Finland

Country overview

Select a country to explore its education data and publications.

Finland
Overview of the education system (EAG 2026)
  • In Finland, the share of adults with tertiary attainment reaches 42.7% (OECD average : 42.7%), while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment stands at 46.4% (OECD average : 39.9%) and 10.8% of 25-64 year-olds reached below upper secondary education (OECD average : 17.9%).
  • Some 87.4% of children aged 3 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 81.5%), while 90.3% of children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education (OECD average : 86%).
  • In upper secondary education, 69.8% complete their education within the theoretical programme duration (OECD average : 76.2%), while 82.9% of new entrants complete a general or vocational programme within two years after the end of the theoritical programme (OECD average : 84.9%).
  • Government expenditure on educational institutions, before transfers, on primary to tertiary education equalled 5.2% of GDP in 2023 (OECD average : 4%), while private expenditure equalled 0.1% (OECD average : 0.6%).
  • In 2023, Finland allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education from primary to tertiary levels (OECD average : 9.8%), equivalent to 5.5% of GDP (OECD average : 4.2%).
  • Total expenditure on educational institutions per full-time equivalent student equalled 21179 equivalent USD for tertiary education in Finland (OECD average : 22402 equivalent USD), while it added up to 13823 equivalent USD for primary education (OECD average : 13552 equivalent USD).
  • The unemployment rate among tertiary-educated young adults stands at 5.9% in 2025 (OECD average : 5%), while it is equal to 25.6% for 25-34 year-olds without an upper secondary education (OECD average : 13.9%).
  • Some 15.6% of all 18-24 year-olds were not in employment, education or training (NEET) in 2025 (OECD average : 14.1%), while 17.1% of 25-29 year-olds were NEET (OECD average : 16.3%).
  • On-site work varies with the level of education, while 62.7% of tertiary-educated workers sometimes or usually work from home in Finland (OECD average : 42.5%), 28.3% of workers with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment did so (OECD average : 17.7%).
  • In Finland, annual typical teaching hours were 673 hours in primary education (OECD average : 770 hours) and 595 hours in lower secondary education (OECD average : 710 hours).
  • Women represent 96.8% of pre-primary teaching staff in Finland (OECD average : 95.9%) and 73.6% in lower secondary education (OECD average : 68.2%).
  • In Finland, there are 87.1% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools (OECD average : 90.9%). However, 9.1% of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary education left the profession through retirement or resignation in 2025 (OECD average : 6.4%).
    • | Education at a Glance 2026 (EAG 2026): OECD Indicators | Country note | Annexes from Education at a Glance 2026 | OECD Handbook for Internationally Comparative Education Statistics 2018 | OECD Education Policy Outlook: Finland | Opetus- ja kulttuuriministeriö (Ministry of Education and Culture) | Tilastokeskus/Statistikcentralen (Statistics Finland) |

    Select first some countries to compare, choose the charts you wish to display and customise them.

    The following list displays indicators for which your selected country shows the highest and lowest values among countries. The list can be sorted by level of education or by age group. All rankings are calculated including available data from OECD and partner countries. Find out more about the methodology here.

    Show indicators for which your country ranks among the top or bottom: Sort by:

    Attainment

    The level of upper secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary attainment among 25-34 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (50.5 %, rank 6/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The level of tertiary attainment among 55-64 year-olds is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (40.9 %, rank 7/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-64 year-olds who have attained a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary qualification is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (38.2 %, rank 9/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The proportion of 25-34 year-olds who have attained a vocational degree at the upper secondary or post-secondary level is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (37.1 %, rank 8/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Attainment by gender

    The proportion of 25-34 year-old men who have attained tertiary education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (30.7 %, rank 33/41 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Entrance

    The share of new entrants younger than 25 in bachelor's or equivalent programmes is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (68.9 %, rank 37/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the percentage of first-time entrants into tertiary education younger than 25 is relatively low. (67.4 %, rank 30/30 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of first-time entrants into master's or equivalent programmes before the age of 30 is relatively low. (44.6 %, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Entrance by field of education and gender

