Finland was a province and then a grand duchy under Sweden from the 12th to the 19th centuries, and an autonomous grand duchy of Russia after 1809. It gained complete independence in 1917. During World War II, Finland successfully defended its independence through cooperation with Germany and resisted subsequent invasions by the Soviet Union - albeit with some loss of territory. In the subsequent half century, Finland transformed from a farm/forest economy to a diversified modern industrial economy; per capita income is among the highest in Western Europe. A member of the EU since 1995, Finland was the only Nordic state to join the euro single currency at its initiation in January 1999. In the 21st century, the key features of Finland’s modern welfare state are high quality education, promotion of equality, and a national social welfare system - currently challenged by an aging population and the fluctuations of an export-driven economy. Following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland opted to join NATO; it became the organization’s 31st member in April 2023.
land: 303,815 sq km
water: 34,330 sq km
border countries (3): Norway 709 km; Sweden 545 km; Russia 1,309 km
contiguous zone: 24 nm
continental shelf: 200 m depth or to the depth of exploitation
exclusive fishing zone: 12 nm; extends to continental shelf boundary with Sweden, Estonia, and Russia
lowest point: Baltic Sea 0 m
mean elevation: 164 m
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.)
5,614,571 (2023 est.)
noun: Finn(s)
adjective: Finnish
Finnish, Swedish, Russian, Estonian, Romani, Sami
note: 91.5% of the population has a Finnish background
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.
Lutheran 66.6%, Greek Orthodox 1.1%, other 1.7%, none 30.6% (2021 est.)
Finland has a relatively high fertility rate for Europe at about 1.75 children per woman in 2023. Finnish women have high labor force participation rates, and their educational attainment is higher than that of Finnish men. Finland’s family policy, like other Nordic countries, puts an emphasis on reconciling work and family life. Both parents can stay at home with an earnings-based allowance until the baby is about 11 months old. Finland also has a publicly subsidized childcare system. Alternatively, parents can choose to take care of a small child through home care leave with a flat allowance rate. These benefits have encouraged fathers to do a greater share of housework and childcare, although women still perform the lion’s share of domestic work. In other instances, women have reduced the burden of household work by outsourcing domestic chores, rather than men taking on more of the responsibilities. Finland has high family size ideals compared to other European countries, and childlessness and one-child families are not favored. The proportion of couples having at least three children has been growing since the 1970s.Finland has historically been a country of emigration. In the 20th century, Finns emigrated largely in two waves. Before World War II, the majority of Finns went to North America, and after World War II most went to Sweden, where industrialization was generating much-needed jobs that offered higher salaries and a better standard of living. In the 1980s and early 1990s, Finnish returnees (mainly from Sweden) began to outnumber Finnish emigrants. Also arriving in Finland between April 1990 and 2010, were Ingrian Finns – descendants of ethnic Finns who settled near St. Petersburg, Russia, in the 17th century – who immigrated to Finland under the Right of Return Law. In addition, the country has absorbed immigrants from Russia, Estonia, the former Yugoslavia, and Sweden for a variety of reasons, most commonly for marriage and family reunification. Finland has also accepted refugees and asylum seekers from Somalia, Iraq, China, and Thailand.
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)
total dependency ratio: 62.1
youth dependency ratio: 25
elderly dependency ratio: 37.1
potential support ratio: 2.7 (2021 est.)
total: 43.2 years (2023 est.)
male: 41.7 years
female: 44.8 years
0.22% (2023 est.)
10.3 births/1,000 population (2023 est.)
10.4 deaths/1,000 population (2023 est.)
2.3 migrant(s)/1,000 population (2023 est.)
the vast majority of people are found in the south; the northern interior areas remain sparsely populated
urban population: 85.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.42% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
1.338 million HELSINKI (capital) (2023)
at birth: 1.05 male(s)/female
0-14 years: 1.05 male(s)/female
15-64 years: 1.03 male(s)/female
65 years and over: 0.79 male(s)/female
total population: 0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)
29.5 years (2020 est.)
8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)
total: 2.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)
male: 2.3 deaths/1,000 live births
female: 1.9 deaths/1,000 live births
total population: 82 years (2023 est.)
male: 79.1 years
female: 85 years
1.74 children born/woman (2023 est.)
0.85 (2023 est.)
85.5% (2015)
note: percent of women aged 18-49
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
9.6% of GDP (2020)
4.64 physicians/1,000 population (2018)
3.6 beds/1,000 population (2018)
improved: urban: 100% of population
rural: 100% of population
total: 100% of population
unimproved: urban: 0% of population
rural: 0% of population
total: 0% of population (2020 est.)
