News 2 Nov 2015
Three out of four persons with foreign background have at least average level Finnish or Swedish language skills
The Survey on work and well-being among persons of foreign origin offers for the first time extensive information on the education and language skills of persons with foreign background. The data describe persons of foreign background aged between 15 and 64 permanently living in Finland in 2014.
Three out of four first generation immigrants with foreign background had at least average skills in Finnish or Swedish in 2014. Nearly one-fifth estimate that their skills in Finnish or Swedish is on native level. Correspondingly, around one-quarter of persons with foreign background had at most only basic skills in Finnish. Finnish language skills are usually the better the younger the person was when he or she moved to Finland.
A majority of first generation immigrants (62%) had participated in language courses in Finnish or Swedish. Among persons with refugee background, nearly everyone has participated in courses, and of those who moved for work, less than one-half. People who had moved to Finland for studies and those with African background felt the most need for courses that promote integration and employment.
Article on the language skills of persons with foreign background (only in Finnish)
Many persons with high and low level of education among persons with foreign background
One in six persons with foreign background aged 25 to 54 did not have post-basic level education in 2014, which is a clearly higher proportion than among the population with Finnish background. Two in five did, however, have tertiary level qualifications, just like among the population with Finnish background.
The share of those with tertiary level qualifications varies based on the reason for immigration: close on one-fifth (18%) of those with refugee background had tertiary level qualifications, while in other groups with foreign background, the share was 36 to 72 per cent. Both among persons with foreign and Finnish background, women were more often highly educated than men.
Article on the education level of persons with foreign background (only in Finnish)
Young people of foreign background continue to upper secondary education less often than those of Finnish background
In 2014, a larger proportion of young people with foreign background living in Finland had discontinued their education early or was not working or studying than among young people of Finnish background. Fourteen per cent of young people with foreign background had stopped their education after primary education, as had six per cent of persons with Finnish background. Among persons of both foreign and Finnish background, men discontinued their education early more often than women.
The main reason for discontinuing education was transition to working life. For women, early establishment of a family partially explained not working or studying.
There were, however, as many highly educated persons among young persons with foreign background as among those with Finnish background, nearly one-half of those aged 30 to 34. According to the results, education is also inherited from immigrant parents to their children similarly as among the original population.
Article on the participation in education (only in Finnish)
Further information:
Senior Statistician Liisa Larja +358 29 551 3461
Senior Statistician Tarja Nieminen +358 29 551 3561
Senior Researcher Hanna Sutela +358 29 551 2907
Senior Statistician Mika Witting +358 29 551 3571