News of the week in plain Finnish | Saturday 1.8.2026

Swimming skills

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The swimming skills of Finns have deteriorated.

However, in the land of a thousand lakes, swimming is an important safety skill. Good swimming skills can save a life.

Now we will tell you more about it.

Swimming skills are deteriorating

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Swimmers at the Helsinki Swimming Stadium. Photo: Ilkka Loikkanen / Yle

The national swimming skills survey shows that the swimming skills of Finns have deteriorated.

Ten years ago, 76 percent of sixth-graders in comprehensive school could swim. Four years ago, only 55 percent of sixth-graders could swim.

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Also, only a little over half of adults can swim. In a survey in 2022, about 40 percent of adults said they could not swim properly.

The Finnish Swimming Instruction and Lifesaving Association says that immigrants have the weakest swimming skills.

What do you need to know?

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In Finland, children often start learning to swim before school age. Photo: Soila Ojanen / Yle

Finland has the same swimming skills requirements as other Nordic countries. So what do you need to know?

A person must first jump into deep water, so that their head is below the surface. Then they must swim 200 meters without stopping. Of this distance, at least 50 meters must be swum backstroke. When a person can do all this, then they can swim.

In Finland, swimming lessons often begin as children. Many children attend swimming schools even before they reach school age.

Swimming lessons are part of the curriculum in primary schools. The goal is that all children will be able to swim after completing primary school.

Water qualification

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Stiina Haapalehto experiences what it feels like to be in the water with your clothes on. Photo: Juuso Stoor / Yle

The Finnish Swimming Instruction and Lifesaving Association issued new guidelines for swimming instruction last autumn. Water competence is now important.

Water competence means that a person knows how to act safely in and near water.

Swimming skills are part of water competence, but they are not enough on their own. It is also a good idea to learn lifesaving skills, swimming with clothes on, and wearing a life jacket.

A person who is water-competent knows how to prevent drowning.

Repetition

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Mohanan Manu, Advik Manu and Anjali Devi Mini Gopakumar attend swimming school as a family in Imatra. Photo: Tiina Jutila / Yle

This week’s news was about swimming skills. Let’s recap a bit.

Swimming is an important civic skill in Finland.

Swimming lessons start as early as childhood. The goal is that everyone will be able to swim after completing primary school.

Swimming lessons today talk about water competence. This means that a person knows how to act safely in and around water.

That’s all. Tomorrow is Uutisviikko in plain Finnish, see you again then!