Abstract Background Understanding on sociodemographic variation of the co-occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factors is crucial for planning public health policy and future prevention strategies. We aimed at examining 1) the co-occurrence of smoking, hypertension, elevated cholesterol and obesity by education, and 2) the trends in educational differences in the co-occurrence of these risk factors in Finland. Methods We used cross-sectional health examination surveys carried out every five years among the general adult population: for 1997-2012 the National FINRISK Study and for 2017 the FinHealth 2017 Survey. Respondents aged 25-64 years were included in the analyses (n = 25,036). Current smoking, obesity (BMI≥30 kg/m2), hypertension (≥140/≥90 mmHg or medication) and elevated serum total cholesterol (≥5.0 mmol/l or medication) were used for the risk factor accumulation score with categories 1) zero, 2) one, 3) two, and 4) three or four elevated risk factors. Multinomial logistic regression was used to estimate predicted probabilities for each category. Results Overall, the risk factor score was more favourable among women than men, and among high education groups than low education groups in both sexes. The lowest risk factor score class became more prevalent in all education groups in both sexes over time. The change in educational differences was not significant. However, the intermediate education group approached the highest education group over time. Conclusions Our data indicate an overall transition towards a more favourable risk factor score in Finland, in 1997-2017. The score among the intermediate education group approached that among the highest education group. The tendency of risk factor accumulation among those with least education remained during the study period, which raises a need to develop and implement interventions and public health policies that would be effective in decreasing the risk factor burden particularly in this group. Key messages Overall, a favourable trend of diminishing risk factor prevalence was seen. The tendency of accumulation of major CVD risk factors among the least educated subjects remained from 1997 to 2017.