Published: 25 May 2009
Language choices of comprehensive school pupils in 2008
According to Statistics Finland, English was the most commonly studied foreign language on grades 1 to 6 of comprehensive school in the autumn semester of 2008. Sixty-eight per cent of the pupils attending grades 1 to 6 studied English either as a compulsory or optional foreign language. The percentages of pupils studying other foreign languages remained at 5 per cent or below. A total of 351,095 pupils attended grades 1 to 6.
In the autumn semester of 2008 nearly all pupils attending grades 7 to 9 studied both English and Swedish or Finnish either as mother tongue, or as a compulsory, optional or elective foreign language. German was studied by 12 per cent and French by 6 per cent of the pupils attending grades 7 to 9, mainly as an optional or elective foreign language. A total of 195,543 pupils attended grades 7 to 9.
Language choices of comprehensive school pupils in 2008
Language | Compulsory language A1 |
Optional language A2 |
Compulsory language B1 |
Elective language B2 |
Total | Share of pupils in grades 1-6 % |
Share of pupils in grades 7-9 % |
Grades 1-6 | |||||||
English | 225,019 | 13,477 | - | - | 238,496 | 67.9 | - |
Swedish | 3,359 | 12,966 | - | - | 16,325 | 4.7 | - |
Finnish | 14,587 | 1,073 | - | - | 15,660 | 4.5 | - |
French | 2,033 | 4,123 | - | - | 6,156 | 1.8 | - |
German | 3,175 | 10,403 | - | - | 13,578 | 3.9 | - |
Russian | 762 | 533 | - | - | 1,295 | 0.4 | - |
Sami | 3 | 169 | - | - | 172 | 0.1 | - |
Other | 108 | 460 | - | - | 568 | 0.2 | - |
Grades 7-9 | |||||||
English | 177,799 | 15,858 | 428 | 80 | 194,165 | - | 99.3 |
Swedish | 2,615 | 12,895 | 164,342 | 153 | 180,005 | - | 92.1 |
Finnish | 10,354 | 1,285 | 201 | - | 11,840 | - | 6.1 |
French | 1,575 | 4,131 | 231 | 6,070 | 12,007 | - | 6.1 |
German | 2,541 | 12,054 | 348 | 8,987 | 23,930 | - | 12.2 |
Russian | 455 | 237 | - | 1,208 | 1,900 | - | 1.0 |
Sami | 3 | 42 | - | 13 | 58 | - | 0.0 |
Latin | - | - | - | 628 | 628 | - | 0.3 |
Other | 38 | 234 | - | 1,457 | 1,729 | - | 0.9 |
Number of pupils in grades 1-6 in the autumn semester of 2008 was 351,095. | |||||||
Number of pupils in grades 7-9 in the autumn semester of 2008 was 195,543. |
Source: Education Statistics, Statistics Finland
Inquiries: Ms Maija Sikanen +358 9 1734 2292, Ms Irma Suovirta +358 9 1734 3280, koulutustilastot@stat.fi
Director in charge: Mr Jari Tarkoma
Last updated 25.5.2009
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF):
Subject choices of students [e-publication].
ISSN=1799-1056. Subject choices of comprehensive school pupils 2008. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 5.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ava/2008/02/ava_2008_02_2009-05-25_tie_002_en.html