Country report

1. STEM education

Science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) enrolment at tertiary level in Finland is among the highest in the EU. In 2023, 35.3% of higher education students were enrolled in STEM fields, well above the EU average of 26.9% and the proposed EU 2030 target of 32%, placing Finland second among EU countries for tertiary STEM enrolment. Within STEM, more students opted for ICT than in the EU on average (31.7% v 20.3%). At doctoral level, 37.1% of PhD candidates were enrolled in STEM fields in 2023. The share of ICT PhD students was 7.8%, well above both the EU average of 3.8%, and the proposed EU target of 5%. However, further efforts are needed to boost STEM in vocational education and training (VET) as only 31.7% of students enrolled in medium-level VET in 2023 were in STEM fields, which is below the EU average of 36.3%.

Despite Finland’s strong STEM enrolment rates, concerns remain about meeting future labour market needs. Over the next decade, the industry association Technology Industries of Finland anticipates needing 130 000 new skilled workers, with 60% from higher education and 40% from vocational training (Teknologiateollisuus, 2024a). In 2025, Finland received a country-specific recommendation from the Council of the EU to ‘strengthen active labour market policies for all and address skills shortages by reskilling and upskilling the workforce and widening the higher education offer, in particular for the skills most in demand in the labour market’ (Council of the EU, 2025).

Finland is strengthening STEM education through a coordinated national STEM strategy and action plan. The Ministry of Education and Culture’s LUMA strategy 2030, adopted in 2021, outlines a vision for 2030 to make STEM studies and careers attractive, particularly for girls and women. It provides a national framework for enhancing science and mathematics competences across all education levels, aiming to support socially, ecologically and economically sustainable wellbeing and growth (MINEDU, 2024a, 2024b). In the VET sector, the strategy aims to facilitate the teaching of mathematics, natural sciences and technology alongside the sectoral nature of teaching and links with working life. LUMA Centre Finland, a national network of 13 universities, promotes these goals through teacher training, developing learning materials, and national and international collaboration (Aksela et al., 2020). The strategy also calls for improving the supply of qualified STEM teachers.

Women remain under-represented in STEM fields in Finland, although participation is gradually increasing. Although Finnish girls excel academically, outperforming boys in maths and science according to the OECD Programme for International Student Assessment (PISA) 2022, their interest in STEM careers is low. In 2023, women made up 29.3% of STEM tertiary students (24.4% in 2015), below the EU average of 32.2% and the proposed 2030 EU target of 40%. Among female STEM students, natural sciences were the most popular field (55.8% of them chose this field), followed by ICT (25.5%) and engineering (25.1%). At doctoral level, 29.4% of ICT PhD candidates were women (EU 24.3%), below the proposed EU 2030 target of 33%. In vocational education, among pupils enrolled in medium-level VET STEM fields in 2023, just under one in four was female (23.0%) This exceeds the EU average of 15.4% and is near the proposed EU-level target of at least 25% by 2030.

Finland is taking measures to boost women’s participation in STEM. Finland has launched several initiatives. One example is Shaking up Tech, a government-supported one-day event that encourages female upper secondary school students to pursue technology studies through inspirational talks, hands-on workshops and university fairs. Finland also participates in the L’Oréal-UNESCO For Women in Science programme, awarding biennial scholarships of up to EUR 15 000 to support female researchers. Women in Tech Finland also fosters women’s careers in technology through mentorship, training and awareness campaigns.

2. Early childhood education and care

Finland has recorded a steady increase in participation in ECEC but remains below the EU average. In 2023, the ECEC rate for children aged three up to compulsory schooling age reached 91.1%, which is below the EU average (94.6%) and the 2030 EU-level target of 96%. Since 2015, the participation rate has increased by 11.3 percentage points (pps) (Figure 2). Participation in ECEC is more common as children get older. In 2023, 93.8% of children aged five and six, 90% of children aged four, and 86.1% of children aged three were in ECEC. Finland has reached the Barcelona target for children below three. Participation in ECEC among children below three has increased sharply (by 4.3 pps) since 2023, reaching 48.2% in 2024, and surpassing the Barcelona target of 45%. The participation rate has increased by 17.9 pps since 2015, more than the EU average (9.4 pps). In response to participation challenges, Finland launched a 2021-2024 pilot for a two-year pre-primary education, extending the existing programme for six-years-olds also to five-year-olds, creating a two-year compulsory ECEC programme (MINEDU, n.d.-a; MINEDU, 2021). Under the ECEC voucher system the government continues to contribute to childcares fees for families who choose registered private ECEC providers for their children aged 0-6 (MINEDU, 2025a).

