Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Finland
Finland: Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years was 12.87 in 2021. ▲ Rising
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Finland, 1985–2021
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
Analysis
In 2021, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Finland stood at 12.87. That is the highest value across all 17 years on record.
The figure is up 1.4% on the previous year and up 4.2% over ten years.
Over the whole period, mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Finland peaked at 12.87 in 2021 and was at its lowest, 9.07, in 1985.
That places Finland 15th out of 121 countries with data for 2021, putting it in the top quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 17 years of available data.
Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Finland, year by year
| Year | Value | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1985 | 9.07 | — |
| 1990 | 9.42 | +3.8% |
| 2003 | 12.08 | +28.2% |
| 2005 | 12.15 | +0.6% |
| 2006 | 12.19 | +0.3% |
| 2007 | 12.22 | +0.3% |
| 2008 | 12.26 | +0.3% |
| 2009 | 12.29 | +0.3% |
| 2010 | 12.33 | +0.3% |
| 2011 | 12.36 | +0.2% |
| 2012 | 12.38 | +0.2% |
| 2013 | 12.43 | +0.4% |
| 2014 | 12.47 | +0.3% |
| 2015 | 12.49 | +0.2% |
| 2017 | 12.58 | +0.7% |
| 2019 | 12.69 | +0.9% |
| 2021 | 12.87 | +1.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1980s | 9.07 | 9.07 | 9.07 | 1 |
| 1990s | 9.42 | 9.42 | 9.42 | 1 |
| 2000s | 12.2 | 12.08 | 12.29 | 6 |
| 2010s | 12.47 | 12.33 | 12.69 | 8 |
| 2020s | 12.87 | 12.87 | 12.87 | 1 |
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 mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Finland?
- Mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years in Finland was 12.87 in 2021, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics.
- What is the highest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 12.87 in 2021.
- What is the lowest mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 9.07 in 1985.
- How does Finland rank for mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years?
- Finland ranks 15th out of 121 countries with data for 2021.
- Is mean years of schooling (isced 1 or higher), population 25+ years rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 4.2%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Finland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics, published as part of Mean years of schooling (ISCED 1 or higher), population 25+ years, male. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
February 2026 Data Release