Educational structure of population

Updated: 4.12.2012 - Next update: 4.12.2013

Educational qualifications highest among persons aged 35 to 44 in 2011

By the end of 2011, a total of 3,056,000 persons in Finland had attained post-comprehensive level educational qualifications in upper secondary general school education, vocational education, polytechnic education or university education. In other words, 68 per cent of the population aged 15 or over had completed a post-comprehensive level qualification. The share of population with educational qualifications increased by two per cent from the year before.

In 2011, the shares of those having attained post-comprehensive school qualifications were almost equal in three age groups, those aged 25 to 34, 35 to 44 and 45 to 54, that is, 84 to 86 per cent. In 1970 and 1990 the shares of those having completed the basic level of education were highest in the age group of those aged 25 to 34, clearly more than among those aged 35 to 44 and 45 to 54.

Persons having completed only the basic level of education, i.e. comprehensive school, middle school or elementary school, numbered 1,456,000 in 2011, or one-third of the population aged 15 or over. Upper secondary level qualifications were held by 40 per cent and tertiary level qualifications by 28 per cent. At the end of 2011, 42 per cent of men and 37 per cent of women had upper secondary level qualifications, whereas tertiary degrees were held by 25 per cent of men and 31 per cent of women.

In 2011, the share of persons with an educational qualification in the population aged 15 or over was the highest in Kauniainen, at 80 per cent. Kivijärvi had the lowest share of 48 per cent. Municipalities have been compared according to the municipal division valid on 1 January 2012.

Statistical release

Source:
Statistics Finland / Educational structure of population

Description of indicator

The statistics on the educational structure of the population describe the post-comprehensive school educational qualifications and degrees attained by the population aged 15 and over. One qualification or degree per person is included in statistics: vocational qualification attained at the highest level of education/most recently attained.