2023 Edition

Background

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.

Area

land

303,815 sq km

total

338,145 sq km

water

34,330 sq km

Area - comparative

slightly more than two times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Montana

Climate

cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

Coastline

1,250 km

Elevation

highest point

Halti (alternatively Haltia, Haltitunturi, Haltiatunturi) 1,328 m

lowest point

Baltic Sea 0 m

mean elevation

164 m

Geographic coordinates

64 00 N, 26 00 E

Geography - note

long boundary with Russia; Helsinki is northernmost national capital on European continent; population concentrated on small southwestern coastal plain

Irrigated land

80 sq km (2015)

Land boundaries

border countries

Norway 709 km; Sweden 545 km; Russia 1,309 km

total

2,563 km

Land use

agricultural land

7.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 7.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.1% (2018 est.)

forest

72.9% (2018 est.)

other

19.6% (2018 est.)

Location

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

Major lakes (area sq km)

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

Map references

Europe

Maritime claims

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

territorial sea

12 nm (in the Gulf of Finland - 3 nm)

Natural hazards

severe winters in the north

Natural resources

timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone

Population distribution

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

Terrain

mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills

Age structure

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)

Alcohol consumption per capita

beer

3.76 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

other alcohols

0.91 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

spirits

1.96 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

total

8.23 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

wine

1.59 liters of pure alcohol (2019 est.)

Birth rate

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

Child marriage

women married by age 18

0.1% (2017 est.)

Children under the age of 5 years underweight

NA

Contraceptive prevalence rate

85.5% (2015)

note

note: percent of women aged 18-49

Current health expenditure

9.6% of GDP (2020)

Currently married women (ages 15-49)

57.2% (2023 est.)

Death rate

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

Demographic profile

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.

Dependency ratios

elderly dependency ratio

37.1

potential support ratio

2.7 (2021 est.)

total dependency ratio

62.1

youth dependency ratio

25

Drinking water source

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

Education expenditures

5.9% of GDP (2020 est.)

Ethnic groups

Finnish, Swedish, Russian, Estonian, Romani, Sami

note

note: 91.5% of the population has a Finnish background

Gross reproduction rate

0.85 (2023 est.)

Hospital bed density

3.6 beds/1,000 population (2018)

Infant mortality rate

female

1.9 deaths/1,000 live births

male

2.3 deaths/1,000 live births

total

2.1 deaths/1,000 live births (2023 est.)

Languages

Languages

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

female

85 years

male

79.1 years

total population

82 years (2023 est.)

Literacy

female

NA

male

NA

total population

NA

Major urban areas - population

1.338 million HELSINKI (capital) (2023)

Maternal mortality ratio

8 deaths/100,000 live births (2020 est.)

Median age

female

44.8 years

male

41.7 years

total

43.2 years (2023 est.)

Mother's mean age at first birth

29.5 years (2020 est.)

Nationality

adjective

Finnish

noun

Finn(s)

Net migration rate

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

Obesity - adult prevalence rate

22.2% (2016)

Physicians density

4.64 physicians/1,000 population (2018)

Population

5,614,571 (2023 est.)

Population distribution

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

Population growth rate

0.22% (2023 est.)

Religions

Lutheran 66.6%, Greek Orthodox 1.1%, other 1.7%, none 30.6% (2021 est.)

Sanitation facility access

improved: rural

rural: 100% of population

improved: total

total: 100% of population

improved: urban

urban: 100% of population

unimproved: rural

rural: 0% of population

unimproved: total

total: 0% of population (2020 est.)

unimproved: urban

urban: 0% of population

School life expectancy (primary to tertiary education)

female

20 years (2020)

male

18 years

total

19 years

Sex ratio

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

at birth

1.05 male(s)/female

total population

0.97 male(s)/female (2023 est.)

Tobacco use

female

16.3% (2020 est.)

male

26.9% (2020 est.)

total

21.6% (2020 est.)

