Finland higher education rates stagnate amid OECD growth

A recent OECD ‘Education at Glance’ report reveals that the proportion of highly educated individuals in Finland has remained stagnant, while levels are rising in almost all other OECD countries. Between 2015 and 2025, the share of 25–34-year-olds with higher education degrees in OECD nations grew from 42 percent to 49 percent. In contrast, Finland’s share stands at approximately 38 percent, which is significantly below the OECD average.

Finland was one of only three OECD countries—alongside Hungary and Israel—where the proportion of higher education graduates did not increase or slightly decreased during the period. The Finnish Trade Union for Education (OAJ) has called for a ‘growth guarantee’ to commit to long-term improvements in national skill and education levels. OAJ Chairperson Katarina Murto stated that previous measures to raise education levels have been sporadic and insufficient, attributing the stagnation to resource allocation issues.