Falling Birth Rates Push Finnish Schools Toward Closure
A report commissioned by Finland’s Ministry of Education and Culture has revealed that half of the country’s elementary schools could close within the next decade. According to the report, by 2040, there will be about 100,000 fewer elementary school pupils in the country.
The study highlights that the sharp decline in birth rates poses a particular threat to schools in rural areas. In some communities, it will no longer be possible to provide elementary education locally, forcing students to travel to neighboring towns or municipalities. Finland’s fertility rate dropped to 1.25 in 2024 — the lowest level in the country’s history — with population growth sustained only by immigration. The report also predicts that by 2040, the number of children under the age of 15 with foreign backgrounds will increase by 86,000.
The situation is especially stark in rural regions. In the village of Karijoki in Southern Ostrobothnia, only three babies were born last year. Mayor Marko Keski-Sikkilä said, “By 2030, we will have only 38 pupils, and we will have to reconsider how to maintain education seriously.” A similar challenge is faced in Muurame near Jyväskylä. The town’s Director of Education, Jukka Koivisto, noted, “This decline in the number of children nationwide threatens the future of taxpayers in the country.”