What is literate and illiterate world population in Finland?

Literate and illiterate world population in Finland was 1.5% in 1950, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.

What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Finland?

The highest recorded value was 61.2% in 1900.

What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Finland?

The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1950.

How does Finland rank for literate and illiterate world population?

Finland ranks 105th out of 128 countries with data for 1950.

Where does this Finland data come from?

The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Literate and illiterate world population in Finland

Name: Literate and illiterate world population in Finland
Creator: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
License: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)

Finland: Literate and illiterate world population was 1.5% in 1950. ◆ Volatile

Latest (1950)

1.5%

World rank

105th

of 128 countries

All-time high

61.2%

in 1900

All-time low

1.5%

in 1950

Years of data

1900–1950

Literate and illiterate world population in Finland, 1900–1950

Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in %.

Analysis

Finland recorded 1.5% for literate and illiterate world population in 1950. That is the lowest value across all 5 years on record.

Over the whole period, literate and illiterate world population in Finland peaked at 61.2% in 1900 and was at its lowest, 1.5%, in 1950.

Finland ranks 105th of 128 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.

Averages by decade

Decade	Average	Lowest	Highest	Years
1900s	61.2%	61.2%	61.2%	1
1910s	44.7%	44.7%	44.7%	1
1920s	30.1%	30.1%	30.1%	1
1930s	15.9%	15.9%	15.9%	1
1950s	1.5%	1.5%	1.5%	1

Countries ranked near Finland

102 Maldives 1.8% compare
103 Bulgaria 1.6% compare
104 Philippines 1.5% compare
105 Germany 1.5% compare
105 Ireland 1.5% compare
105 Netherlands 1.5% compare
105 Sweden 1.5% compare
105 United Kingdom 1.5% compare

See the full ranking of 128 places →

More population data for Finland

Population growth rate 0.4% (2023)

All data for Finland →

Frequently asked questions

What is literate and illiterate world population in Finland?: Literate and illiterate world population in Finland was 1.5% in 1950, according to UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Finland?: The highest recorded value was 61.2% in 1900.
What is the lowest literate and illiterate world population recorded in Finland?: The lowest recorded value was 1.5% in 1950.
How does Finland rank for literate and illiterate world population?: Finland ranks 105th out of 128 countries with data for 1950.
Where does this Finland data come from?: The figures come from UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Literate and illiterate world population. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

Download this data

CSV · JSON — 5 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).

About this data

Indicator: Literate and illiterate world population
Unit: %
Source: UNESCO (1957) and other sources – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence: CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage: 128 places, 1,272 data points, 1475–2024
Last refreshed: 06 August 2026

Share of adults who cannot read and write a short, simple statement on their everyday life.