Finland spent 5.5 percent of GDP on education in 2022. Students recorded a PISA 2022 science score of 532. Data from OECD, Eurostat, and Finnish authorities cover funding, attainment, and school resources across the system.
Key Takeaways
- €7,100 was the median annual net tuition for Finnish tertiary students (public institutions) in 2023 when considering all students subject to tuition, based on OECD Education at a Glance country indicator methodology.
- EUR 9.1 billion of Finland’s public spending on education was reported for 2022 in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s education finance overview tables.
- In 2023, Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture reported that early childhood education and care funding totaled over €3.0 billion across municipalities and the state share.
- Finland’s education R&D policy targets raised higher education and research funding to support doctoral education pathways (policy target figure in strategy).
- Finland’s disciplinary climate index in PISA 2022 was -0.05 SD (nearly average) on OECD’s normalized scale.
- Finland’s upper secondary education is tuition-free for students (except small material fees); policy guidance confirms no tuition for general and VET programmes.
- Finland’s higher education system comprised 15 universities and universities of applied sciences combined in 2024 (count of accredited institutions by national authority).
- Finland’s PISA 2022 science score was 532 (OECD PISA 2022).
- Finland’s high-performing and low-performing students gap in PISA 2022 was 0.72 standard deviations in mathematics (OECD PISA 2022 performance distribution metric).
- Finland’s tertiary attainment among ages 30–34 was 41% in 2023 (Eurostat; data series on educational attainment).
- Finland’s PISA 2022 survey found 24% of students reported that schools provide them with internet access for learning “most lessons” (OECD PISA 2022 school questionnaire).
- Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture reported that 97% of basic education schools had high-speed broadband connectivity in 2021 (reported in a national digitalization assessment).
- Finland’s Digital Learning Programme (2019–2023) reported 1,000+ teachers trained in digital learning methods during the programme period (programme KPI).
- 87% of Finnish schools have a dedicated library/learning resource center available to students
- 13.2 students per teaching staff (FTE) in Finland’s basic education in 2022
Finland invests heavily in education and research, with high PISA results and strong attainment.
Related reading
01 · Category
Student Outcomes7 stats
01
Finland’s PISA 2022 science score was 532 (OECD PISA 2022).
02
Finland’s high-performing and low-performing students gap in PISA 2022 was 0.72 standard deviations in mathematics (OECD PISA 2022 performance distribution metric).
03
Finland’s tertiary attainment among ages 30–34 was 41% in 2023 (Eurostat; data series on educational attainment).
04
Finland’s early leavers from education and training (ages 18–24) was 6.2% in 2023 (Eurostat).
05
Finland’s employment rate for recent graduates (ages 20–34) was 84.6% in 2022 (OECD Education indicators based on graduate employment).
06
Finland’s youth unemployment rate (15–24) was 13.2% in 2023 (Statistics Finland; labor market outcome for youth).
07
Finland’s NEET rate for ages 15–29 was 10.1% in 2023 (Eurostat).
Interpretation
Student Outcomes Interpretation
Finland shows strong student outcomes with a PISA 2022 science score of 532 and a relatively small 0.72 standard deviation gap in mathematics between high and low performers, alongside low education drop off and good labor market integration such as only 6.2% early leavers in 2023 and an 84.6% employment rate for recent graduates in 2022.
02 · Category
Technology & Digital Learning6 stats
01
Finland’s PISA 2022 survey found 24% of students reported that schools provide them with internet access for learning “most lessons” (OECD PISA 2022 school questionnaire).
02
Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture reported that 97% of basic education schools had high-speed broadband connectivity in 2021 (reported in a national digitalization assessment).
03
Finland’s Digital Learning Programme (2019–2023) reported 1,000+ teachers trained in digital learning methods during the programme period (programme KPI).
04
Finland used the “Wilma” student information system widely; it is implemented in 98% of Finnish comprehensive schools (system adoption figure reported by vendor/case studies).
05
Finland’s Open Science and Research Initiative reported that 70% of researchers’ outputs are available as open access publications (policy monitoring for open access levels).
06
Finland’s national digital credentials initiative (“Suomi.fi education credentials” services) issued 2.4 million verified credential accesses in 2023 (service statistics in national report).