Finland is set to increase qualification requirements for the ECEC workforce by 2030. As of 2030, at least two thirds of ECEC staff in early education centres must be qualified ECEC teachers or social pedagogues specialised in ECEC with ISCED 6 qualifications, where at least half of this staff must be qualified ECEC teachers. Other staff members must at least be qualified as ECEC childcarers (European Commission / EACEA / Eurydice, 2025). To address the shortage of early education teachers, the Finnish Ministry of Education and Culture has launched an initiative to better integrate work and study, proposing a EUR 10 million investment for a pilot project for 2025-2026 to support workforce availability in sectors with labour shortages, including ECEC (MINEDU, 2024d).

Finland aims to improve the inclusion of migrant children in ECEC. The importance of increasing participation in ECEC among children with an immigrant background has come into focus following findings on the low reading skills of second-generation immigrant-background students, especially boys, as shown by PISA 2022 (MINEDU, 2024c; OECD, 2023). In 2024, the ECEC participation rate for children below three at risk of poverty or social exclusion was 41.4% and is 8.5 pps lower than for children not at risk (49.9%).

New analysis outlines areas of development to increase the inclusiveness of Finland’s ECEC system. Under the project supported by the European Commission’s Technical Support Instrument to increase the inclusiveness of Finland’s ECEC system, an analysis of the legal framework was conducted (European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education, 2024). The proposed actions to address the challenges identified include re-allocating resources to support further inclusion and equity, strengthening multi-professional and cross-sectoral collaboration to provide consistent support services for children with diverse needs, and incorporating inclusive education principles into teacher training programmes. Additionally, the analysis emphasises the importance of establishing robust monitoring and evaluation mechanisms to track the progress of inclusive practices. It also calls for promoting a culture of inclusion within ECEC settings by raising awareness and equipping educators and families with the necessary resources.

3. School education and basic skills

To address the decline in basic skills, Finnish education authorities have increased the number of weekly instructional hours dedicated to teaching literacy and numeracy. According to the PISA 2022 survey, the Finnish students’ basic skills have been declining over the past decade, although they remain above the EU average (OECD, 2023). Since 2012, the proportion of students underachieving in mathematics has increased by 12.6 pps (EU by 7.3 pps), in reading by 10.1 pps (EU by 8.2 pps), and in science by 10.6 pps (EU by 7.4 pps). To address the decline, Finland launched an initiative to help students strengthen their basic skills (EDUFI, 2024). The amendment to the decree on the distribution of lesson hours added one weekly lesson of language of instruction and mathematics in grades 1 or 2. Additionally, one weekly lesson hour of language of instruction will be added for grades 3, 4, 5 or 6. Local authorities will have the flexibility to allocate these additional hours according to the specific needs and priorities of schools. These changes took effect on 1 August 2025. The legislative framework for basic education was also changed to increase the average minimum number of instructional hours per week. Finland continues to implement the Futures work in comprehensive schools project (Box), which is the main policy measure on basic education, the results of which are expected in 2026.

Finnish young people have better digital skills than their European peers, but their skill levels declined slightly. Eighth graders’ performance declined by 24 score points, from 530.7 in 2018 to 506.7 in 2023, in the International Computer and Information Literacy Study (ICILS) of 22 EU education systems (European Commission/DG EAC, 2024). Nevertheless, Finnish students still score above the EU average of 496.8 points. At 37%, the proportion of students underachieving in computer and information literacy is below the EU average (43%) but is still far from the 2030 EU-level target of 15%. In line with the EU trend, girls in Finland outperformed boys by 10.0 pps. On average in the EU, students with parents without tertiary educational attainment score 32.8 points less; in Finland the gap is smaller (23.2 points), showing that family background has less impact on students’ digital skills.

As of August 2025, Finnish schools have restricted smartphone use during lessons exclusively to learning or healthcare purposes. Phones and other mobile devices will generally be prohibited unless permitted for learning purposes or personal healthcare reasons by a teacher or principal. The legislation aims to balance the benefits of digital tools with reducing distractions to create a more conducive learning environment (EDUFI, 2025). Additionally, the Ministry of Education and Culture and the National Agency for Education have published AI recommendations to integrate AI into learning environments responsibly (EDUFI, n.d.-b). These recommendations compile national legal obligations and general guidelines for education providers and staff.

