FACTS ABOUT FINNISH EDUCATION

Facts about Finnish Education 

In multicultural working places, it is good to understand that the educational background can vary a lot depending on where one comes from.  All employees should be respected and offered the same opportunities to show their skills. 

Here are some facts about education in Finland based on international statistics. We are living in a very stable and well organized society. We don´t have much to complain about but more to be grateful for. Life-long learning is well organized in Finland and it´s fair to tell about the continuous learning opportunities available, also for foreigners.  

A well-educated and well-trained population is essential for a country's social and economic well-being. Education plays a key role in providing individuals with the knowledge, skills and competencies needed to participate effectively in society and in the economy. Most concretely, having a good education greatly improves the likelihood of finding a job and earning enough money. Finns can expect to go through close to 19.8 years of education between the ages of 5 and 39, more than the OECD average of 17 years and one of the highest levels in the OECD. 

Finland performs well in many measures of well-being relative to most other countries. Finland ranks at the top in education and skills, and above average for the other dimensions: income and wealth, jobs and earnings, health status, civic engagement, environmental quality, subjective well-being, personal security, social connections, housing and work-life balance. These rankings are based on available selected data. 

In terms of employment, 69% of people aged 15 to 64 in Finland have a paid job, above the OECD employment average of 67%. Some 71% of men are in paid work, compared with 68% of women. In Finland, about 4% of employees work very long hours, which is much less than the OECD average of 13%.

Having a job brings many important benefits, including providing a source of income, improving social inclusion, fulfilling one's own aspirations, building self-esteem and developing skills and competencies. 

Good education and skills are important requisites for finding a job – and are highly valued in Finnish society. In Finland, 88% of adults aged 25-64 have completed upper secondary education, higher than the OECD average of 74%. This is truer of women than men, as 85% of men have successfully completed high-school compared with 91% of women. Finland is a top-performing country in terms of the quality of its educational system. The average student scored 523 in reading literacy, maths and science in the OECD's Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA). This score is much higher than the OECD average of 486.

Please read more about Finnish Education here: Finnish National Agency for Education