Total fertility rate

1.74 children born/woman (2023 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

85.8% of total population (2023)

Administrative divisions

19 regions (maakunnat, singular - maakunta (Finnish); landskapen, singular - landskapet (Swedish)); Aland (Swedish), Ahvenanmaa (Finnish); Etela-Karjala (Finnish), Sodra Karelen (Swedish) [South Karelia]; Etela-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Sodra Osterbotten (Swedish) [South Ostrobothnia]; Etela-Savo (Finnish), Sodra Savolax (Swedish) [South Savo]; Kanta-Hame (Finnish), Egentliga Tavastland (Swedish); Kainuu (Finnish), Kajanaland (Swedish); Keski-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Mellersta Osterbotten (Swedish) [Central Ostrobothnia]; Keski-Suomi (Finnish), Mellersta Finland (Swedish) [Central Finland]; Kymenlaakso (Finnish), Kymmenedalen (Swedish); Lappi (Finnish), Lappland (Swedish); Paijat-Hame (Finnish), Paijanne-Tavastland (Swedish); Pirkanmaa (Finnish), Birkaland (Swedish) [Tampere]; Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Osterbotten (Swedish) [Ostrobothnia]; Pohjois-Karjala (Finnish), Norra Karelen (Swedish) [North Karelia]; Pohjois-Pohjanmaa (Finnish), Norra Osterbotten (Swedish) [North Ostrobothnia]; Pohjois-Savo (Finnish), Norra Savolax (Swedish) [North Savo]; Satakunta (Finnish and Swedish); Uusimaa (Finnish), Nyland (Swedish) [Newland]; Varsinais-Suomi (Finnish), Egentliga Finland (Swedish) [Southwest Finland]

Capital

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"

geographic coordinates

60 10 N, 24 56 E

name

Helsinki

time difference

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

Citizenship

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

Constitution

amendments

proposed by Parliament; passage normally requires simple majority vote in two readings in the first parliamentary session and at least two-thirds majority vote in a single reading by the newly elected Parliament; proposals declared "urgent" by five-sixths of Parliament members can be passed by at least two-thirds majority vote in the first parliamentary session only; amended several times, last in 2018

history

previous 1906, 1919; latest drafted 17 June 1997, approved by Parliament 11 June 1999, entered into force 1 March 2000

Country name

conventional long form

Republic of Finland

conventional short form

Finland

etymology

name may derive from the ancient Fenni peoples who are first described as living in northeastern Europe in the first centuries A.D.

local long form

Suomen tasavalta (Finnish)/ Republiken Finland (Swedish)

local short form

Suomi (Finnish)/ Finland (Swedish)

Diplomatic representation from the US

chief of mission

Ambassador Douglas HICKEY (since 11 May 2022)

email address and website

HelsinkiACS@state.govhttps://fi.usembassy.gov/

embassy

Itainen Puistotie 14 B, 00140 Helsinki

FAX

[358] (9) 174-681

mailing address

5310 Helsinki Place, Washington DC  20521-5310

telephone

[358] (9) 616-250

Diplomatic representation in the US

chancery

3301 Massachusetts Avenue NW, Washington, DC 20008

chief of mission

Ambassador Mikko Tapani HAUTALA (since 17 September 2020)

consulate(s) general

Los Angeles, New York

email address and website

sanomat.WAS@gov.fihttps://finlandabroad.fi/web/usa/mission

FAX

[1] (202) 298-6030

telephone

[1] (202) 298-5800

Executive branch

cabinet

Council of State or Valtioneuvosto appointed by the president, responsible to Parliament

chief of state

President Sauli NIINISTO (since 1 March 2012)

election results

2018: Sauli NIINISTO reelected president; percent of vote - Sauli NIINISTO (independent) 62.7%, Pekka HAAVISTO (Vihr) 12.4%, Laura HUHTASAARI (PS) 6.9%, Paavo VAYRYNEN (independent) 6.2%, Matti VANHANEN (Kesk) 4.1%, other 7.7%2012: Sauli NIINISTO elected president; percent of vote - Sauli NIINISTO (Kok) 62.6%, Pekka HAAVISTO (Vihr) 37.4%

elections/appointments

president directly elected by absolute majority popular vote in 2 rounds if needed for a 6-year term (eligible for a second term); election last held on 28 January 2018 (next to be held in January 2024); prime minister appointed by Parliament

head of government

Prime Minister Petteri ORPO (since 20 June 2023)

