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Published: 16 June 2020

Number of upper secondary general school students 105,200

According to Statistics Finland's education statistics, a total of 105,200 students attended upper secondary general school education leading to a qualification in 2019. A total of 29,100 matriculation examinations were completed. The figure was almost 1,300 lower than one year before. Fifty-eight per cent of the students and passers of the matriculation examination were women.

Students in upper secondary general education and matriculation examinations in 2009 to 2019*

*Data on students for 2019 are not fully comparable with data from previous years.

As regards data on students for 2019, Statistics Finland started using the National Board of Education's KOSKI data warehouse with the exception of a few educational institutions. The review stage of the data revealed under-coverage of earlier data, which may be the reason for the growing number of students compared with the previous year. Further information about the change stage in the quality description (in Finnish only).

Upper secondary general education was provided in 383 educational institutions. There were 335 upper secondary general schools, one fewer than one year earlier. Education in Swedish was offered in 36 upper secondary schools and six per cent of the students in upper secondary general school education studied at these schools.

Of all students, 1,927 studied for an international matriculation examination. The International Baccalaureate examination was passed by 469 students in 17 upper secondary schools, the European Baccalaureate examination by 19 students at the European School of Helsinki, and the DIA qualification by 39 students in the Helsingin saksalainen koulu (the German School of Helsinki).

From 2009 to 2019, the number of educational institutions providing upper secondary general school education has fallen by 58. Over the same period, the number of students in upper secondary general schools has diminished by six per cent. The number of matriculation examinations has gone down by 11 per cent in ten years. Throughout the 2000s, over one-half of the students and passers of the matriculation examination have been women.

Source: Education, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Leena Halinen 029 551 3288, koulutustilastot@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (217.1 kB)

Tables

Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Students and completed qualifications in upper secondary general education 2019 (16.6.2020)
• Appendix table 2. Students in upper secondary general education and completers of matriculation examination by region in 2019 (16.6.2020)
• Appendix table 3. Students in upper secondary general education and completers of matriculation examination in 2001 to 2019 (16.6.2020)

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Updated 16.6.2020