22.2% (2016)
total: 8.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
beer: 3.76 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
wine: 1.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
spirits: 1.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
other alcohols: 0.91 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)
total: 21.6% (2020 est.)
male: 26.9% (2020 est.)
female: 16.3% (2020 est.)
NA
57.2% (2023 est.)
women married by age 18: 0.1% (2017 est.)
5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)
total population: NA
male: NA
female: NA
total: 19 years
male: 18 years
female: 20 years (2020)
limited air pollution in urban centers; some water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations
party to: Air Pollution, Air Pollution-Heavy Metals, Air Pollution-Multi-effect Protocol, Air Pollution-Nitrogen Oxides, Air Pollution-Persistent Organic Pollutants, Air Pollution-Sulphur 85, Air Pollution-Sulphur 94, Air Pollution-Volatile Organic Compounds, Antarctic-Environmental Protection, Antarctic-Marine Living Resources, Antarctic Treaty, Biodiversity, Climate Change, Climate Change-Kyoto Protocol, Climate Change-Paris Agreement, Comprehensive Nuclear Test Ban, Desertification, Endangered Species, Environmental Modification, Hazardous Wastes, Law of the Sea, Marine Dumping-London Convention, Marine Dumping-London Protocol, Marine Life Conservation, Nuclear Test Ban, Ozone Layer Protection, Ship Pollution, Tropical Timber 2006, Wetlands, Whaling
signed, but not ratified: none of the selected agreements
cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes
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.)
urban population: 85.8% of total population (2023)
rate of urbanization: 0.42% annual rate of change (2020-25 est.)
0.36% of GDP (2018 est.)
0% of GDP (2018 est.)
particulate matter emissions: 5.47 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)
carbon dioxide emissions: 45.87 megatons (2016 est.)
methane emissions: 4.46 megatons (2020 est.)
municipal solid waste generated annually: 2.738 million tons (2015 est.)
municipal solid waste recycled annually: 769,926 tons (2015 est.)
percent of municipal solid waste recycled: 28.1% (2015 est.)
fresh water lake(s): Saimaa - 1,760 sq km; Paijanne - 1,090 sq km; Inarijarvi - 1,000 sq km; Oulujarvi - 900 sq km; Pielinen - 850 sq km
municipal: 1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
industrial: 2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
agricultural: 500 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
110 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
highly industrialized, export-based EU economy and euro user; high per capita GDP; major timber, metals, engineering, telecommunications, and electronics industries; manageable public debts; rigid labor laws impose higher regulatory burdens
$275.545 billion (2022 est.)
$270.143 billion (2021 est.)
$262.343 billion (2020 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
2.1% (2022 est.)
2.97% (2021 est.)
-2.21% (2020 est.)
$49,600 (2022 est.)
$48,800 (2021 est.)
$47,400 (2020 est.)
note: data are in 2017 dollars
$269.259 billion (2019 est.)
2.19% (2021 est.)
0.29% (2020 est.)
1.02% (2019 est.)
Fitch rating: AA+ (2016)
Moody’s rating: Aa1 (2016)
Standard & Poors rating: AA+ (2014)
note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.
agriculture: 2.7% (2017 est.)
industry: 28.2% (2017 est.)
services: 69.1% (2017 est.)comparison rankings:
household consumption: 54.4% (2017 est.)
government consumption: 22.9% (2017 est.)
investment in fixed capital: 22.1% (2017 est.)
investment in inventories: 0.4% (2017 est.)
exports of goods and services: 38.5% (2017 est.)
imports of goods and services: -38.2% (2017 est.)
milk, barley, oats, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, rye, pork, poultry, beef
metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
2.77% (2021 est.)
2.82 million (2021 est.)
7.53% (2021 est.)
7.76% (2020 est.)
6.69% (2019 est.)
total: 18.1% (2021 est.)
male: 19%
female: 17.1%
12.2% (2019 est.)
27.7 (2019 est.)
on food: 11.5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
on alcohol and tobacco: 4.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)
lowest 10%: 6.7%
highest 10%: 45.2% (2013)
revenues: $140.643 billion (2020 est.)
expenditures: $153.635 billion (2020 est.)
note: Central Government Budget data; these numbers represent a significant reduction from previous official reporting
-0.6% (of GDP) (2017 est.)
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
19.85% (of GDP) (2020 est.)
calendar year
$1.896 billion (2021 est.)
