Demographics of Finland

The first human settlement in Finland originated around 11,000 BC, following the end of the Ice Age. The initial inhabitants of modern-day Finland were presumably hunter-gatherers. There is no information about the language spoken by the first inhabitants. However, it is known that the Finnish and Sámi languages emerged thousands of years later.^[6] Archaeological, linguistic, and genetic studies support the notion that the country was inhabited from south to north, with a population of a few thousand during prehistoric times. The Sámi people then succeeded the previous inhabitants, followed by the influx of Finnic people from the east, west, and south who eventually replaced them. The Sámi people now number around 10,000 in Finland as a minority. Although they have lived north of the Arctic Circle for 7,000 years, they make up only 5% of the population of the province of Lapland.

The reliable population data is available from 1749, when Sweden first compiled population statistics. At that time, the population of Finland stood at 410,400 individuals. The threshold of one million inhabitants was surpassed subsequent to the Finnish War (1808–1809) in 1811, upon the annexation of the Old Finland region. The milestone of five million inhabitants was reached in 1991.^[10]

Exceeding the million population milestones:^[10]

• 1 million in 1811
• 2 million in 1879
• 3 million in 1912
• 4 million in 1950
• 5 million in 1991

Until the beginning of the 20th century, annual population growth fluctuated between 1% and 2%. There were a few exceptional years of negative growth during times of war and destruction.^[10] The significant demographic and economic transformations that took place in Finland post-World War II affected the composition of Finnish families. Over time, family sizes reduced noticeably, declining from an average of 3.6 individuals in 1950 to an average of 2.7 in 1975. Despite this change, family structures remained relatively constant during the 25-year period, with 24.4% of families consisting of a man and a woman, 61.9% comprising a couple and children, 11.8% consisting of a woman with offspring, and 1.9% consisting of a man with offspring. There were no substantial differences in percentages compared to 1950.^[11]

Nonetheless, fewer children were born per family; the average decreased from 2.24 in 1950 to 1.7 in the 1980s. Large families were infrequent, with only 2% having four or more children, while 51% had a single child; 38% had two children, and 9% had three children.^[11] Population growth declined to below 0.5% in the 1970s, and to approximately 0.2% in the 1990s. In recent years, however, population growth has recovered partially, rising to approximately 0.5%, partly due to increased immigration.^[10]

As of 2025, the population density of Finland was 18.6 persons per square kilometre.^[1] The region of Uusimaa was the most densely populated region with around 196 persons per square kilometre, while Lapland was the least densely populated region with only around two persons per square kilometre.^[1] The populace is heavily clustered in the west and south of Finland, where the largest urban centres are situated.^[12] There are a total of nine cities in Finland with more than 100,000 residents.^[8]

The geographical center of population (Weber point) of the Finnish population is currently located in Hauho, in the village of Sappee, now part of the town of Hämeenlinna. The coordinates of this point are 61' 17" N, 25' 07" E.^[14]

In the 18th century, Finland recorded a fertility rate of 5-6 children per woman, but population growth was hindered by high infant mortality, with approximately 1 in 5 infants dying before their first birthday. Fertility remained relatively steady in the 19th century, with occasional variations. During times of conflict, such as the Finnish war, and periods of famine, birth rates declined, but eventually normalised. Presently, some developing countries have fertility rates similar to those of Finland in the 18th and 19th centuries.^[19]

As the 19th century drew to a close, the traditional agrarian society began to crumble. Simultaneously, the industrial and service sectors witnessed a surge in job opportunities, and urban migration intensified. Manufacturing plants mushroomed in proximity to rivers. Fewer children being born played a role in the rising living standards. However, contraceptive methods were limited to the rhythm method and interrupted intercourse.^[19]

The decline in fertility experienced a noteworthy acceleration in the early 20th century. In 1900, the fertility rate stood at 4.8, which plummeted to 2.3 by 1933. In the late 1930s, fertility rates experienced an uptick, but it later plummeted due to the war, particularly in 1940 as a result of the Winter War. Although the ceasefire caused a spike in births, the resumption of hostilities stalled family planning efforts. Post-war in autumn 1944, there was a resurgence in births, leading to a total fertility rate of 3.1 in 1945, reaching a peak of 3.5 in 1947–1948, a record that remains unbroken. However, fertility rates began a steady decline, dipping below the generational renewal threshold of 2.1 by 1969. Finnish fertility rates have not recovered to this level since.^[19]

The decline persisted until 1973, when it hit a historic low of 1.5 children per woman. In recent years, there have been fluctuations, with fertility rates fluctuating between 1.7 and 1.9.^[19] As of the 2020s, Finland's overall fertility rate has fallen below 1.4.^[17]

The fertility rate in Finland exceeded that of neighbouring countries for the duration of the 20th century. However, since 2010, there has been a significant decline, whereas other Nordic countries have not experienced such a trend until more recently. It is a recent development that Sweden and Finland have similar social policies and incomes, however, Finland is the only country experiencing natural population decrease (excluding immigration).^[21]

The Finnish population is ageing. Life expectancy has also increased in recent decades. Population growth has mainly been driven by immigration. Furthermore, the population is increasingly concentrated in urban areas in southern and western Finland.