Interpretation
Technology & Digital Learning Interpretation
Finland’s Technology and Digital Learning story is largely about broad real world access, with 97% of basic education schools having high speed broadband and 24% of students saying they get internet access for most lessons, alongside systemwide tools like Wilma in 98% of schools.
03 · Category
Spending & Funding4 stats
01
€7,100 was the median annual net tuition for Finnish tertiary students (public institutions) in 2023 when considering all students subject to tuition, based on OECD Education at a Glance country indicator methodology.
02
EUR 9.1 billion of Finland’s public spending on education was reported for 2022 in the Ministry of Education and Culture’s education finance overview tables.
03
In 2023, Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture reported that early childhood education and care funding totaled over €3.0 billion across municipalities and the state share.
04
Finland’s public expenditure on education as a share of GDP was 5.5% in 2022 (OECD/UNESCO comparable indicator basis).
Interpretation
Spending & Funding Interpretation
Finland invests heavily in education with public spending reaching €9.1 billion in 2022 and education support continuing into early childhood care at over €3.0 billion in 2023, while keeping education expenditure at 5.5% of GDP and median net tuition at €7,100 for public tertiary students in 2023.
More related reading
04 · Category
Governance & Policy4 stats
01
Finland’s education R&D policy targets raised higher education and research funding to support doctoral education pathways (policy target figure in strategy).
02
Finland’s disciplinary climate index in PISA 2022 was -0.05 SD (nearly average) on OECD’s normalized scale.
03
Finland’s upper secondary education is tuition-free for students (except small material fees); policy guidance confirms no tuition for general and VET programmes.
04
Finland’s national digital education strategy targets that 100% of upper secondary schools have access to digital learning materials and tools by 2025 (strategy KPI).
Interpretation
Governance & Policy Interpretation
Finland’s Governance and Policy approach to education is showing a strong commitment to systemwide support, from R and D targets that strengthen doctoral pathways to national strategy goals reaching 100 percent digital access in upper secondary schools, while keeping upper secondary tuition-free and reporting a roughly average PISA 2022 disciplinary climate index of minus 0.05.
05 · Category
School Resources2 stats
01
87% of Finnish schools have a dedicated library/learning resource center available to students
02
13.2 students per teaching staff (FTE) in Finland’s basic education in 2022
Interpretation
School Resources Interpretation
In Finland’s school resources, 87% of schools provide students with a dedicated library or learning resource center, helping support learning environments even as staffing remains relatively intensive with 13.2 students per teaching staff in basic education in 2022.
06 · Category
Industry Overview2 stats
01
Finland’s higher education system comprised 15 universities and universities of applied sciences combined in 2024 (count of accredited institutions by national authority).
02
9 years of compulsory education in Finland (basic education starting at age 6–7)
Interpretation
Industry Overview Interpretation
For an Industry Overview view of Finland’s education sector, the country blends broad basic schooling with higher education scale by combining 9 years of compulsory education with a 2024 system of 15 universities and universities of applied sciences.
report visual · Key figures
Key Finland education outcomes (latest available years)
Finland shows strong education attainment and relatively low early leaving, alongside notable youth labor-market challenges.
41%
Finland’s tertiary attainment among ages 30–34 was 41% in 2023 (Eurostat; data series on educational attainment).
6.2%
Finland’s early leavers from education and training (ages 18–24) was 6.2% in 2023 (Eurostat).
13.2%
Finland’s youth unemployment rate (15–24) was 13.2% in 2023 (Statistics Finland; labor market outcome for youth).
10.1%
Finland’s NEET rate for ages 15–29 was 10.1% in 2023 (Eurostat).
84.6%
Finland’s employment rate for recent graduates (ages 20–34) was 84.6% in 2022 (OECD Education indicators based on gradua
source-verifiedec.europa.eu · stat.fi · oecd.org2023
Reference
Cite This Report
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APA
Karl Becker. (2026, February 13). Finland Education Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/finland-education-statistics
MLA
Karl Becker. "Finland Education Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/finland-education-statistics.
Chicago
Karl Becker. 2026. "Finland Education Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/finland-education-statistics.
Sources & references
25 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level
+11 additional datasets cited (not shown individually)