$2.169 billion (2020 est.)
-$879.445 million (2019 est.)
$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.)
Germany 13%, Sweden 9%, United States 8%, Netherlands 6%, China 6% (2021)
refined petroleum, kaolin coated paper, cars, lumber, stainless steel, wood pulp (2021)
$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.)
Germany 16%, Sweden 15%, Russia 11%, China 7%, Netherlands 7% (2021)
cars and vehicle parts, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines (2021)
$16.744 billion (31 December 2021 est.)
$13.48 billion (31 December 2020 est.)
$11.427 billion (31 December 2019 est.)
$631.549 billion (2019 est.)
$536.301 billion (2018 est.)
euros (EUR) per US dollar -
Exchange rates:
0.845 (2021 est.)
0.876 (2020 est.)
0.893 (2019 est.)
0.847 (2018 est.)
0.885 (2017 est.)
electrification - total population: 100% (2021)
installed generating capacity: 20.418 million kW (2020 est.)
consumption: 79.356 billion kWh (2020 est.)
exports: 6.666 billion kWh (2020 est.)
imports: 21.615 billion kWh (2020 est.)
transmission/distribution losses: 2.574 billion kWh (2020 est.)comparison rankings:
fossil fuels: 13.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
nuclear: 33.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
solar: 0.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
wind: 11.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
hydroelectricity: 23.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
tide and wave: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
geothermal: 0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
biomass and waste: 17.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)
Number of operational nuclear reactors: 5 (2023)
Number of nuclear reactors under construction: 0
Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors: 4.39GW (2023)
Percent of total electricity production: 32.8% (2021)
Percent of total energy produced: 41.3% (2021)
Number of nuclear reactors permanently shut down: 0
production: 762,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
consumption: 3.552 million metric tons (2020 est.)
exports: 101,000 metric tons (2020 est.)
imports: 2.661 million metric tons (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 metric tons (2019 est.)
total petroleum production: 8,300 bbl/day (2021 est.)
refined petroleum consumption: 207,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate exports: 0 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil and lease condensate imports: 232,400 bbl/day (2018 est.)
crude oil estimated reserves: 0 barrels (2021 est.)
310,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)
166,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
122,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)
production: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
consumption: 2.393 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
exports: 181.143 million cubic meters (2020 est.)
imports: 2.569 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)
proven reserves: 0 cubic meters (2021 est.)
41.996 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from coal and metallurgical coke: 9.377 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from petroleum and other liquids: 27.737 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
from consumed natural gas: 4.882 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)
216.571 million Btu/person (2019 est.)
number of registered air carriers: 3 (2020)
inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers: 77
annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers: 13,364,839 (2018)
annual freight traffic on registered air carriers: 957.64 million (2018) mt-km
OH
148 (2021)
74
civil airports: 11
military airports: 2
joint use (civil-military) airports: 2
other airports: 59
note: paved runways have a concrete or asphalt surface but not all have facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control; the length of a runway required for aircraft to safely operate depends on a number of factors including the type of aircraft, the takeoff weight (including passengers, cargo, and fuel), engine types, flap settings, landing speed, elevation of the airport, and average maximum daily air temperature; paved runways can reach a length of 5,000 m (16,000 ft.), but the “typical” length of a commercial airline runway is between 2,500-4,000 m (8,000-13,000 ft.)
74
note: unpaved runways have a surface composition such as grass or packed earth and are most suited to the operation of light aircraft; unpaved runways are usually short, often less than 1,000 m (3,280 ft.) in length; airports with unpaved runways often lack facilities for refueling, maintenance, or air traffic control
1,288 km gas transmission pipes, 1,976 km distribution pipes (2016)
total: 5,918 km (2020) 3,349 km electrified
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)
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
total: 278 (2022)
by type: bulk carrier 9, container ship 1, general cargo 74, oil tanker 5, other 189
major seaport(s): Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Porvoo, Raahe, Rauma
LNG terminal(s) (import): Hamina, Inkoo (operational 2023), Pori, Tornio Manga
Finland operates icebreakers in the Baltic Sea including seven PC 3 or 4 class medium icebreakers and two PC 5 or 6 class light icebreakers
note - PC indicates a Polar Class vessel: PC 3 - year-round operation in second-year ice which may include multi-year ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 2.5 m); PC 4 - year-round operation in thick first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 120 cm); PC 5 - year-round operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 70-120 cm); PC 6 - summer/autumn operation in medium first-year ice which may include old ice inclusions (ice thickness up to 30-70 cm)
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