Flag description

white with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the vertical part of the cross is shifted to the hoist side in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag); the blue represents the thousands of lakes scattered across the country, while the white is for the snow that covers the land in winter

Government type

parliamentary republic

Independence

6 December 1917 (from Russia)

International law organization participation

accepts compulsory ICJ jurisdiction with reservations; accepts ICCt jurisdiction

International organization participation

ADB (nonregional member), AfDB (nonregional member), Arctic Council, Australia Group, BIS, CBSS, CD, CE, CERN, EAPC, EBRD, ECB, EIB, EITI (implementing country), EMU, ESA, EU, FAO, FATF, G-9, IADB, IAEA, IBRD, ICAO, ICC (national committees), ICCt, ICRM, IDA, IEA, IFAD, IFC, IFRCS, IHO, ILO, IMF, IMO, IMSO, Interpol, IOC, IOM, IPU, ISO, ITSO, ITU, ITUC (NGOs), MIGA, NATO, NC, NEA, NIB, NSG, OAS (observer), OECD, OPCW, OSCE, Pacific Alliance (observer), Paris Club, PCA, PFP, Schengen Convention, UN, UNCTAD, UNESCO, UNHCR, UNHRC, UNIDO, UNIFIL, UNMIL, UNMOGIP, UNOOSA, UNRWA, UNSOM, UNTSO, UPU, Wassenaar Arrangement, WCO, WFTU (NGOs), WHO, WIPO, WMO, WTO, ZC

Judicial branch

highest court(s)

Supreme Court or Korkein Oikeus (consists of the court president and 18 judges); Supreme Administrative Court (consists of 21 judges, including the court president and organized into 3 chambers); note - Finland has a dual judicial system - courts with civil and criminal jurisdiction and administrative courts with jurisdiction for litigation between individuals and administrative organs of the state and communities

judge selection and term of office

Supreme Court and Supreme Administrative Court judges appointed by the president of the republic; judges serve until mandatory retirement at age 68

subordinate courts

6 Courts of Appeal; 8 regional administrative courts; 27 district courts; special courts for issues relating to markets, labor, insurance, impeachment, land, tenancy, and water rights

Legal system

civil law system based on the Swedish model

Legislative branch

description

unicameral Parliament or Eduskunta (200 seats; 199 members directly elected in single- and multi-seat constituencies by proportional representation vote and 1 member in the province of Aland directly elected by simple majority vote; members serve 4-year terms)

election results

percent of vote by party/coalition - Kok 24%, PS 23%, SDP 21.5%. Center Party 11.5%, Vihr 6.5%, Vas 5.5%, SFP 4.5%, KD 2.5%, Aland 0.5%; Movement Now 0.5%; seats by party/coalition - Kok 48, PS 46, SDP 43, Center Party 23, Vihr 13, Vas 11, SFP 9, KD 5; Aland 1; Movement Now 1; composition men 108, women 92, percent of women 46%

elections

last held on 2 April 2023 (next to be held on 30 April 2027)

National anthem

lyrics/music

Johan Ludvig RUNEBERG/Fredrik PACIUS

name

"Maamme" (Our Land)

note

note: in use since 1848; although never officially adopted by law, the anthem has been popular since it was first sung by a student group in 1848; Estonia's anthem uses the same melody as that of Finland

National heritage

selected World Heritage Site locales

Fortress of Suomenlinna (c); Old Rauma (c); Petäjävesi Old Church (c); Verla Groundwood and Board Mill (c); Bronze Age Burial Site of Sammallahdenmäki (c); High Coast / Kvarken Archipelago (n); Struve Geodetic Arc (c)

total World Heritage Sites

7 (6 cultural, 1 natural)

National holiday

Independence Day, 6 December (1917)

