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Students and qualifications 2021, December

Students in education leading to a qualification or degree numbered 1.4 million in 2021

release

According to Statistics Finland, the total number of students in education leading to a qualification or degree was 1.39 million in 2021. The number of students grew by 0.1 per cent in basic education, by 2.6 per cent in general upper secondary education, by seven per cent in vocational education, by five per cent in university of applied sciences education and by two per cent in university education.

Change

Changes in database tables in these statistics. New tables will be published on 25 October 2022 and old tables will be transferred to the archive.

Read more about the change

Key selections

  • In 2021, there were 315,800 new students and altogether 1,387,000 students in education leading to a qualification or degree, and 220,100 qualifications or degrees were completed.
  • Fifty-two per cent of students and 55 per cent of attainers of qualifications or degrees were women.
  • Technology and health and welfare were the biggest fields of education in post-comprehensive school education.
  • Altogether 88,800 students had a nationality other than Finnish. There were 174 different nationalities among those studying in Finland.
  • Foreign-language speaking students numbered 146,300 and they spoke 140 different native languages.

Tables

See key statistical data in the tables.

New students, students and qualifications in education leading to a qualification 2021

Database tables

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

Updated database tables
11c3
Classifications used:
  • Education
  • Sector of Education
Reference period cycle:
year
Updating frequency:
year
Statistics:
Updated:
11c4
Classifications used:
  • Area
  • Sector of Education
Reference period cycle:
year
Updating frequency:
year
Statistics:
Updated:
11c5
Classifications used:
  • Type of Education
  • Age
Reference period cycle:
year
Updating frequency:
year
Statistics:
Updated:
12dc
Classifications used:
  • Field of education
  • Area
  • Type of Education
Reference period cycle:
year
Updating frequency:
year
Statistics:
Updated:
New database tables
13sn
Classifications used:
  • Sector of Education
  • Level of education
  • Field of education
  • Gender
  • Nationality
Reference period cycle:
year
Updating frequency:
year
Statistics:
Updated:
13sp
Classifications used:
  • Sector of Education
  • Level of education
  • Field of education
  • Gender
  • First language
Reference period cycle:
year
Updating frequency:
year
Statistics:
Updated:
Removed database tables

Future releases

Referencing instructions

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Students and qualifications [online publication].
Reference period: 2021. ISSN=1798-7679. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [Referenced: 26.4.2026].
Access method:

Related topics

Education and research

Contact information

Service email
koulutustilastot@stat.fi

Inquiries primarily

Heli Hiltunen
Senior Statistician
029 551 3314

Head of Department in charge

Hannele Orjala
Head of Department in charge
029 551 3582