Which has higher expenditure on tertiary education, Finland or Small states?

Finland, at 26.5% against 13.3% in Small states as of 2016.

How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Small states?

21 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2014.

Where does this data come from?

Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

Finland vs Small states: Expenditure on tertiary education

Finland

26.5%

in 2016

Small states

13.3%

in 2014

Finland rank

34th

Small states rank

36th

Expenditure on tertiary education over time

Finland
Small states

How they compare

Finland currently reports 26.5% against 13.3% in Small states, a difference of 13.2%.

That makes Finland's figure about 2.0 times Small states's.

Across all 21 years both countries report, Finland has been ahead every year.

Finland ranks 34th and Small states ranks 36th of 160 countries.

Finland has averaged higher in every one of the 4 decades both report.

Head to head by decade

Decade	Finland	Small states	Difference	Ahead
1980s	21.3%	13.2%	8.1%	Finland
1990s	29.6%	16.9%	12.7%	Finland
2000s	32.0%	20.4%	11.6%	Finland
2010s	29.7%	15.8%	13.8%	Finland

Averages of every year both report within each decade.

Frequently asked questions

Which has higher expenditure on tertiary education, Finland or Small states?: Finland, at 26.5% against 13.3% in Small states as of 2016.
What is the difference in expenditure on tertiary education between Finland and Small states?: 13.2%, with Finland ahead.
How many years of comparable data are there for Finland and Small states?: 21 years are reported by both, from 1980 to 2014.
How do Finland and Small states rank globally for expenditure on tertiary education?: Finland ranks 34th and Small states ranks 36th of 160 countries.
Where does this data come from?: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid refreshes it automatically from the source and publishes the full history for both places.

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Finland vs Small states: Expenditure on tertiary education. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 13 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/compare/expenditure-on-tertiary-education-percent-of-government-expenditure-on-education/finland/small-states/

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<a href="https://education.statizoid.com/compare/expenditure-on-tertiary-education-percent-of-government-expenditure-on-education/finland/small-states/">Finland vs Small states: Expenditure on tertiary education</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator: Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education)
Unit: % of government expenditure on education
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage: 197 places, 3,723 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed: 03 September 2026

Expenditure on tertiary education is expressed as a percentage of total general government expenditure on education. General government usually refers to local, regional and central governments.