National symbol(s)

lion; national colors: blue, white

Political parties and leaders

Aland Coalition (a coalition of several political parties on the Aland Islands)Center Party or Kesk [Annika SAARIKKO]Christian Democrats or KD [Sari ESSAYAH]Finns Party or PS [Riikka PURRA]Green League or Vihr [Sofia VIRTA]Left Alliance or Vas [Li ANDERSSON]Movement Now or Liike Nyt [Harry HARKINO]National Coalition Party or Kok [Petteri ORPO]Social Democratic Party or SDP [Sanna MARIN]Swedish People's Party or RKP or SFP [Anna-Maja HENRIKSSON]

Suffrage

18 years of age; universal

Agricultural products

milk, barley, oats, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, rye, pork, poultry, beef

Average household expenditures

on alcohol and tobacco

4.3% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

on food

11.5% of household expenditures (2018 est.)

Budget

expenditures

$153.635 billion (2020 est.)

note

note: Central Government Budget data; these numbers represent a significant reduction from previous official reporting

revenues

$140.643 billion (2020 est.)

Budget surplus (+) or deficit (-)

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

Credit ratings

Fitch rating

AA+ (2016)

Moody's rating

Aa1 (2016)

note

note: The year refers to the year in which the current credit rating was first obtained.

Standard & Poors rating

AA+ (2014)

Current account balance

Current account balance 2019

-$879.445 million (2019 est.)

Current account balance 2020

$2.169 billion (2020 est.)

Current account balance 2021

$1.896 billion (2021 est.)

Debt - external

Debt - external 2018

$536.301 billion (2018 est.)

Debt - external 2019

$631.549 billion (2019 est.)

Economic overview

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

Exchange rates

Currency

euros (EUR) per US dollar -

Exchange rates 2017

0.885 (2017 est.)

Exchange rates 2018

0.847 (2018 est.)

Exchange rates 2019

0.893 (2019 est.)

Exchange rates 2020

0.876 (2020 est.)

Exchange rates 2021

0.845 (2021 est.)

Exports

Exports 2019

$107.084 billion (2019 est.)

Exports 2020

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

Exports 2021

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

Exports - commodities

refined petroleum, kaolin coated paper, cars, lumber, stainless steel, wood pulp (2021)

Exports - partners

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

Fiscal year

calendar year

GDP - composition, by end use

exports of goods and services

38.5% (2017 est.)

government consumption

22.9% (2017 est.)

household consumption

54.4% (2017 est.)

imports of goods and services

-38.2% (2017 est.)

investment in fixed capital

22.1% (2017 est.)

investment in inventories

0.4% (2017 est.)

GDP - composition, by sector of origin

agriculture

2.7% (2017 est.)

industry

28.2% (2017 est.)

services

69.1% (2017 est.)

GDP (official exchange rate)

$269.259 billion (2019 est.)

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income

Gini Index coefficient - distribution of family income 2019

27.7 (2019 est.)

Household income or consumption by percentage share

highest 10%

45.2% (2013)

lowest 10%

6.7%

Imports

Imports 2019

$106.664 billion (2019 est.)

Imports 2020

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

Imports 2021

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

Imports - commodities

cars and vehicle parts, crude petroleum, refined petroleum, broadcasting equipment, packaged medicines (2021)

Imports - partners

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

Industrial production growth rate

2.77% (2021 est.)

Industries

metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing

Inflation rate (consumer prices)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2019

1.02% (2019 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2020

0.29% (2020 est.)

Inflation rate (consumer prices) 2021

2.19% (2021 est.)

Labor force

2.82 million (2021 est.)

Population below poverty line

12.2% (2019 est.)

Public debt

note

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

Public debt 2016

62.9% of GDP (2016 est.)

Public debt 2017

61.3% of GDP (2017 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity)

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2020

$262.343 billion (2020 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2021

$270.143 billion (2021 est.)

Real GDP (purchasing power parity) 2022

$275.545 billion (2022 est.)

Real GDP growth rate

Real GDP growth rate 2020

-2.21% (2020 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2021

2.97% (2021 est.)

Real GDP growth rate 2022

2.1% (2022 est.)

Real GDP per capita

note

note: data are in 2017 dollars

Real GDP per capita 2020

$47,400 (2020 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2021

$48,800 (2021 est.)

