Spanish language sector recovers with record weeks and further growth prospects

Headline data: In 2023, the 103 member centers of FEDELE – Español en España hosted 133,452 international students, a 29.4 per cent increase compared with the previous year.

The total marked a 93.5 per cent recovery compared with the pre-pandemic 2019 peak of 138,589 but was higher than 2017 and 2018 and represented the second highest ever registered for the association.

Student weeks, meanwhile, reached a new record of 554,916 last year, an increase of 38 per cent over the previous year and above the previous sector high of 473,836 weeks in 2019.

Welcoming the data, Paula Lopez, Commercial Director at the association, told StudyTravel Magazine, “For FEDELE reaching pre-pandemic levels is the news that we have been waiting for in recent years. This recovery has been caused by several factors: firstly, the great interest that Spanish and Spain has for international students, with new educational programs, as well as cultural expressions that cross borders. In addition, schools have invested heavily both in facilities and in improving their quality credentials in order to offer services to international students.”

Average stay: The student week total was boosted by a longer average stay of 4.15 weeks, up from 3.99 last year and 3.41 in 2019. By region, the average stay was longest in Barcelona (6.84) and Madrid (5.04).

Paula commented that this has been a gradual trend over the last decade with more long-stay individual students and the presence of digital nomads in Spain, which has increased the average age and stay of Spanish language students.

Source markets: Italy regained its position as the top sender country in 2023, with 22,907 students, an increase of 119.3 per cent compared with the previous year, while Germany dropped to second with 18,223 students, a rise of 13.9 per cent.

The top five was completed by the UK which rose to the third-largest market (10,285 students, +45.5 per cent); France (8,883, +26.4); and the USA, which dropped from third last year to fifth (8,322, +12.3).

Other significant growth markets in 2023 were Japan, which increased by 92.6 per cent to 1,346 students; Turkey, which jumped by 55.9 per cent to 611; and Brazil, which registered growth of 32.6 per cent to reach 1,168 students.

Europe accounted for almost four in five students for Fedele centers (79.23) – up from 75.6 per cent in the previous year, followed by North America (7.6) and Asia (5.83).

Data by region: Andalucía had the largest cohort with 49,247 students, which represented a recovery of 95 per cent; followed by Valenciana with 33,745 students (120 per cent recovery); Castilla y Leon with 15,163 (88.5 per cent); Barcelona on 13,349 (87.5); Madrid on 13,217 (73.7); and the Interregional group with 8,731 students (101).

Groups: According to FEDELE, groups accounted for 47.6 per cent of students in 2023, a higher ratio than 41.4 in 2022 and 45.8 in 2019. By region, Castilla y Leon had the highest proportion of groups at 77.8 per cent, compared with only 28.7 in Barcelona and 34.7 in Madrid.

Recovery of juniors: The 12-to-18 age group recovered to become the largest for the first time since before the pandemic, accounting for 28.56 per cent of students in 2023 – up from 24.84 per cent in the previous year. This was followed by the 19-25 cohort, down slightly to 26.85; and 26-45, which dropped to 25.41. There were increases for the 46-65 (12.8) and 65+ (5.15) cohorts, Fedele said.

Recruitment channels: Direct website bookings were the largest recruitment channel, accounting for 36.61 per cent of students, followed by agents on 29.27 per cent – a slightly lower ratio than the previous year.

Course type: Courses with cultural activities were the most popular program type, accounting for 34 per cent of students, followed by private lessons (12.3), junior camps (11.8), exam preparation (10.5).

In terms of program intensity, the majority of courses delivered were ‘semi intensive’ (between 15 and 25 hours), while the remainder were ‘intensive’ or ‘extensive’.

Accommodation: Host family was the most common option, chosen by 29.13 per cent of students, followed by apartments (23.7), and external residences (18.7).

Barriers to growth: There were challenges in 2023 that prevented further growth and recovery, the association said, including visa denials, connectivity and the slow recovery of the Chinese market, which only emerged in the second half of the year; and the continuing war affecting the Russian and Ukrainian markets.

Morocco accounted for more than half of the 2,153 visa denials last year, but there were also refusals for students from Tunisia, Egypt, India and Iran. The lack of financial means was the most common denial reason, followed by suspicion of irregular migration and incomplete documentation.

Value: FEDELE’s federated Spanish language schools created an economic impact in 2023 of EU€405,088,680 in 2023, the association estimated, based on tuition, accommodation and other student spending. This equated to an average spend per student per week of EU€730.

Member school profile: The average capacity of FEDELE member schools was 159 students, and the average academic staff was 17 – up slightly from 15 in the previous year.

The association said that 61 per cent of its member centers offered Spanish only in 2023, while the remainder also provided tuition in other languages.

Growth prospects for 2024: Member schools were also optimistic for the year ahead, with 55 per cent expecting growth this year and 36 per cent anticipating growth of 25 per cent or more. Only 10 per cent expect a decrease.

Paula said, “The forecast for 2024 is positive; our federated centers indicate that it will be a record year thanks to the entry of students from Europe, the United States and the reactivation of China. In addition, some geopolitical uncertainties are helping Spain to become a safe country of reference for study programs, so we believe that we will continue on the path of growth and during 2024 we will reach 150,000 students.”