The share of early leavers from education and training (ELET) is increasing and declining equity is becoming a concern. Since 2015, the ELET rate has increased by 0.4 pps, reaching 9.6% in 2024, which is above the EU average of 9.3% for the second consecutive year. The share of early school leavers is higher in rural areas at 12.2%, than in cities at 8.1%. Also, the ELET rates are lower among native-born young people at 9.2%, compared to foreign-born young people at 13%. While socio-economic background remains a strong predictor of educational outcomes, the Finnish education system is more equitable than in most other EU countries. In PISA 2022, 27% of disadvantaged students achieved a good level of basic skills (at least level 4) in one of the three tested subjects (maths, reading and science), well above the EU average (16.3%). However, the rate has dropped by 8 pps since 2015, highlighting rising equity challenges. PISA 2022 also raised concerns regarding migrant-background students’ performance (Pulkkinen et al., 2024). Underachievement among foreign-born students in Finland (57%) is one of the highest in the EU (European Commission, 2024) and the gap remains significant also after accounting for socio-economic background and language spoken at home.

Finland aims to increase equity in education, particularly for disadvantaged and immigrant-background students. A reform effective August 2025 strengthens learning support from pre-primary to lower secondary education through differentiated instruction, co-teaching and inclusivity (MINEDU, n.d.-b). It reinforces children’s rights to group-based support, like remedial instruction and integrated special education, addressing diverse needs and benefiting immigrant-background students (EDUFI, n.d.-a; Finnish Government, 2024). Another new programme (2025-27) promotes equity and non-discrimination, helping staff tackle bullying, harassment and discrimination in primary and lower secondary schools. It acknowledges higher bullying rates among migrant-backgrounds students, and gender and sexual minorities, and seeks to improve parental engagement among migrant families (MINEDU, 2025b).

Top performance in basic skills is above the EU average despite the decline, and Finnish students demonstrate strong creative thinking skills. The share of top performers has significantly declined since 2015 (maths: -3.1 pps; reading: -5 pps; science: 1.6 pps), but remained above the EU average in all three domains. In particular, Finland has the highest share of top performers in science, with 12.7%. In critical thinking, with a mean score of 35.8 (out of 60), Finnish 15-year-old students scored significantly above the EU average of 32.0 (OECD, 2024a). Girls outperformed boys in creative thinking by 6 score points.

4. Vocational education and training

Although the majority of recent Finnish VET graduates participate in work-based learning, their employment rate is below the EU average. In 2024, 79.3% of recent VET graduates had experienced work-based learning, above the EU average of 65.2%. In 2024, 77% of recent VET graduates were in employment, which is below the EU average (80%). As of 2024, 38.9% of the population aged 25 to 64 held an upper secondary or post-secondary vocational degree as their highest level of education. Under the updated national implementation plan for education, Finland aims to improve the accessibility and quality of VET and improve its relevance for work. A pilot project to develop performance management in VET will take place from 2026 to 2033, allowing VET providers greater freedom to provide degrees in dialogue with local labour markets and the national administration (MINEDU, 2024f).

In parallel with structural reforms, the funding cuts for VET present a possible challenge for implementing the action plan. Following one-off budget cuts to VET in 2025, the financing model for VET will be reformed in 2026. The new model will incentivise education providers to speed up graduation times and strengthen transitions to employment. The proportion of funding based on the number of enrolments will be reduced, with a greater share of funding based on completed education credits or transitions to employment or further education.

The national quality strategy for VET 2030 is being implemented and refined in collaboration with education providers and the Finnish National Agency for Education. Finland is pursuing digitalisation of the VET sector to provide more flexible and comprehensive study paths that would meet labour market needs, while exploring the role of artificial intelligence in VET quality management. In 2024, VET providers received funding from the Recovery and Resilience Facility (RRF) through the Service Centre for Continuous Learning and Employment to improve the availability of skilled workers and promote digitalisation and the green transition.

5. Tertiary education

Tertiary educational attainment (TEA) in Finland has stagnated at a comparatively low level. In 2024, the TEA rate was 39.1%, below the EU average of 44.1% and the 2030 EU-level target of 45%. Since 2015, the rate has decreased by 1.1 pps, contrary to the EU trend. There is a significant gender gap of 15.5 pps in favour of women (47.1% v 31.6% in 2024), which is wider than the EU average (11.2 pps). The gap by country of birth is also significant, as only 29.9% of foreign-born students aged 25-34 hold a higher education diploma in Finland, compared to 40.9% of native-born students. Regional differences in TEA rates remain noticeable, with 46% in cities and 27.6% in rural areas. The attainment rate in the Helsinki-Uusimaa region (44.7%) is notably higher compared to other regions. The employment rate of recent graduates (ISCED 5-8) is 88.2%, which is above the EU average of 86.7%.

