Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Finland
Finland: Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education was 78.6% in 2022. ▼ Falling
Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Finland, 2000–2022
Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.
Analysis
In 2022, share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Finland stood at 78.6%. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.
The figure is down 11.4% over ten years.
Over the whole period, share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Finland peaked at 95.2% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 78.6%, in 2022.
That places Finland 16th out of 59 countries with data for 2022, putting it in the middle of the range.
Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Finland, year by year
| Year | % | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 2000 | 93.1% | — |
| 2003 | 94.3% | +1.3% |
| 2006 | 95.2% | +0.9% |
| 2009 | 91.9% | -3.5% |
| 2012 | 88.7% | -3.5% |
| 2015 | 88.9% | +0.3% |
| 2018 | 86.5% | -2.8% |
| 2022 | 78.6% | -9.1% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2000s | 93.6% | 91.9% | 95.2% | 4 |
| 2010s | 88.0% | 86.5% | 88.9% | 3 |
| 2020s | 78.6% | 78.6% | 78.6% | 1 |
Countries ranked near Finland
More education data for Finland
- 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)
- Secondary education, duration (years), annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), gaps filled 360,117 (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), annual growth -1.29 % change on previous year (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per unit of GDP 0 units per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, both sexes (number), per capita 0.0641 units per person (2024)
- Enrolment in primary education, female (number), gaps filled 176,004 (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Finland?
- Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education in Finland was 78.6% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 95.2% in 2006.
- What is the lowest share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 78.6% in 2022.
- How does Finland rank for share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education?
- Finland ranks 16th out of 59 countries with data for 2022.
- Is share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 11.4%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Finland data come from?
- The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of students achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Share of students who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data includes only students enrolled in school.