Capital

Finnland

name: Helsinki

geographic coordinates: 60 10 N, 24 56 E

time difference: UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)

daylight saving time: +1hr, begins last Sunday in March; ends last Sunday in October

etymology: the name may derive from the Swedish helsing, an archaic name for "neck" (hals), and which may refer to a narrowing of the Vantaa River that flows into the Gulf of Finland at Helsinki; fors refers to "rapids," so helsing fors meaning becomes "the narrows' rapids"

Citizenship

Finnland

citizenship by birth: no

citizenship by descent only: at least one parent must be a citizen of Finland

dual citizenship recognized: yes

residency requirement for naturalization: 6 years

Legal system

Finnland

civil law system based on the Swedish model

Suffrage

Finnland

18 years of age; universal

Area

Finnland

total: 338,145 sq km

land: 303,815 sq km

water: 34,330 sq km

Land use

Finnland

agricultural land: 7.5% (2018 est.)

arable land: 7.4% (2018 est.)

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

permanent pasture: 0.1% (2018 est.)

forest: 72.9% (2018 est.)

other: 19.6% (2018 est.)

Location

Finnland

Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia

Age structure

Finnland

0-14 years: 16.25% (male 466,311/female 446,015)

15-64 years: 60.5% (male 1,726,110/female 1,670,981)

65 years and over: 23.25% (2023 est.) (male 575,259/female 729,895)

Birth rate

Finnland

10.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Death rate

Finnland

10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Languages

Finnland

Finnish (official) 86.5%, Swedish (official) 5.2%, Russian 1.6%, other 6.7% (2021 est.)

major-language sample(s):
World Factbook, korvaamaton perustietolähde. (Finnish)

The World Factbook, the indispensable source for basic information.

Life expectancy at birth

Finnland

total population: 82 years (2023 est.)

male: 79.1 years

female: 85 years

Major urban areas - population

Finnland

1.338 million HELSINKI (capital) (2023)

Median age

Finnland

total: 43.2 years (2023 est.)

male: 41.7 years

female: 44.8 years

Mother's mean age at first birth

Finnland

29.5 years (2020 est.)

Net migration rate

Finnland

2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)

Population distribution

Finnland

the vast majority of people are found in the south; the northern interior areas remain sparsely populated

Population growth rate

Finnland

0.22% (2023 est.)

Total fertility rate

Finnland

1.74 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

Finnland

urban population: 85.8% of total population (2023)

rate of urbanization: 0.42% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)

Education expenditures

Finnland

5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

Finnland

total: 19 years

male: 18 years

female: 20 years (2020)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

Finnland

-0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)

Industrial production growth rate

Finnland

2.77% (2021 est.)

Labor force

Finnland

2.82 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

Finnland

12.2% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate

Finnland

7.53% (2021 est.)

7.76% (2020 est.)

6.69% (2019 est.)

Public debt

Finnland

61.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

62.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

note: data cover general government debt and include debt instruments issued (or owned) by government entities other than the treasury; the data include treasury debt held by foreign entities; the data include debt issued by subnational entities, as well as intragovernmental debt; intragovernmental debt consists of treasury borrowings from surpluses in the social funds, such as for retirement, medical care, and unemployment; debt instruments for the social funds are not sold at public auctions

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Finnland

2.19% (2021 est.)

0.29% (2020 est.)

1.02% (2019 est.)

Exports

Finnland

$116.905 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$97.789 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$107.084 billion (2019 est.)

Exports - partners

Finnland

Germany 13%, Sweden 9%, United States 8%, Netherlands 6%, China 6% (2021)

Imports

Finnland

$116.277 billion (2021 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$97.037 billion (2020 est.) note: data are in current year dollars

$106.664 billion (2019 est.)

Imports - partners

Finnland

Germany 16%, Sweden 15%, Russia 11%, China 7%, Netherlands 7% (2021)

Airports

Finnland

148 (2021)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

Finnland

total: 1.846 million (2020 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 33 (2020 est.)

Internet users

Finnland

total: 5.115 million (2021 est.)

percent of population: 93% (2021 est.)

Railways

Finnland

total: 5,918 km (2020) 3,349 km electrified

Roadways

Finnland

total: 454,000 km (2012)

highways: 78,000 km (2012) (50,000 paved, including 700 km of expressways; 28,000 unpaved)

private and forest roads: 350,000 km (2012)

urban: 26,000 km (2012)

Telephones - fixed lines

Finnland

total subscriptions: 207,000 (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 4 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

Finnland

total subscriptions: 7.15 million (2021 est.)

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants: 129 (2021 est.)

Waterways

Finnland

8,000 km (2013) (includes Saimaa Canal system of 3,577 km; southern part leased from Russia; water transport used frequently in the summer and widely replaced with sledges on the ice in winter; there are 187,888 lakes in Finland that cover 31,500 km); Finland also maintains 8,200 km of coastal fairways

Disputes - international

Finnland

various groups in Finland advocate restoration of Karelia and other areas ceded to the former Soviet Union, but the Finnish Government asserts no territorial demands