Language choices of comprehensive school pupils in 2007

According to Statistics Finland, English was the most commonly studied foreign language on grades 1 to 6 of comprehensive school in the autumn semester of 2007. Sixty-eight per cent of the pupils attending grades 1 to 6 studied English either as a compulsory or optional foreign language. The percentages of pupils studying other foreign languages remained at 5 per cent or below. A total of 357,400 pupils attended grades 1 to 6.

In the autumn semester of 2007 nearly all pupils attending grades 7 to 9 studied both English and Swedish or Finnish either as mother tongue, or as a compulsory, optional or elective foreign language. German was studied by 13 per cent and French by 6 per cent of the pupils attending grades 7 to 9, mainly as an optional or elective foreign language. A total of 199,100 pupils attended grades 7 to 9.

Language	Compulsory language A1	Optional language A2	Compulsory language B1	Elective language B2	Total	Share of pupils in grades 1-6 %	Share of pupils in grades 7-9 %
Grades 1-6
English	229,521	14,397	-	-	243,918	68.2	-
Swedish	3,315	13,783	-	-	17,098	4.8	-
Finnish	14,949	1,074	-	-	16,023	4.5	-
French	2,132	4,394	-	-	6,526	1.8	-
German	3,447	11,567	-	-	15,014	4.2	-
Russian	717	463	-	-	1,180	0.3	-
Sami	5	163	-	-	168	0,0	-
Other	65	432	-	-	497	0.1	-
Grades 7-9
English	180,856	16,155	463	134	197,608	-	99.3
Swedish	2,812	13,662	166,789	10	183,273	-	92.1
Finnish	10,102	1,580	177	-	11,859	-	6,0
French	1,660	4,467	188	6,446	12,761	-	6.4
German	2,767	13,498	301	8,261	24,827	-	12.5
Russian	441	419	-	799	1,659	-	0.8
Sami	3	38	-	20	61	-	0,0
Latin	-	-	-	613	613	-	0.3
Other	79	154	-	1,056	1,289	-	0.6
Number of pupils in grades 1-6 in the autumn semester of 2007 was 357,403. Number of pupils in grades 7-9 in the autumn semester of 2007 was 199,067.

Source: Education Statistics, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Ms Maija Sikanen +358 9 1734 2292, Ms Irma Suovirta +358 9 1734 3280, koulutus.tilastot@stat.fi

Director in charge: Mr Jari Tarkoma

Last updated 22.5.2008

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Subject choices of students [e-publication].
ISSN=1799-1056. Subject choices of comprehensive school pupils 2007. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 19.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ava/2007/02/ava_2007_02_2008-05-22_tie_002_en.html