Finland vs Sweden: Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education
Finland
24.6%
in 2023
Sweden
25.1%
in 2021
Finland rank
20th
Sweden rank
19th
Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education over time
- Finland
- Sweden
How they compare
Sweden currently reports 25.1% against 24.6% in Finland, a difference of 0.5%.
The two have swapped places 8 times across 23 shared years of data; in 1998 it was Sweden ahead.
Finland ranks 20th and Sweden ranks 19th of 95 countries.
Across the 4 decades both report, Finland averaged higher in 1 and Sweden in 3.
Head to head by decade
| Decade | Finland | Sweden | Difference | Ahead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990s | 19.1% | 19.6% | 0.5% | Sweden |
| 2000s | 19.4% | 19.2% | 0.2% | Finland |
| 2010s | 18.8% | 21.4% | 2.6% | Sweden |
| 2020s | 23.6% | 24.6% | 1.0% | Sweden |
Averages of every year both report within each decade.
Frequently asked questions
- Which has higher educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education, Finland or Sweden?
- Sweden, at 25.1% against 24.6% in Finland as of 2021.
- What is the difference in educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education between Finland and Sweden?
- 0.5%, with Sweden ahead.
- How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Sweden?
- 23 years are reported by both, from 1998 to 2021.
- How do Finland and Sweden rank globally for educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education?
- Finland ranks 20th and Sweden ranks 19th of 95 countries.
- Where does this data come from?
- UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as Educational attainment rate, completed short-cycle tertiary education or higher, population 25+ years, rural, male (%). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.
Individual pages
About this data
February 2026 Data Release