Real GDP per capita 2022

$49,600 (2022 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2019

$11.427 billion (31 December 2019 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2020

$13.48 billion (31 December 2020 est.)

Reserves of foreign exchange and gold 31 December 2021

$16.744 billion (31 December 2021 est.)

Taxes and other revenues

19.85% (of GDP) (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate

Unemployment rate 2019

6.69% (2019 est.)

Unemployment rate 2020

7.76% (2020 est.)

Unemployment rate 2021

7.53% (2021 est.)

Youth unemployment rate (ages 15-24)

female

17.1%

male

19%

total

18.1% (2021 est.)

Carbon dioxide emissions

from coal and metallurgical coke

9.377 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from consumed natural gas

4.882 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

from petroleum and other liquids

27.737 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

total emissions

41.996 million metric tonnes of CO2 (2019 est.)

Coal

consumption

3.552 million metric tons (2020 est.)

exports

101,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

imports

2.661 million metric tons (2020 est.)

production

762,000 metric tons (2020 est.)

proven reserves

0 metric tons (2019 est.)

Electricity

consumption

79.356 billion kWh (2020 est.)

exports

6.666 billion kWh (2020 est.)

imports

21.615 billion kWh (2020 est.)

installed generating capacity

20.418 million kW (2020 est.)

transmission/distribution losses

2.574 billion kWh (2020 est.)

Electricity access

electrification - total population

100% (2021)

Electricity generation sources

biomass and waste

17.8% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

fossil fuels

13.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

geothermal

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

hydroelectricity

23.2% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

nuclear

33.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

solar

0.4% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

tide and wave

0% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

wind

11.9% of total installed capacity (2020 est.)

Energy consumption per capita

Total energy consumption per capita 2019

216.571 million Btu/person (2019 est.)

Natural gas

consumption

2.393 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

exports

181.143 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

imports

2.569 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

production

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

proven reserves

0 cubic meters (2021 est.)

Nuclear energy

Net capacity of operational nuclear reactors

4.39GW (2023)

Number of operational nuclear reactors

5 (2023)

Percent of total electricity production

32.8% (2021)

Percent of total energy produced

41.3% (2021)

Petroleum

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.)

refined petroleum consumption

207,400 bbl/day (2019 est.)

total petroleum production

8,300 bbl/day (2021 est.)

Refined petroleum products - exports

166,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - imports

122,200 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Refined petroleum products - production

310,600 bbl/day (2017 est.)

Broadband - fixed subscriptions

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

33 (2020 est.)

total

1.846 million (2020 est.)

Broadcast media

a mix of 3 publicly operated TV stations and numerous privately owned TV stations; several free and special-interest pay-TV channels; cable and satellite multi-channel subscription services are available; all TV signals are broadcast digitally; Internet television, such as Netflix and others, is available; public broadcasting maintains a network of 13 national and 25 regional radio stations; a large number of private radio broadcasters and access to Internet radio

Internet country code

.fi  

note

note - Aland Islands assigned .ax

Internet users

percent of population

93% (2021 est.)

total

5.115 million (2021 est.)

Telecommunication systems

domestic

fixed-line 4 per 100 subscriptions and nearly 129 per 100 mobile-cellular (2021)

general assessment

Finland’s telecom market is among the more progressive in Europe, with operators having been at the forefront in deploying technologies and with the regulator being among the first to auction spectrum for 5G use; these efforts have been supported by the government which is working towards its target of providing a broadband service of at least 100Mb/s by 2025; 5G services were available to more than 40% of the population by early 2021, and take-up among subscribers has been strong although most will remain with LTE in the short term; the country enjoys one of the highest broadband and mobile subscription rates in the region, with customers able to make use of the latest iterations of technologies including DOCSIS3.1, LTE-A, 5G, and GPON fiber infrastructure; Finland has emerged as one of the pioneers in 5G; the auction of spectrum in the 700MHz and 3.5GHh bands has enabled network operators to extend the availability of LTE services nationally and to prepare for 5G services; Spectrum in the 2.5GHz band was auctioned in mid-2020 and has since enabled the MNOs to widen their 5G footprint considerably; there is an ongoing shift away from DSL to fiber and mobile networks (2021)