• As of 2025, the average age of the Finnish population was 44.1 years, with an average age of 42.7 years for men and 45.2 years for women.^[1]
• As of 2020, the average age of death was 75.3 for men and 82.1 for women, indicating a margin of 6.9 years.^[22]
• As of 2022, infant mortality was very low in Finland. There were two deaths per thousand live births, with 2.3 deaths per thousand for male infants and 1.8 deaths per thousand for female infants.^[23]

In the mid-18th century, when population statistics were initially recorded, Finland recorded an annual death rate of over 10,000, with yearly fluctuations. The overall mortality rate was at 26 and men had a life expectancy of 36.1 years during the 1750s, while women had an expectancy of 38.4 years. The gender gap in life expectancy was a few years at that time.^[25]

The rapid spread of various infectious diseases such as cholera caused mortality up until the 1870s. The war years significantly increased mortality rates in the civilian population. During this time, the highest mortality rates were recorded during the Finnish War of 1808-09 and the cholera outbreak of 1832–33, which caused the deaths of a significant portion of the population. The years 1867-68 were marked as years of high death rates, with the latter year seeing a peak of 137,700 deaths.^[25]

Antes del cambio de siglo XX, las tasas de mortalidad eran notablemente altas, pero disminuyeron gradualmente a partir de entonces. Durante ese período, la esperanza de vida de un recién nacido aumentó significativamente a 42,8 años para los hombres y 45,7 años para las mujeres. La brecha de género en la esperanza de vida ya era de tres años. A partir de principios del siglo XX, las mejoras en la higiene, la prevención de enfermedades transmisibles y los avances en las vacunas y los medicamentos desempeñaron un papel crucial en la aceleración del descenso de las tasas de mortalidad, en comparación con las décadas anteriores. En vísperas de la Segunda Guerra Mundial, la esperanza de vida para los hombres era de 53,4 años y para las mujeres de 59,0 años, lo que constituía una diferencia de cinco años entre ellas. ^{[ 25 ]} La esperanza de vida tardó casi dos siglos en aumentar 20 años desde el siglo XVIII. En contraste, las dos décadas siguientes solo requirieron 40 años para alcanzar el mismo crecimiento a mediados del siglo XX. ^{[ 25 ]}

^{[ 28 ]}

Finlandia tiene dos idiomas oficiales (idiomas nacionales): el finlandés y el sueco . Además, existen otros idiomas reconocidos oficialmente por las autoridades, pero que no son idiomas nacionales. Las lenguas sami son las de los pueblos indígenas de Finlandia. Entre las lenguas indígenas con una larga historia en Finlandia se incluyen el romaní finlandés (kalo), la lengua de signos finlandesa , la lengua de signos finlandesa-sueca y el carelio . El finlandés, que pertenece a las lenguas urálicas , es hablado por aproximadamente 4,9 millones de personas en Finlandia como primera lengua y por más de 0,5 millones como segunda lengua. También se habla en Suecia, Noruega , Carelia Oriental , Ingria (Rusia), Estados Unidos y Australia , con diversos dialectos. El finlandés escrito data de hace 500 años. ^{[ 31 ]}

El sueco, una lengua indoeuropea perteneciente a la rama germánica septentrional , es hablado por aproximadamente 9 millones de personas en todo el mundo, incluyendo 284.611 (2025) hablantes en Finlandia. El sueco finlandés es una variedad regional que busca mantenerse similar al sueco hablado en Suecia. Las lenguas sami, originarias de Europa y estrechamente relacionadas con las lenguas fínicas, cuentan con aproximadamente entre 60.000 y 100.000 hablantes, de los cuales 10.000 viven en Finlandia. En Finlandia existen tres lenguas sami: el sami inari , el sami skolt y el sami septentrional , cada una con su propia forma escrita. Desde 1992, gozan de estatus oficial en ciertas zonas de Laponia. ^{[ 31 ]}

