Finland sees decline in number of first graders starting school
Approximately 50,000 children will begin their first year of basic education in Finland this August, marking a continued decrease in the number of first graders. The Finnish National Agency for Education reports that this year’s intake is around 1,000 fewer than in 2023 (Yle, MTV Uutiset).
The decline in first graders has been steady throughout the 2020s, with numbers dropping in every region of the country. In 2020, Finland had around 60,000 first graders, a figure that has since decreased by roughly 10,000 (Yle).
Despite the decline in new pupils, the overall number of students in basic education remains relatively stable. Last year, just over half a million pupils were enrolled in Finland’s basic education system, with the total number of students not decreasing at the same rate as the first-grade intake (MTV Uutiset).
