Demographics of Finland

, there are 5,652,881 people in Finland. 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. Exceeding the million population milestones: 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. There are a total of nine cities in Finland with more than 100,000 residents. 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. ==Fertility==

, the birth rate dropped to its lowest level on record since 1776 with a total fertility rate of 1.26. A total of 43,320 children were born, and 38,179 (85%) of them were delivered by women who speak Finnish, Swedish or Sámi, the country's national languages. , the average age of first-time mothers was 29.7 years old. The mean age of women who have given birth to a live child was 31.3 years. , people with a foreign background in Finland had higher fertility rates than those with Finnish roots. Women of foreign descent, either born abroad (1.7) or in Finland (1.65), had the most substantial total fertility rates, averaging 1.45 for all women in Finland. Women of Finnish lineage had a slightly higher fertility rate of 1.4. For men, the total fertility rate was just above 1.3, with Finnish men slightly under the average. In contrast, men of foreign origin, whether born abroad or in Finland, exhibited a fertility rate of approximately 1.45 each. Since 2018, the most frequent countries of affiliation for women of foreign origin delivering infants have been former Soviet Union countries, Somalia, and Iraq. Historical fertility rates 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. 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, it is important to note that contraceptive methods were limited to the rhythm method and interrupted intercourse. Age 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. • , 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. • , 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. 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. Before the turn of the 20th century, mortality rates were notably high, but they gradually decreased thereafter. During that time period, the life expectancy of a newborn saw a significant increase to 42.8 years for men and 45.7 years for women. The gender gap in life expectancy already stood at three years. Starting from the beginning of the 20th century, improvements in hygiene, prevention of communicable diseases, and advancements in vaccinations and medicines played crucial roles in accelerating the decline in mortality rates, as compared to previous decades. On the eve of World War II, life expectancy for males stood at 53.4 years and for females, 59.0 years, constituting a five-year gap between them. The life expectancy took almost two centuries to increase by 20 years since the 18th century. In contrast, the succeeding two decades only required 40 years to attain the same growth by the mid-20th century. ==Vital statistics ==

Data from Statistics Finland, which is the official agency for the collection of statistics in Finland.. The Old Finland (Vanha Suomi) territories were incorporated into the new Grand Duchy of Finland in 1811. Notable events in Finnish demographics: • 1808-1809 – Finnish War • 1831-1837 – Cholera years • 1866-1868 – Finnish famine of 1866–1868 • 1918 – Finnish Civil War • 1918-1919 – Spanish Flu • 1939-1940 – Winter War • 1941-1944 – Continuation War • 1945-1950 – Post-World War II baby boom Births by mother's background country Current vital statistics ==Languages==

Official and national languages Finland has two official languages (national languages): Finnish and Swedish. In addition, there are other languages that are officially recognised by the authorities, but are not national languages. The Sámi languages are those of Finland's indigenous people. Indigenous languages with a long history in Finland include Finnish Romani (Kalo), Finnish Sign Language, Finnish-Swedish Sign Language and Karelian. Finnish, which belongs to the Uralic languages, is spoken by approximately 4.9 million people in Finland as a first language and by more than 0.5 million as a second language. It is also spoken in Sweden, Norway, Eastern Karelia, Ingria (Russia), the USA and Australia, with various dialects. Written Finnish dates back 500 years. Swedish, an Indo-European language within the North Germanic branch, is spoken by approximately 9 million people worldwide, including 284,611 (2025) speakers in Finland. Finland Swedish is a regional variety that aims to remain similar to the Swedish spoken in Sweden. The Sámi languages, which are indigenous to Europe and closely related to the Finnic languages, have approximately 60,000-100,000 speakers, of whom 10,000 live in Finland. There are three Sámi languages in Finland: Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi and Northern Sámi, each with its own written form. Since 1992 they have had official status in certain areas of Lapland. First languages of the foreign population , 646,392 people, or 11.4%, live in Finland with a first language other than Finnish, Swedish or Sámi. The majority of the Finnish population is able to communicate in English. However, the foreign population is expected to study and speak Finnish or Swedish if they want to integrate into Finnish society. , the most common foreign languages are Russian (1.8%), Estonian (0.9%), Ukrainian (0.8%), Arabic (0.8%), English (0.7%), Somali (0.5%) and Persian (0.4%). == Immigration ==

