The 2025 Youth Barometer reveals the exceptionally strong willingness of young people to educate themselves. As many as 81% of the respondents are aiming for a higher education degree, and nearly half (47%) are aiming for university. Although the public debate is concerned about learning outcomes, young people themselves express a strong belief that education and competence will carry in the future.
Young people’s trust in their own abilities is convincing: seven out of ten young people aiming for a degree believe they will achieve their goals. Many believe that they can even achieve a higher degree than they currently aim for. This ambition is a social engine that is to be upheld. This is particularly important as the aim of the national vision for education is to increase the share of young adults with higher education to 50%. At the moment, however, Finland belongs to the weakest third of the OECD countries in terms of the share of young adults with a higher education degree.
Finland has a huge amount of potential in young people who want to participate in higher education. In order not to miss this potential regardless of people’s background, free education must remain the cornerstone of the system. It is the primary manner of ensuring that educational pathways remain open to all young people. Increasing Finland’s competence level requires a cross-parliament-approved plan that extends beyond government terms and commits to permanently strengthening the funding and resources of education. Long-term resourcing would enable a permanent increase in admission places.
Young people want to become educated and are prepared to work for it. Education is seen as a meaningful pathway that provides not only tools for coping but also internal satisfaction. Although attitudes are positive, the barometer also reveals worrying signals. Young people live under constant cross-pressure of expectations, and educational pressures have piled their way deep into their everyday lives and identity. The current system requires faster graduation and mistake-free choices at an early stage. When the educational role and the joy of learning are buried under pressure to perform, society is at risk of losing something
essential.
Raising the competence level is a critical challenge, as the share of higher education graduates aged 25–34 has stagnated throughout the 2000s. The results of the Youth Barometer show that the achievement of the objectives does not depend on the will of young people. However, making full use of the potential requires system-level solutions: increasing long-term funding, permanent increase in admission places, improving the flexibility of education paths in order to dispel the fear of wrong choices, and safeguarding student well- being and livelihood. In this way, financial uncertainty will not become an obstacle to completing the qualification.
Society’s message to young people is often contradictory: they should graduate quickly, move to working life efficiently, save the planet and start a family so that birth rates do not collapse. As one 21-year-old states in the barometer: “Whatever the decision a young person makes someone thinks it is wrong.” We must ensure that the firm will of young people’s firm will not be undermined already before graduation. Trust in education is a promise for the future, and we must make sure that promise is worth living for the young person. The educational system must support the young person’s trust in themselves and
provide space for genuine education.
Young people’s trust in their own abilities is convincing: seven out of ten young people aiming for a degree believe they will achieve their goals. Many believe that they can even achieve a higher degree than they currently aim for. This ambition is a social engine that is to be upheld. This is particularly important as the aim of the national vision for education is to increase the share of young adults with higher education to 50%. At the moment, however, Finland belongs to the weakest third of the OECD countries in terms of the share of young adults with a higher education degree.
Finland has a huge amount of potential in young people who want to participate in higher education. In order not to miss this potential regardless of people’s background, free education must remain the cornerstone of the system. It is the primary manner of ensuring that educational pathways remain open to all young people. Increasing Finland’s competence level requires a cross-parliament-approved plan that extends beyond government terms and commits to permanently strengthening the funding and resources of education. Long-term resourcing would enable a permanent increase in admission places.
Young people want to become educated and are prepared to work for it. Education is seen as a meaningful pathway that provides not only tools for coping but also internal satisfaction. Although attitudes are positive, the barometer also reveals worrying signals. Young people live under constant cross-pressure of expectations, and educational pressures have piled their way deep into their everyday lives and identity. The current system requires faster graduation and mistake-free choices at an early stage. When the educational role and the joy of learning are buried under pressure to perform, society is at risk of losing something
essential.
Raising the competence level is a critical challenge, as the share of higher education graduates aged 25–34 has stagnated throughout the 2000s. The results of the Youth Barometer show that the achievement of the objectives does not depend on the will of young people. However, making full use of the potential requires system-level solutions: increasing long-term funding, permanent increase in admission places, improving the flexibility of education paths in order to dispel the fear of wrong choices, and safeguarding student well- being and livelihood. In this way, financial uncertainty will not become an obstacle to completing the qualification.
Society’s message to young people is often contradictory: they should graduate quickly, move to working life efficiently, save the planet and start a family so that birth rates do not collapse. As one 21-year-old states in the barometer: “Whatever the decision a young person makes someone thinks it is wrong.” We must ensure that the firm will of young people’s firm will not be undermined already before graduation. Trust in education is a promise for the future, and we must make sure that promise is worth living for the young person. The educational system must support the young person’s trust in themselves and
provide space for genuine education.
This generation is ready to tackle future challenges and sees education as a great opportunity. It is a source of national pride that the society must support by all means.
Further information:
Anna Oksanen
Education Policy Adviser
041 515 2230
anna.oksanen@syl.fi
