Language choices of comprehensive school pupils in 2008

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 2008. 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 351,095 pupils attended grades 1 to 6.

In the autumn semester of 2008 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 12 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 195,543 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	225,019	13,477	-	-	238,496	67.9	-
Swedish	3,359	12,966	-	-	16,325	4.7	-
Finnish	14,587	1,073	-	-	15,660	4.5	-
French	2,033	4,123	-	-	6,156	1.8	-
German	3,175	10,403	-	-	13,578	3.9	-
Russian	762	533	-	-	1,295	0.4	-
Sami	3	169	-	-	172	0.1	-
Other	108	460	-	-	568	0.2	-
Grades 7-9
English	177,799	15,858	428	80	194,165	-	99.3
Swedish	2,615	12,895	164,342	153	180,005	-	92.1
Finnish	10,354	1,285	201	-	11,840	-	6.1
French	1,575	4,131	231	6,070	12,007	-	6.1
German	2,541	12,054	348	8,987	23,930	-	12.2
Russian	455	237	-	1,208	1,900	-	1.0
Sami	3	42	-	13	58	-	0.0
Latin	-	-	-	628	628	-	0.3
Other	38	234	-	1,457	1,729	-	0.9
Number of pupils in grades 1-6 in the autumn semester of 2008 was 351,095.
Number of pupils in grades 7-9 in the autumn semester of 2008 was 195,543.

Source: Education Statistics, Statistics Finland

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

Director in charge: Mr Jari Tarkoma

Last updated 25.5.2009

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Subject choices of students [e-publication].
ISSN=1799-1056. Subject choices of comprehensive school pupils 2008. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 19.4.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/ava/2008/02/ava_2008_02_2009-05-25_tie_002_en.html