Expenditure on tertiary education in Finland
Finland: Expenditure on tertiary education was 26.5% in 2016. ▲ Rising
Expenditure on tertiary education in Finland, 1970–2016
Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % of government expenditure on education.
Analysis
Finland recorded 26.5% for expenditure on tertiary education in 2016.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 0.6% on the previous year and down 16.1% over ten years.
Over the whole period, expenditure on tertiary education in Finland peaked at 34.0% in 2000 and was at its lowest, 11.1%, in 1971.
Finland ranks 34th of 160 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 43 years of available data.
Expenditure on tertiary education in Finland, year by year
| Year | % of government expenditure on education | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 11.1% | — |
| 1971 | 11.1% | -0.2% |
| 1972 | 12.9% | +16.0% |
| 1973 | 13.6% | +5.9% |
| 1974 | 15.2% | +11.8% |
| 1975 | 15.5% | +1.8% |
| 1976 | 15.5% | +0.2% |
| 1979 | 21.2% | +36.3% |
| 1980 | 21.1% | -0.4% |
| 1981 | 21.1% | +0.0% |
| 1982 | 20.9% | -0.7% |
| 1983 | 20.2% | -3.4% |
| 1984 | 20.6% | +1.8% |
| 1985 | 21.0% | +2.1% |
| 1986 | 19.9% | -5.2% |
| 1987 | 21.3% | +6.8% |
| 1988 | 22.7% | +6.7% |
| 1989 | 23.8% | +4.8% |
| 1990 | 25.4% | +6.6% |
| 1991 | 28.3% | +11.4% |
| 1992 | 30.0% | +5.9% |
| 1993 | 28.2% | -5.8% |
| 1994 | 25.7% | -8.8% |
| 1995 | 28.4% | +10.4% |
| 1996 | 28.3% | -0.3% |
| 1999 | 33.8% | +19.4% |
| 2000 | 34.0% | +0.6% |
| 2001 | 32.9% | -3.2% |
| 2002 | 32.5% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 32.0% | -1.4% |
| 2004 | 32.2% | +0.5% |
| 2005 | 31.8% | -1.2% |
| 2006 | 31.7% | -0.5% |
| 2007 | 31.4% | -0.9% |
| 2008 | 31.0% | -1.1% |
| 2009 | 31.7% | +2.4% |
| 2010 | 31.8% | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 32.0% | +0.6% |
| 2012 | 28.6% | -10.8% |
| 2013 | 28.0% | -1.8% |
| 2014 | 27.9% | -0.5% |
| 2015 | 26.7% | -4.4% |
| 2016 | 26.5% | -0.6% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 14.5% | 11.1% | 21.2% | 8 |
| 1980s | 21.3% | 19.9% | 23.8% | 10 |
| 1990s | 28.5% | 25.4% | 33.8% | 8 |
| 2000s | 32.1% | 31.0% | 34.0% | 10 |
| 2010s | 28.8% | 26.5% | 32.0% | 7 |
Countries ranked near Finland
More education data for Finland
- Teachers in secondary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 42,938 (2024)
- Repeaters in primary education, all grades, both sexes (number), gaps 1,144 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, male (number), gaps filled 94,036 (2024)
- Enrolment in pre-primary education, female (number), gaps filled 89,318 (2024)
- Secondary education, pupils, gaps filled 543,350 (2024)
- Primary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Primary education, pupils, gaps filled 360,117 (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, annual growth rate -1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Primary education, pupils, per capita 0.0641 units per person (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is expenditure on tertiary education in Finland?
- Expenditure on tertiary education in Finland was 26.5% in 2016, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
- What is the highest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 34.0% in 2000.
- What is the lowest expenditure on tertiary education recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 11.1% in 1971.
- How does Finland rank for expenditure on tertiary education?
- Finland ranks 34th out of 160 countries with data for 2016.
- Is expenditure on tertiary education rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 16.1%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Finland data come from?
- The figures come from Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO), published as part of Expenditure on tertiary education (% of government expenditure on education). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
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.