    In Finland,the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of education is relatively small. (20.6 %, rank 21/25 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of male among new entrants in doctoral programmes enrolled in the field of health and welfare is relatively small. (31.4 %, rank 23/27 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in engineering, manufacturing and construction in Finland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (27.5 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female students entering master's or equivalent programmes in Science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) in Finland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (32.4 %, rank 24/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of natural sciences, mathematics and statistics is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (35.2 %, rank 29/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (13.3 %, rank 25/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of health and welfare is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (14.4 %, rank 28/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of men among new entrants in bachelor's programmes in the field of information and communication technologies is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (71.6 %, rank 24/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in education in Finland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (14.9 %, rank 23/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of male students entering master's or equivalent programmes in health and welfare in Finland is one of the smallest compared to other OECD countries and partner economies. (15.7 %, rank 28/28 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Participation in education

    The proportion of upper secondary students enrolled in vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (68 %, rank 7/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Among 6–14-year-olds, enrolment in lower secondary programmes in Finland ranked among the lowest internationally. (22.8 %, rank 37/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation

    The share of tertiary graduates younger than 30-years-old is one of the smallest among countries with available data. (73.8 %, rank 27/29 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the percentage of first-time bachelor's graduates younger than 30 is relatively low. (73 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the percentage of first-time master's graduates younger than 35 is relatively low. (71.7 %, rank 26/31 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by gender

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary general programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (58.1 %, rank 9/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of female graduates from upper secondary vocational programmes is one of the largest among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (53.9 %, rank 5/40 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of female first-time master's graduates is relatively small, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (52.8 %, rank 20/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education

    The share of tertiary graduates in STEM fields in Finland was one of the highest compared to other participating countries. (30.8 %, rank 3/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the percentage of post-secondary non-tertiary vocational graduates in the field of health and welfare is relatively low. (13.5 %, rank 17/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Graduation by field of education and gender

    In Finland, the proportion of male tertiary graduates in the field of social sciences, journalism and information is relatively small. (4.1 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the percentage of female post-secondary non-tertiary graduates in the field of business, administration and law is relatively small. (58.3 %, rank 20/21 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Completion rates

    A relatively low share of upper secondary students complete their studies within the theoretical programme duration. (69.8 %, rank 20/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    A relatively low share of students in upper secondary general programmes complete their studies within the theoretical programme duration. (39.5 %, rank 21/26 , 2022) Download Indicator

    A relatively low share of students in upper secondary general programmes complete their studies up to two years later than the theoretical programme duration. (45.5 %, rank 18/24 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Fields of education

    In Finland, the proportion of new entrants in education master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.4 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of new entrants in arts and humanities bachelor's programmes is especially low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (7.4 %, rank 27/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the proportion of new entrants in social sciences, journalism and information bachelor's programmes is slightly low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.9 %, rank 32/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of new entrants in social sciences, journalism and information master's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (4.8 %, rank 30/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of new entrants in natural sciences, mathematics and statistics bachelor's programmes is relatively low, compared to OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.2 %, rank 27/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility

    In Finland, the proportion of new international entrants in master's long first degree (LFD) programmes is relatively low. (0.2 %, rank 20/23 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Student mobility by field of education

    The percentage of students enrolled in the field of social sciences, journalism and information among all international or foreign tertiary students in Finland is relatively low. (3.7 %, rank 37/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of students enrolled in the field of science, technology, engineering and mathematics among all international or foreign students is relatively high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (48.4 %, rank 2/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Adult participation in non-formal education

    In Finland, the share of employed adults aged 25-44 participating in non-formal education or training was among the highest across countries with available data. (73 %, rank 3/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of employed adults aged 45-64 participating in non-formal education or training was among the largest in Finland compared with other countries with available data. (67.7 %, rank 1/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among employed adults aged 25-64, participation in non-formal education or training in Finland was among the highest across countries with available data. (70.3 %, rank 2/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among unemployed adults aged 25-64, the share participating in non-formal education or training in Finland was among the highest across countries with available data. (42.4 %, rank 10/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among adults aged 25-64 outside the labour force, participation in non-formal education or training in Finland was among the highest across countries with available data. (26.3 %, rank 2/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of adults aged 25-64 with below upper secondary attainment who reported never having participated in non-formal education or training was among the smallest across countries with available data. (12.2 %, rank 29/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment who reported never having participated in non-formal education or training was among the lowest in Finland compared with other countries with available data. (5.7 %, rank 28/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment, the share reporting never having participated in non-formal education or training in Finland was among the smallest across countries with available data. (2.2 %, rank 29/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of adults aged 25-64 across all education levels who reported never having participated in non-formal education or training was among the lowest across countries with available data. (4.4 %, rank 29/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student

