's market for early childhood education, particularly in the context of private nursery schools, we observe several notable trends. The country has experienced an incremental rise in enrollment rates for children under the age of three in first-cycle nursery schools, with enrollment figures climbing in recent years. Specifically, the enrollment rate for children under one year spiked by 3.8 percentage points, while the rate for one-year-olds and two-year-olds increased by approximately 13.2 and 13.8 points, respectively. On the other hand, the rate for three-year-olds remained relatively stable. The total number of children attending the first cycle of nursery school was approximately 434,498 in the school year 2021-2022, with a forecasted increase to about 443,376 pupils for the 2022-2023 school year, representing a growth of over 2 percent in the student body count. Regionally, areas like Asturias, Madrid, Galicia, Basque Country, and La Rioja exhibited the highest percentages of children attending kindergarten. Conversely, communities such as Murcia and Castilla y León showed notably lower enrollment rates, hinting at a preference for alternative childcare methods by families in those areas.

Demographically, Spain's low and declining birth rate proves to be a critical factor influencing demand. The birth rate dropped from around 1.34 children per woman in 2011 to approximately 1.19 children per woman by 2021, coupled with a slight increase in the average age of mothers at childbearing from 31.44 to 32.66 years within the same period. The decline in birth rates, especially pronounced as the number fell from about 358,747 births to between roughly 334,000 and 341,000 births during the early 2020s, evidently affects the potential consumer base for private nursery schools. Looking ahead, the National Statistics Institute (INE) suggests a future uptick in fertility rates with a modest rise to about 1.32 children per woman. Births are projected to surge by approximately 3.43 percent between 2023 and 2026, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of about 1.13 percent. A more long-term forecast from 2023 to 2041 predicts an increase in births by around 21.53 percent, translating into a CAGR of 1.09 percent.

Main Players Shaping Spain's Private Nursery School Landscape

As Spain's demographic changes and policy initiatives influence the private nursery school market, several key players stand out for their involvement and impact on early childhood education. The following companies and entities play crucial roles in shaping the experiences of the youngest learners and their families across the country, forging the landscape of private nursery education in Spain.

• Ministry of Education and Vocational Training (Ministerio de Educación y Formación Profesional) At the helm of educational policy and oversight is the Ministry of Education and Vocational Training, which not only monitors enrollment rates across various age groups in nursery schools but also provides projections and funding to support the sector. Their data and analyses are central to understanding market trends and for planning future educational capacities.
• National Institute of Statistics (INE) The National Institute of Statistics offers an invaluable source of data, tracking the nation's demographic shifts, including birth rates, average ages at motherhood, and projections of fertility trends. Their research reveals both challenges and opportunities within the nursery school industry, demonstrating the direct correlation between demographic trends and educational demand.
• Private Nursery School Networks As the largest private education network in Spain, private nursery schools account for a significant proportion of early childhood education options for parents. These networks vary greatly in size, facilities, and educational philosophies and contribute to the competitive landscape, particularly in regions where public nursery schools present strong alternatives.

These main players collectively influence the demand, supply, and regulatory framework of Spain's private nursery school market. Their actions and policies directly affect how young children are cared for and educated, demonstrating the dynamic interplay within the Spanish early education system.

Inforamtion

• Number of pages : ~ 40 pages
• Format : Digital and PDF versions
• Last update : 15/02/2023

Summary and extracts

List of charts presented in this market study

• Evolution du taux de scolarisation au sein des écoles infantiles
• Evolution du nombre d'enfants scolarisés en premier cycle d'école infantile
• Pourcentage d'enfants de 0 à 3 ans scolarisés
• Evolution de l'âge de la maternité et du nombre d'enfants par femmes
• Prévision du nombre de naissances
• Evolution de la population espagnole
• Répartition des écoles infantiles de premier cycle en Espagne selon le statut
• Nombre d'écoles infantiles de premier cycle en fonction du caractère de l'enseignement
• Parts des foyers monoparentaux en Espagne
• Número de hogares proyectados según su tamaño
• Evolution du nombre de foyers en Espagne
• Evolution de la taille moyenne des foyers espagnols
• Parts des familles monoparentales dirigées par une femme
• Raisons de la monoparentalité
• Estimation du marché des écoles infantiles privées de premier cycle
• Prévision de croissance du marché des garderies
• Situation professionnelle des parents de familles nombreuses en Espagne
• Difficultés pour concilier vie de travail et vie de famille des familles nombreuses
• Difficultés des familles nombreuses à arriver jusqu'au fin du mois
• Répartition des familles nombreuses en Espagne selon le nombre d'enfants
• Âges des enfants des familles nombreuses
• Ecoles que fréquentent les enfants de familles nombreuses
• Statut des parents de familles nombreuses
• Répartition des élève de premier cycle d'école infantile en fonction du caractère de l'enseignement
• Nombre d'enfants moyen par école infantile en fonction du statut privé ou public
• Pourcentage de centres d'éducation infantile offrant des services supplémentaires