Net migration of Finland, 1990-present Statistics of foreign population , Statistics Finland produces statistics on foreign nationals in three different ways: Origin and background country Origin and background country - the definition used by Statistics Finland includes all individuals with at least one parent born in Finland as being of Finnish background. Individuals with both parents or only one known parent born abroad are classified as having foreign heritage. If both parents of an individual were born abroad, the mother's country of birth is primarily considered as the background country. For all individuals of Finnish heritage, the background country is Finland. Country of birth The definition used by Statistics Finland for country of birth is based on the mother's country of permanent residence at the time of birth. Consequently, Estonian immigrants born before Estonian independence are recorded as being born in the Soviet Union, and those born in territories ceded by Finland are listed as being born in Finland, regardless of subsequent territorial changes. This information reflects the government in power at the time of birth and is devoid of subjective evaluations. == Emigration ==

Historically, Finnish emigration began in the 16th century, when Finns worked in Swedish mines, and continued until the 1970s. About 100,000 Finns emigrated to Russia during the Tsarist period, mainly to St Petersburg. Large-scale emigration began in the late 19th century, with about 400,000 Finns moving to the United States and Canada by 1980. After the Second World War, many Finns emigrated to Sweden, reaching a peak in 1970 when 41,000 settled there. An estimated 250,000 to 300,000 Finns became permanent residents of Sweden after the war. However, migration slowed in the 1980s, with more Finns returning than leaving. Apart from these major flows, there have been smaller migrations around the world and some Finns live in different countries. In the 21st century about 14,000 people, mostly of Finnish origin, emigrate every year. Many are well-educated and may return to Finland after a few years. About 300,000 Finnish citizens live abroad and it is estimated that about 1.5 million people of Finnish origin live overseas. == Internal migration ==

in the early days of the Winter War. Migration has played an important role in shaping Finnish society throughout its history. Notable instances are the Forest Finns' migration to Sweden during the 15th century and the relocation of Ingrians to the present-day St Petersburg region during the 17th century. Changes in borders resulted in the formation of Finnish settlements outside its territory. Wars and political conflicts led to massive population movements, such as the Karelian evacuation during World War II, which exiled roughly 420,000 individuals within Finland's borders. Until the 1960s, Finland was predominantly an agricultural society. However, waves of urbanization and political transitions have contributed to migration movements. Currently, urbanization continues to be a significant internal migration pattern, with growth centers and sparsely populated regions. Approximately 250,000 people, mainly young adults, make annual municipal moves, which have notable implications for regional development in the 21st century. ==Religion==

Before Christianisation, Finnish paganism prevailed, venerating deities such as Ukko, the god of thunder and sky. Currently, most of the Finnish population consider themselves nominal Christians, though the proportion of non-religious individuals has increased since the 1980s. , 61.2% of the population were affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 1.0% with the Orthodox Church, 0.5% Islam and 1.4% were members of another religious group. A total of 35.9% have no religious affiliation. In Finland, there are also revival movements, which began as spiritual reform movements and are now organized and active within the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. The historic Finnish revivalist movements emerged in the late 1700s and 1800s and consisted of the Prayer Movement, the Awakened Movement, the Lutheran Evangelical Movement, and the Laestadian Movement. These movements laid out an important religious and social influence on Finnish society during this period. Religious freedom is highly valued in Finland and all residents have the right to choose and practice their faith. == Education ==

The Finnish educational framework encompasses several developmental phases, from early childhood through pre-primary, primary, and lower secondary (basic education), to gymnasium (lukio), vocational, higher, and adult education. Compulsory education is mandatory for 6 to 18-year-olds, covering pre-primary to upper secondary levels. Upon completion of the nine-year basic education, students may opt between gymnasium, culminating in a matriculation exam, or vocational upper secondary, culminating in a vocational qualification. Higher education in Finland consists of universities and universities of applied sciences, which place emphasis on education and research. While universities are authorized to grant doctorates, universities of applied sciences offer vocational education and practical research. Low literacy is correlated with poor health, with individuals reporting low literacy being twice as likely to experience health problems. Furthermore, in Finland, individuals with advanced skill sets have a significantly higher likelihood of being employed when compared to those with lower skill sets, with a difference of almost double. ==See also==