    Annual expenditure per tertiary student is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (11065 USD Equivalent, rank 26/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Annual expenditure per student on research and development in tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (10114 USD Equivalent, rank 8/33 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure per student for ancillary services on tertiary education in Finland is comparatively low. (0 USD Equivalent, rank 30/31 , 2023) Download Indicator

    From 2012 to 2018, the average annual growth in total expenditure on primary to tertiary education in Finland is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (27914 USD Equivalent, rank 6/41 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Expenditure in education and national wealth

    In Finland, government expenditure on education as a percentage of GDP at primary to tertiary levels of education is comparatively high. (5.5 %, rank 3/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is one of the highest among OECD countries and partner economies. (5.4 %, rank 7/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, expenditure on secondary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (2.4 %, rank 2/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, expenditure on tertiary educational institutions as a percentage of GDP is comparatively high. (1.6 %, rank 9/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, private expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary, secondary and post-secondary non-tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively low. (0 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, public expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively high. (5.2 %, rank 1/42 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, private expenditure on educational institutions as a percentage of GDP on primary to tertiary education from final source of funds is relatively low. (0.1 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the private expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds on primary to post-secondary non-tertiary level is low. (0 %, rank 33/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The public expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds at primary to tertiary education is relatively high in Finland. (5.2 %, rank 1/38 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The proportion of private expenditure as a percentage of GDP from initial source of funds for primary to tertiary education is comparatively low in Finland. (0.1 %, rank 33/35 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Government and private expenditure in education

    The share of private expenditure on all levels below tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.2 %, rank 35/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of private expenditure on tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (5.7 %, rank 36/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Finland has one of the smallest shares of private expenditure on primary through tertiary educational institutions among OECD countries and partner economies with available data. (1.8 %, rank 36/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for tertiary education is comparatively large in Finland. (87.7 %, rank 5/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of public expenditure on educational institutions, for primary to tertiary education is comparatively large. (96.2 %, rank 1/36 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Nature of expenditure

    In Finland, the share of capital expenditure on tertiary education is one of the smallest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (3.6 %, rank 32/37 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Teachers

    The number of hours per year lower secondary teachers spend teaching in public institutions is comparatively low in Finland. (595 Hours, rank 32/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Who the teachers are

    The share of women among teaching staff in tertiary education is one of the largest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (53.2 %, rank 6/41 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of female teachers younger than 30 in tertiary education is relatively small . (45.5 %, rank 35/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of bachelor's, master's and doctoral level female teachers younger than 30 is relatively low, compared to other countries with data available. (45.5 %, rank 34/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of teachers under 30 in upper secondary vocational education is especially low in Finland. (2.4 %, rank 31/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the percentage of teachers aged between 30 and 49 in upper secondary vocational education is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (41.6 %, rank 29/32 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of post secondary non-tertiary education teachers under 30 is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data (2.5 %, rank 22/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The share of teachers aged between 30 and 49 in post secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Finland, compared to other countries with available data. (41.5 %, rank 21/22 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries

    The ratio of upper secondary teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.91 Ratio, rank 4/19 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the change in statutory primary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively small. (95 Index, rank 27/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the change in statutory lower secondary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively small. (94 Index, rank 29/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the change in statutory upper secondary education teachers' salaries with 15 years of experience, based on most prevalent qualifications at different points in teachers' careers is relatively small. (94 Index, rank 29/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, average actual salaries for lower secondary teachers aged 25-64 rank among the highest per hour of net teaching time across OECD and partner countries with available data. (72742 USD Equivalent, rank 10/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, average actual salaries for upper secondary teachers aged 25-64 rank among the highest per hour of net teaching time across OECD and partner countries with available data. (82300 USD Equivalent, rank 9/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    After 15 years of experience, a pre-primary teacher with typical qualification can expect to have one of the lowest salaries among OECD and partner countries with available data. (46708 USD Equivalent, rank 27/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary female teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year women workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.05 Ratio, rank 7/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The ratio of lower secondary male teachers' salaries to earnings of full-time, full-year men workers with tertiary education is one of the highest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (0.82 Ratio, rank 8/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 25-34 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education are high in Finland. (0.97 Ratio, rank 8/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The salaries of 55-64 year-old general lower-secondary teachers relative to earnings for full-time, full-year similarly educated workers with tertiary education are high in Finland. (0.93 Ratio, rank 6/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teachers' salaries progression

