School enrollment, primary in Finland

Finland: School enrollment, primary was 98.6% in 2017. ▲ Rising

Latest (2017)
98.6%
Change on year
down 0.4%
World rank
20th
of 186 countries
All-time high
99.8%
in 1999
All-time low
81.1%
in 1972
Years of data
27
1972–2017

School enrollment, primary in Finland, 1972–2017

0204060801001972199420171972: 81.1 % net1979: 97 % net1993: 98.8 % net1994: 98.6 % net1995: 98.3 % net1996: 98.4 % net1997: 98.7 % net1998: 99.4 % net1999: 99.8 % net2000: 99.7 % net2001: 99.6 % net2002: 99.3 % net2003: 98.5 % net2004: 97.6 % net2005: 97.2 % net2006: 96.7 % net2007: 97.3 % net2008: 97.7 % net2009: 97.9 % net2010: 98.2 % net2011: 98.5 % net2012: 99 % net2013: 99 % net2014: 99.4 % net2015: 99.1 % net2016: 99.1 % net2017: 98.6 % net

Source: Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Measured in % net.

Analysis

In 2017, school enrollment, primary in Finland stood at 98.6%.

The figure is down 0.4% on the previous year and up 1.4% over ten years.

Over the whole period, school enrollment, primary in Finland peaked at 99.8% in 1999 and was at its lowest, 81.1%, in 1972.

That places Finland 20th out of 186 countries with data for 2017, putting it in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 27 years of available data.

School enrollment, primary in Finland, year by year

Annual values for School enrollment, primary (% net) in Finland, 1972 to 2017.
Year % net Change
1972 81.1% —
1979 97.0% +19.6%
1993 98.8% +1.8%
1994 98.6% -0.1%
1995 98.3% -0.3%
1996 98.4% +0.1%
1997 98.7% +0.4%
1998 99.4% +0.7%
1999 99.8% +0.4%
2000 99.7% -0.1%
2001 99.6% -0.1%
2002 99.3% -0.4%
2003 98.5% -0.7%
2004 97.6% -1.0%
2005 97.2% -0.4%
2006 96.7% -0.5%
2007 97.3% +0.6%
2008 97.7% +0.5%
2009 97.9% +0.2%
2010 98.2% +0.3%
2011 98.5% +0.3%
2012 99.0% +0.5%
2013 99.0% +0.0%
2014 99.4% +0.3%
2015 99.1% -0.2%
2016 99.1% -0.1%
2017 98.6% -0.4%

Finland compared with similar countries

  • Finland's 98.6% is above the median for high income countries, which is 95.7%, 1.0× the median. (67 countries reporting)
  • Finland's 98.6% is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 95.0%, 1.0× the median. (49 countries reporting)

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1970s 89.1% 81.1% 97.0% 2
1990s 98.9% 98.3% 99.8% 7
2000s 98.1% 96.7% 99.7% 10
2010s 98.9% 98.2% 99.4% 8

Countries ranked near Finland

  1. 17 France 98.9% compare
  2. 18 Belgium 98.8% compare
  3. 19 Netherlands 98.6% compare
  4. 21 Denmark 98.5% compare
  5. 22 Tajikistan 98.3% compare
  6. 23 Slovenia 98.3% compare

See the full ranking of 229 places →

More education data for Finland

All data for Finland →

Frequently asked questions

What is school enrollment, primary in Finland?
School enrollment, primary in Finland was 98.6% in 2017, according to Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
What is the highest school enrollment, primary recorded in Finland?
The highest recorded value was 99.8% in 1999.
What is the lowest school enrollment, primary recorded in Finland?
The lowest recorded value was 81.1% in 1972.
How does Finland rank for school enrollment, primary?
Finland ranks 20th out of 186 countries with data for 2017.
Is school enrollment, primary rising or falling in Finland?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.4%. 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 School enrollment, primary (% net). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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School enrollment, primary in Finland. Statizoid, drawing on Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). Retrieved 27 September 2026, from https://education.statizoid.com/stat/school-enrollment-primary-percent-net/finland/

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About this data

Indicator
School enrollment, primary (% net)
Unit
% net
Source
Stat Bulk Data Download Service, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (World Bank Open Data)
Coverage
229 places, 6,046 data points, 1970–2019
Last refreshed

Net enrollment rate is the ratio of children of official school age who are enrolled in school to the population of the corresponding official school age. Primary education provides children with basic reading, writing, and mathematics skills along with an elementary understanding of such subjects as history, geography, natural science, social science, art, and music.