El carelio, hablado en Finlandia y Rusia, es el pariente lingüístico más cercano del finés. Hay menos de 100 000 hablantes de carelio, con aproximadamente 5000 en Finlandia. El romaní, una lengua indoeuropea, pertenece al subgrupo indoario de la rama indoirania. El romaní finlandés es uno de los dialectos romaníes septentrionales y se habla en Finlandia desde hace aproximadamente 450 años. Los esfuerzos por preservarlo como lengua literaria comenzaron en la década de 1970. La lengua de signos finlandesa sirve como lengua principal para entre 4000 y 5000 finlandeses sordos y es utilizada como primera o segunda lengua por entre 6000 y 9000 finlandeses oyentes. La lengua de signos finés-sueca, por otro lado, está en peligro de extinción, con solo 90 usuarios restantes. ^{[ 31 ]}

Todos los municipios continentales son monolingües en finés o bilingües en finés y sueco. Ninguno es monolingüe en sueco. Sin embargo, el sueco es el único idioma oficial en la isla autónoma de Åland . ^{[ 32 ]}

A partir de 2025646.392 personas, o el 11,4%, viven en Finlandia con una lengua materna distinta del finlandés, el sueco o el sami. ^{[ 1 ]} En Finlandia se hablan más de 150 lenguas extranjeras. ^{[ 31 ]} Sin embargo, la mayoría de ellas tienen pocos hablantes. Históricamente, Finlandia ha sido un país bilingüe donde solo se hablaba finlandés o sueco. Esto está cambiando lentamente a medida que la tasa de inmigración ha aumentado en las últimas tres décadas. ^{[ 33 ]} La mayoría de la población finlandesa puede comunicarse en inglés . Sin embargo, se espera que la población extranjera estudie y hable finlandés o sueco si quiere integrarse en la sociedad finlandesa. ^{[ 34 ]}

A partir de 2025Los idiomas extranjeros más comunes son el ruso (1,8 %), el estonio (0,9 %), el ucraniano (0,8 %), el árabe (0,8 %), el inglés (0,7 %), el somalí (0,5 %) y el persa (0,4 %). ^{[ 1 ]} Aproximadamente el 70 % de los hablantes de idiomas extranjeros del país viven en las seis ciudades más grandes de Finlandia. ^{[ 35 ]}

A partir de 2025, Statistics Finland produce estadísticas sobre ciudadanos extranjeros de tres maneras diferentes: ^{[ 1 ]}

1. País de origen y procedencia: 660.800 personas, o el 11,7%, tienen procedencia extranjera.
2. País de nacimiento: 614.401 personas, o el 10,9%, nacieron en un país extranjero.
3. Idioma: 646.392 personas, o el 11,4%, tienen como lengua materna un idioma distinto del finlandés, el sueco o el sami.

No existen estadísticas oficiales sobre etnias. Sin embargo, las estadísticas de población finlandesa están disponibles según los países de nacimiento de los padres de los residentes (estadísticas de origen/antecedentes extranjeros). Las recomendaciones internacionales para los censos definen un grupo étnico según la percepción que tienen sus miembros de su origen histórico, regional o nacional. Por lo tanto, los datos sobre la condición étnica siempre deben provenir de la declaración de la propia persona. Debido a que el censo de Finlandia se basa en registros, no se pueden proporcionar estadísticas oficiales sobre grupos étnicos. ^{[ 42 ]}

País de origen y procedencia: la definición utilizada por Statistics Finland incluye a todas las personas con al menos un progenitor nacido en Finlandia como de procedencia finlandesa. Las personas con ambos progenitores o con un solo progenitor conocido nacido en el extranjero se clasifican como de ascendencia extranjera. Si ambos progenitores de una persona nacieron en el extranjero, el país de nacimiento de la madre se considera principalmente como el país de procedencia. Para todas las personas de ascendencia finlandesa, el país de procedencia es Finlandia. ^{[ 43 ] [ nota 2 ]}

La definición de país de nacimiento utilizada por la Oficina de Estadística de Finlandia se basa en el país de residencia permanente de la madre en el momento del nacimiento. Por consiguiente, los inmigrantes estonios nacidos antes de la independencia de Estonia se registran como nacidos en la Unión Soviética , y aquellos nacidos en territorios cedidos por Finlandia se registran como nacidos en Finlandia, independientemente de los cambios territoriales posteriores. Esta información refleja el gobierno en el poder en el momento del nacimiento y carece de valoraciones subjetivas. ^{[ 46 ]}