    The salary progression from the start to the top of the salary scale for a lower secondary school teacher is among the smallest across OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.3 Ratio, rank 34/43 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The ratio of pre-primary teachers' salaries at the top of the scale to their starting salary is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (1.1 Ratio, rank 36/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In pre-primary education, the salary ratio of teachers with maximum qualifications at the top of the salary scale to those with minimum training and starting salaries is relatively low. (1.1 Ratio, rank 36/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Teacher shortages

    In Finland, the proportion of fully qualified teachers in primary and secondary schools is one of the smallest among OECD and participating countries. (87.1 %, rank 22/31 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of fully qualified primary and secondary teachers who left the profession is relatively high compared to other participating countries. (9.1 %, rank 5/24 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The gap in job satisfaction between teachers and other similarly educated employed adults aged 16-65 is especially wide in favor of teachers in Finland. (4.6 % points, rank 8/27 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Ratio of student to teaching staff

    The number of pupils per teacher in pre-primary schools is one of the lowest among OECD and partner countries with available data. (8.5 Ratio, rank 36/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the lower secondary level is especially low. (9.2 Ratio, rank 33/39 , 2024) Download Indicator

    The ratio of students to teaching staff at the upper secondary level is especially high. (17.4 Ratio, rank 7/42 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Organisation of the education system

    Classes are particularly small in lower secondary schools. (19 Students, rank 32/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Classes in lower secondary public institutions are comparatively small in Finland. (19 Students, rank 33/38 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, classes in lower secondary education are comparatively small. (19 Students, rank 32/37 , 2024) Download Indicator

    Employment and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (49.8 %, rank 33/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (67.4 %, rank 36/37 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively low in Finland. (40.5 %, rank 35/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (77.9 %, rank 28/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (64.2 %, rank 32/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 35-44 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (81.9 %, rank 27/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 35-44 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (70.8 %, rank 33/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 45-54 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low compared to other OECD and partner countries. (73.2 %, rank 34/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 35-44 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (51.3 %, rank 36/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Employment by gender and educational attainment

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old men without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (55.6 %, rank 36/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-64 year-old women without upper secondary education is comparatively low. (39.6 %, rank 30/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is comparatively low in Finland. (46.8 %, rank 36/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low in Finland. (77.7 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the employment rate among 25-34 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively low (80.3 %, rank 32/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of employed 25-64 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (60 %, rank 32/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of employed 25-64 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (72.5 %, rank 36/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of employed 25-64 year-old men with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low, compared to other OECD and partner countries with available data. (79.5 %, rank 30/32 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-old women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Finland. (56.1 %, rank 31/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Compared to other countries with available data, the employment rate of 25-34 year-old men with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is relatively low in Finland. (70.4 %, rank 31/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with below upper secondary education is comparatively high. (25.6 %, rank 3/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-olds with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is comparatively high. (11.3 %, rank 4/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds without upper secondary education is comparatively high. (19.5 %, rank 3/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with tertiary education is comparatively high. (4.8 %, rank 9/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (8.8 %, rank 4/33 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-64 year-olds with a general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education is high compared to other OECD and partner countries. (13.3 %, rank 1/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Unemployment by gender and educational attainment

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old men with below upper secondary education is comparatively high in Finland. (24.1 %, rank 4/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The unemployment rate among 25-34 year-old women with below upper secondary education is comparatively high in Finland. (28.6 %, rank 4/35 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity and educational attainment

    The inactivity rate of 25-34 years-old adults with below upper secondary education is high in Finland. (45.6 %, rank 5/39 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-olds with a bachelor's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (7.1 %, rank 33/38 , 2025) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the inactivity rate of 25-34 year-olds with a master's or equivalent tertiary education degree is one of the lowest among countries with available data. (3.9 %, rank 30/34 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Inactivity by gender and educational attainment

