Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland

Finland: Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age was 78.3% in 2022. ▼ Falling

Latest (2022)
78.3%
World rank
8th
of 53 countries
All-time high
94.8%
in 2006
All-time low
78.3%
in 2022
Years of data
8
2000–2022

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland, 2000–2022

0204060801002000201120222000: 92.7 %2003: 93.9 %2006: 94.8 %2009: 91.5 %2012: 88.2 %2015: 88.5 %2018: 86.1 %2022: 78.3 %

Source: UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

The most recent figure for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland is 78.3%, measured in 2022. That is the lowest value across all 8 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland peaked at 94.8% in 2006 and was at its lowest, 78.3%, in 2022.

Finland ranks 8th of 53 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland, year by year

Annual values for Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland, 2000 to 2022.
Year % Change
2000 92.7%
2003 93.9% +1.3%
2006 94.8% +1.0%
2009 91.5% -3.5%
2012 88.2% -3.5%
2015 88.5% +0.3%
2018 86.1% -2.7%
2022 78.3% -9.0%

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
2000s 93.2% 91.5% 94.8% 4
2010s 87.6% 86.1% 88.5% 3
2020s 78.3% 78.3% 78.3% 1

Countries ranked near Finland

  1. 5 Denmark 80.8% compare
  2. 6 United Kingdom 79.7% compare
  3. 7 United States 79.0% compare
  4. 9 Italy 77.9% compare
  5. 10 Australia 77.7% compare
  6. 11 Russia 77.5% compare

See the full ranking of 53 places →

More reference data data for Finland

All data for Finland →

Frequently asked questions

What is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland?
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland was 78.3% in 2022, according to UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Finland?
The highest recorded value was 94.8% in 2006.
What is the lowest share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age recorded in Finland?
The lowest recorded value was 78.3% in 2022.
How does Finland rank for share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age?
Finland ranks 8th out of 53 countries with data for 2022.
Is share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age rising or falling in Finland?
Over the last ten years it is down 11.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
Where does this Finland data come from?
The figures come from UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland. Statizoid, drawing on UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 01 September 2026, from https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/finland/

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<a href="https://reference.statizoid.com/stat/share-of-children-reaching-sufficient-reading-comprehension-by-the-end-of-lower-secondary/finland/">Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age in Finland</a> — Statizoid

About this data

Indicator
Share of children achieving minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower-secondary age
Unit
%
Source
UNESCO Institute for Statistics (2026) – with minor processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
53 places, 379 data points, 2000–2022
Last refreshed

Share of children who achieve minimum reading proficiency by the end of lower secondary education. This data accounts for school completion rates to estimate skills for all children, not just those in school.