international

country code - 358; landing points for Botnia, BCS North-1 & 2, SFL, SFS-4, C-Lion1, Eastern Lights, Baltic Sea Submarine Cable, FEC, and EESF-2 & 3 submarine cables that provide links to many Finland points, Estonia, Sweden, Germany, and Russia; satellite earth stations - access to Intelsat transmission service via a Swedish satellite earth station, 1 Inmarsat (Atlantic and Indian Ocean regions); note - Finland shares the Inmarsat earth station with the other Nordic countries (Denmark, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden) (2019)

Telephones - fixed lines

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

4 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

207,000 (2021 est.)

Telephones - mobile cellular

subscriptions per 100 inhabitants

129 (2021 est.)

total subscriptions

7.15 million (2021 est.)

Airports

148 (2021)

Airports - with paved runways

civil airports

11

joint use (civil-military) airports

2

military airports

2

note

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.)

other airports

59

total

74

Airports - with unpaved runways

74

note

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

Civil aircraft registration country code prefix

OH

Merchant marine

by type

bulk carrier 9, container ship 1, general cargo 74, oil tanker 5, other 189

total

278 (2022)

National air transport system

annual freight traffic on registered air carriers

957.64 million (2018) mt-km

annual passenger traffic on registered air carriers

13,364,839 (2018)

inventory of registered aircraft operated by air carriers

77

number of registered air carriers

3 (2020)

Pipelines

1,288 km gas transmission pipes, 1,976 km distribution pipes (2016)

Ports and terminals

LNG terminal(s) (import)

Hamina, Inkoo (operational 2023), Pori, Tornio Manga

major seaport(s)

Helsinki, Kotka, Naantali, Porvoo, Raahe, Rauma

Railways

total

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

Roadways

highways

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

private and forest roads

350,000 km (2012)

total

454,000 km (2012)

urban

26,000 km (2012)

Transportation - note

Finland operates icebreakers in the Baltic Sea including seven PC 3 or 4 class medium icebreakers and two PC 5 or 6 class light icebreakersnote - 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)

Waterways

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

Military - note

the Finnish Defense Forces (FDF) are focused primarily on territorial defense, which is based on having a large, trained reserve force created by general conscription; active-duty FDF units absorb and train more than 20,000 conscripts annually; the resulting pool of trained reservists gives the FDF a wartime strength of approximately 280,000 and a total reserve of some 900,000 citizens with military service; other FDF responsibilities include support to international peacekeeping operations and some domestic security duties, such as assisting the National Police in maintaining law and order in crisesthe FDF is also focused on fulfilling its new commitment to NATO; following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Finland reassessed its security policy situation and applied for NATO membership and gained entry in April 2023; as a member of the Alliance, Finland is part of NATO’s collective defense and is covered by the security guarantees enshrined in Article 5 of the North Atlantic Treaty (also known as the Washington Treaty); Finland had been part of NATO’s Partnership for Peace program since 1994, and the FDF exercised with some NATO members and participated in NATO-led military missions in the Balkans, Afghanistan, and Iraq; Finland also is a signatory of the EU’s Common Security and Defense Policy and actively participates in EU crisis management missions and operations; the FDF cooperates closely with the militaries of other Nordic countries through the Nordic Defense Cooperation structure (NORDEFCO; established 2009), which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway, and Sweden and involves cooperation in such areas as armaments, education, human resources, training and exercises, and operations; Finland considers Sweden as its closest bi-lateral security partner; the UK and the US are also close defense partners; in 2022, Finland signed a mutual security agreement with the UK, and since 2014 has been part of the UK-led Joint Expeditionary Force, a pool of high-readiness military forces from 10 Baltic and Scandinavian countries designed to respond to a wide range of contingencies in the North Atlantic, Baltic Sea, and High North regionsthe bulk of the FDF’s annual intake of conscripts go into the Army; in peacetime, the Army has five combat brigades, which include armored, jaeger/light infantry, and mechanized infantry forces, plus two regiments of jaeger/light infantry and jaeger/special forces/helicopter assault forces; the Navy has a mix of missile-armed patrol craft, fast patrol boats, and mine warfare vessels; it is slated to receive four multirole corvettes between by 2029; the Navy also has a coastal defense brigade, which includes anti-ship missile and naval special operations forces and a naval infantry brigade maintained at cadre strength that incorporates about 1,500 conscripts annually; the Air Force has about 60 US-made F/A-18 multirole fighters, which are scheduled to be replaced by US-origin F-35 stealth multirole fighters beginning in 2025 (2023)