    In Finland, the inactivity rate of 25-64 year-old women with tertiary education is relatively low. (7.3 %, rank 36/40 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Earnings and skill level

    In Finland, the share of high earners aged 25-64 with low numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the Adult Skills Survey was among the smallest across countries with available data. (9.6 %, rank 25/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of high earners aged 25-64 with high numeracy, literacy and adaptive problem-solving skills in the Adult Skills Survey was among the smallest in Finland compared with other countries with available data. (53.1 %, rank 21/21 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Neither in education nor employed

    The share of women with general upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Finland is relatively low (13.6 %, rank 22/26 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women with vocational upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Finland is relatively low (12 %, rank 25/28 , 2025) Download Indicator

    The share of women with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary education neither in employment nor in education and training (25-29 year-olds) in Finland is relatively low. (12.5 %, rank 32/36 , 2025) Download Indicator

    Social outcomes

    In Finland, the share of employed men aged 25-64 with tertiary education reporting high or very high flexibility in their main job was among the highest across countries with available data. (73.8 %, rank 1/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of employed women aged 25-64 with tertiary education reporting high or very high flexibility in their main job was among the highest across countries with available data. (58.1 %, rank 1/30 , 2023) Download Indicator

    Among employed adults aged 25-64 with below upper secondary attainment, the share who sometimes or usually work from home in Finland was among the largest across countries with available data. (25.9 %, rank 3/29 , 2023) Download Indicator

    The share of employed adults aged 25-64 with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment who sometimes or usually work from home was among the highest in Finland compared with other countries with available data. (28.3 %, rank 8/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of employed adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment who sometimes or usually work from home was among the largest across countries with available data. (62.7 %, rank 4/32 , 2023) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of adults aged 25-64 with below upper secondary attainment who kept worrying about work when not working some or most of the time was among the largest across countries with available data. (45.3 %, rank 3/26 , 2024) Download Indicator

    In Finland, the share of adults aged 25-64 with tertiary attainment who kept worrying about work when not working some or most of the time was among the largest across countries with available data. (57.1 %, rank 6/26 , 2024) Download Indicator


    The data table will display up to six selected countries.
    General findings
    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Educational attainment remains at an all-time high in 2025 as more people obtain advanced qualifications. Across the OECD, 43% of working-age adults have a tertiary qualification, while the share of adults with upper secondary or post-secondary non-tertiary attainment is slightly lower at 39%.
    • On a similar note, the share of young adults without upper secondary attainment continues to decline across the OECD, standing at 12% in 2025. Therefore, while more young adults obtain a tertiary qualification, the share of individuals whose highest qualification is upper secondary with a vocational orientation is decreasing in almost all OECD countries. 
    • Regarding the share of young people being neither in employment nor in education or training, it stood at 14% as of 2025 across OECD countries. However, cross-country comparisons reveal a wide variety of trends, ranging from large falls in Croatia or Ireland to increases in Germany or Latvia.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Attainment | Education policies: Labour market outcomes | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Most children aged 3 to 5 are enrolled in early childhood education, with an average participation rate of 86% across the OECD in 2024. Participation in early childhood education increases with age and tends to be higher in countries with stronger institutional support for participation.
    • 76.2% of students complete upper secondary programmes within the theoretical programme duration. This rises to 84.9% with two additional years on average across the OECD.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Access and Participation  | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • In 2023, OECD countries allocated an average of 9.8% of total government expenditure to education, equivalent to 4.2% of GDP.
    • Total expenditure on education tends to rise with the level of education. In primary education, expenditure per student was USD 13 552 in 2023 on average across the OECD. This amount rises to USD 14 923 in secondary education and to USD 22 402 in tertiary education.
    • Tertiary education continues to expand, placing pressure on public budgets. Private sources represent a larger share of total funding at the tertiary level than at any other level of education. However, as a whole most investment in education comes from public sources. On average, across the OECD, government expenditure on primary to tertiary education corresponded to 4% of GDP in 2023, while private expenditure corresponded to 0.6%. Both of these figures are measured as initial source of funds, which implies that we are tracking the original provider.
    • Research and development represents around one-third of total expenditure across the OECD on tertiary educational institutions, underlining their dual role in both teaching and research. On average across the OECD, in 2023, USD 8 060 were invested annually into research and development for every student enrolled in tertiary education.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Finance and Funding | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • Compulsory teaching time averages 770 hours per year for primary students and 710 hours for lower secondary students (general programmes), a difference of about 60 hours annually.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Teachers’ statutory salaries increase with the level of education taught. On average, across OECD countries and economies, the salaries of teachers with the most prevalent qualifications with 15 years of experience range from USD 60 437 at pre-primary level to USD 68 928 at upper secondary level.
    • Teachers’ actual salaries at primary and general secondary levels of education are 87-95% of the average earnings of tertiary-educated workers across OECD countries. School heads' actual salaries are usually higher than those of tertiary-educated workers.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Learning environment | OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey (TALIS)  | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            

