Current expenditure on education in real terms increased in 2021
release | Educational finances 2021According to Statistics Finland, current expenditure on education increased by 3.6 per cent in real terms in 2021 compared to the previous year. Current expenditure per student increased by 2.1 per cent in 2021. After the increase at the beginning of the millennium, current expenditure on education decreased in real terms in the 2010s but it has grown after year 2018.
Key selections
- Current expenditure on education increased by 3.6 per cent in real terms in 2021 compared to the previous year. Current expenditure per student increased by 2.1 per cent in 2021.
- After the increase at the beginning of the millennium, current expenditure on education decreased in real terms in the 2010s but it has grown after year 2018.
- Current expenditure on education relative to GDP has decreased compared to 2010 but it has remained at the same level in recent years.
- Current expenditure was converted to correspond to the price level of 2021 by means of the price index of public expenditure on local government finances for education and cultural activity.
- Real change means that the effect of price changes has been taken into account.
There are differences in the expenditure development of sectors of education
Expenditure on pre-primary and comprehensive school education has grown in real terms compared to 2010 but expenditure on vocational education has fallen. Expenditure on university of applied sciences education and university education and research has grown slightly in the same time period.
Current expenditure on education relative to GDP was 5.2 per cent in 2021. The share has decreased compared to year 2010 but it has remained at the same level in recent years.
Current expenditure was converted to correspond to the price level of 2021 by means of the price index of public expenditure on local government finances for education and cultural activity. Real change means that the effect of price changes has been taken into account. The data starting from 2017 are not fully comparable with those for earlier years due to the change in housing supplement included in student financial aid.
Current expenditure on education totalled EUR 13.0 billion in 2021. Costs of comprehensive school education made up the biggest share of current expenditure on education. EUR 5.3 billion were used on comprehensive school education in 2021. The shares were next biggest in university education and research, on which EUR 2.5 billion were spent and in vocational education, on which EUR 2.0 were used.
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