Finland has adopted measures to expand study places and revised the admission system to address skills shortages in high-skilled professions. There is growing demand for tertiary education graduates, especially in healthcare, engineering, ICT and service sectors, to meet labour market needs (OECD, 2024b). To address the lack of skilled workers across sectors and regions, measures under the National Recovery and Resilience Plan aim to boost participation in higher education by increasing the number of higher education places. The plan also includes reforms and investments in continuous learning and digitalisation. To boost upskilling and educational attainment, the government increased the number of higher education study places by more than 10 000 from 2020 to 2022 (Finnish Government, 2021). Moreover, nearly EUR 41 million was allocated to create 1 886 new higher education places at 15 universities of applied sciences and 7 universities, focusing on fields with severe labour shortages, such as nursing, bioanalytic, radiography, and early childhood education, with funding targeted for programmes beginning between 2024 and 2026 (MINEDU, 2024e). Additional funding was provided to increase study places in medicine. However, stakeholders point out that the announced cut to the basic financing of higher education during 2026-2028 may limit the expansion of study places. The university entrance exams system was changed in 2025, including now nine different exam types, with a common part for a group of related programmes and specific parts for specific programmes within the broader field. The new entrance exams enable applicants to apply to several programmes/universities with a single exam (Yliopistovalinnat, n.d.). The impact of these measures is still to be seen.

Finland aims to increase the admission of first-time degree students. Since 2016, a share of new study places in Finnish higher education has been reserved for applicants who have no earlier higher degree (University Law 558/2009, § 36 b, 1.8.2015). However, still one quarter of admitted students already hold a degree or an earlier study right to higher education. The accumulation of higher education degrees and study rights limits the availability of places for first-time degree students. Approved in 2024, the new tertiary education funding model has been launched in 2025. It is expected to encourage first-time admissions by including the number of new first-time students as a criterion for funding. Conversely, HEIs will receive less funding for students pursuing a second or additional degree at the same level (a weighting co-efficient of 0.5). The significance of students completing their degrees within the target timeframe has also been emphasised in the funding allocation (Eurydice/EACEA, 2025).

Student mobility numbers have stabilised in the post-pandemic period. In 2023, 10.2% of tertiary graduates originating in Finland had a learning experience abroad, close to the EU average of 11.0%. A proportion of 6.4% went to another country to study or carry out a traineeship to earn credit points (of at least three months or 15 ECTS), while 3.8% completed their studies, graduating in another country. The rate for students coming to Finland on degree-mobility was 10.2% (EU 9.2%). Of the degree mobility students coming to Finland, 43.4% came from Asia, 22.2% from EU countries and 11.4% from European non-EU countries.

6. Adult skills and learning

Finland’s participation in adult learning is among the highest in the EU. More than half (51.8%) of the population aged 25-64 participated in education and training in the last 12 months in 2022. Reaching the national target for 2030 (60%) will require engaging under-represented groups. In 2024, based on a different source, participation was 53.4% with people with primary or lower secondary education participating in learning substantially less than people with tertiary education (38.7% v 62.9%); men participated less than women (47.9% v 59.2%). According to the OECD Programme for the International Assessment of Adult Competencies, Finland is well above the EU average in all three areas of basic skills (literacy, numeracy, and adaptive problem-solving), with only approximately 10% of Finnish people scoring a ’low’ performance (OECD, 2024c).

Finland is reviewing its adult learning system’s financing to better support under-represented groups. The adult education allowance, which facilitated career breaks for further education or training, was abolished in 2024. In 2022, 30 000 people used it, largely from highly educated backgrounds. While useful for career changes and skills development, it had limited impact on starting new studies and income growth. Recent policy recommendations suggest developing state-backed loans and renewing the apprenticeship model to boost employers’ roles (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health, 2024). This aims to direct government funding to under-represented groups, including adults with weak basic skills or in precarious jobs. However, without an implementation plan, and with a shift to loan-based funding, low-income groups may face reduced opportunities.

Career guidance is pivotal in increasing adult education participation in Finland. As assessed by the Elontila research project supported by the RRF in 2024 (University of Helsinki, 2024), career guidance is perceived as available, however, its accessibility varies among different student groups. Study and career advisers primarily provide guidance in educational institutions, but responsibilities are often unclear. Furthermore, employment services offer extensive lifelong guidance, though there is no assurance clients receive the optimal service. Youth-oriented services, such as one-stop guidance centres, workshops and outreach youth work receive positive feedback. Finland is improving career guidance by reforming continuous learning with RRF support, including the Digital Services Package for Continuous Learning platform.