    
                        
    
                            
    
                                
    • On average across OECD countries, 9.1% of teachers in primary and secondary education are non-fully qualified, with shares exceeding 18% in Chile, Denmark, Estonia and Germany.
    • Furthermore, the share of fully qualified teachers leaving the profession in primary and secondary schools stands at 6.4% of the total teaching workforce.
    • The ratio of children to teachers in primary education has slightly fallen across most OECD countries, decreasing from an average of 15 children per teacher in 2015 to 14 in 2024.
    • Regarding job satisfaction among teachers, participating countries show wide differences. Japan, Spain and Czechia reported that teachers tend to be much more satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults. On the other hand, teachers in Hungary, Chile or Latvia tend to be less satisfied with their jobs than other employed adults.
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                | Education policies: Teachers | Education policies: Teacher working conditions | Education policies: Teacher employment | 
    
                            
    
                                Visualisations
    
                            

                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                    
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                            
    
                                Click the arrow sign next to the title:
                                    arrows
                                    to display other variables
                                
    
                                
                                    
                                
    
                            
    
                    
            
                
    
            
    
        
    
        
    
            
        
    
        
    
            
        
    

        
        
		
        
		
    
			
    
				Key
            
    
            Diagram of funding flows - Finland
            
    
            
    
        
    


        
		
    
            
    
			Click on the coverpage to see the full OECD iLibrary version
			
    
				Key
            
    
            Country Reviews for Finland
            
    
            
    
			
    
        
    
		
              
              
              
              
              
              
              
        
    
            Note: These values should be interpreted with care since they are influenced by countries' specific contexts and trade-offs. In education, there is often no simple
            most- or least-efficient model. For instance, the share of private expenditure in education must be read against other measures designed to mitigate inequities, 
			such as loans and grants; longer learning time is an opportunity to convey more and better content to students, but may hinder investments in other important
            areas. If you want further information on the nature of different variables, please take the time to read the analysis and contextual information, available at the website
            for each publication.
    
            All rankings for individual variables are compiled on the basis of OECD and G20 countries for which data are available. The OECD average includes only OECD countries which are listed here: https://www.oecd.org/en/about/members-partners.html
            

    
			
            Reference years displayed in the Education GPS correspond to the most common year of reference among countries for which data is available on each variable. Data for the latest available year is preferred and some 
			countries may have provided data refering to a more recent or late year. 
			However, OECD averages from Education at a Glance coming from the OECD database are the averages for the indicator reference year appearing in the Education GPS and may differ from averages in the book where averages can include data from multiple reference years, based on countries' data availability.
			

    
			To know more about possible exceptions on data please click on the "Download Indicator" link on each variable. When a year of reference corresponds to a school year encompassing two years, the reference reads as follows: 2026 for school year 2025/2026 in the Northern Hemisphere.
			

    
	    *TALIS averages are based on all countries participating in the TALIS survey, including partner countries and economies. 
		This explains the difference between the OECD average and the TALIS averages.
		Data from the TALIS survey and Education at a Glance (EAG) may differ. See Annex E of the TALIS technical report and 
		Sources Methodologies and Technical Notes 
		of EAG 2025 for more details about the data collections.
		

    
        For additional notes, please refer to annexes in the list of links below the introductory country profile text.