Military and security forces

Finnish Defense Forces (FDF; Puolustusvoimat): Army (Maavoimat), Navy (Merivoimat), Air Force (Ilmavoimat) (2023)

note

note: the Border Guard (Rajavartiolaitos) and National Police are under the Ministry of the Interior; the Border Guard becomes part of the FDF in wartime

Military and security service personnel strengths

approximately 30,000 active-duty personnel (22,000 Army; 5,000 Navy; 3,000 Air Force) (2023)

note

note: active-duty figures include about 21,000 conscripts carrying out their obligated military service (approximately 17,000 Army; 3,500 Navy; 1,000 Air Force)

Military deployments

225 Lebanon (UNIFIL) (2023)

Military equipment inventories and acquisitions

the military's inventory consists of a wide mix of mostly modern US, European, Israeli, South Korean, and domestically produced weapons systems; in recent years, the Netherlands and the US have been the leading suppliers; the Finnish defense industry produces a variety of military equipment, including wheeled armored vehicles and naval vessels (2023)

Military expenditures

Military Expenditures 2019

1.4% of GDP (2019)

Military Expenditures 2020

1.5% of GDP (2020)

Military Expenditures 2021

1.9% of GDP (2021)

Military Expenditures 2022

2% of GDP (2022)

Military Expenditures 2023

2.5% of GDP (2023 est.)

Military service age and obligation

at age 18, all Finnish men are obligated to serve 5.5-12 months of service within a branch of the military or the Border Guard (length of service depends on the type of duty); women 18-29 may volunteer for service; there is also an option to perform non-military service which lasts for 8.5 or 11.5 months; after completing their initial conscript obligation, individuals enter the reserves and remain eligible for mobilization until the age of 50 for rank-and-file and 60 for non-commissioned and commissioned officers (2023)

note

note 1: the military trains approximately 21,000 conscripts each year; women have served on a voluntary basis since 1995, and as of 2022 made up about 19% of the military's full-time personnelnote 2: Finland has had conscription since 1951

Disputes - international

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

Refugees and internally displaced persons

refugees (country of origin)

9,175 (Iraq) (mid-year 2022); 61,520 (Ukraine) (as of 24 September 2023)

stateless persons

3,546 (2022)

Air pollutants

carbon dioxide emissions

45.87 megatons (2016 est.)

methane emissions

4.46 megatons (2020 est.)

particulate matter emissions

5.47 micrograms per cubic meter (2019 est.)

Climate

cold temperate; potentially subarctic but comparatively mild because of moderating influence of the North Atlantic Current, Baltic Sea, and more than 60,000 lakes

Environment - current issues

limited air pollution in urban centers; some water pollution from industrial wastes, agricultural chemicals; habitat loss threatens wildlife populations

Environment - international agreements

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

Land use

agricultural land

7.5% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: arable land

arable land: 7.4% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent crops

permanent crops: 0% (2018 est.)

agricultural land: permanent pasture

permanent pasture: 0.1% (2018 est.)

forest

72.9% (2018 est.)

other

19.6% (2018 est.)

Major lakes (area sq km)

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

Revenue from coal

0% of GDP (2018 est.)

Revenue from forest resources

0.36% of GDP (2018 est.)

Total renewable water resources

110 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Total water withdrawal

agricultural

500 million cubic meters (2020 est.)

industrial

2 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

municipal

1 billion cubic meters (2020 est.)

Urbanization

rate of urbanization

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

urban population

85.8% of total population (2023)

Waste and recycling

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.)