Geography
Location: Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia.
CIA 2026
Data as of May 5, 2026
Finland
EuropeGlobal Leader
Few places match Finland's #5 ranking in university enrollment. See if you can spot its other strengths.
Few places match Finland's #5 ranking in university enrollment. With 108.1, the numbers speak for themselves. See if you can spot its other strengths.
64.0, 26.0 - Europe
Area
338K km²
Pop.
5.55M
Stats
198
Reality brief
Finland is a country in Europe with a population of 5.55M and an area of 338,455 km². Life expectancy is 81.7 years.
Short factual summary generated from the same country data used in game rounds.
Core numbers
Stats worth knowing
Fast scan first, deep dive later.
University Enrollment Rate
108.13%#5globally
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Life Satisfaction
7.8 pts#6globally
Average self-reported life satisfaction on a 0-10 scale, from OECD How's Life / Well-Being.
Human Development Index
0.95#12globally
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita
$55,628.68#31globally
GDP per person adjusted for purchasing power in constant 2017 international dollars, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
$64,288.55#31globally
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Life Expectancy
81.7 years#36globally
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Country briefing
Grounded facts about Finland
A quick real-world briefing before you dive deeper into rankings, surprises, and matchups.
Culture
Major languages include Finnish (official) 85.9%, Swedish (official) 5.2%, Russian 1.7%, other 7.2% (2022 est.).
CIA 2026
Identity
Formal name: Republic of Finland.
CIA 2026
Cities
Cities in Finland
Browse this country's cities before City Detective asks you to guess.
Helsinki
Uusimaa, Finland
Famous100/100
Open city guide
Tampere
Pirkanmaa, Finland
Famous66/100
Open city guide
Vaasa
Ostrobothnia, Finland
Famous62/100
Open city guide
Rovaniemi
Lapland, Finland
Notable61/100
Open city guide
Oulu
North Ostrobothnia, Finland
Notable59/100
Open city guide
Turku
Southwest Finland, Finland
Notable59/100
Open city guide
Joensuu
North Karelia, Finland
Notable57/100
Open city guide
Lahti
Paijat-Hame, Finland
Notable57/100
Open city guide
Top stats
Where They Stand Out
The strongest source-backed stats before the deeper data table.
Elderly Population (%)
23.9%#7globallyTop stat
Share of the population ages 65 and older, from World Bank Open Data.
Forest Coverage (%)
73.72%#11globallyTop stat
The percentage of land covered by forests - natural or planted trees at least 5 meters tall (excludes orchards and urban parks).
Women in Parliament (%)
46%#11globallyTop stat
The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
R&D Spending (% GDP)
3.0% of GDP#10globallyTop stat
Research and development spending as a share of GDP, from World Bank Open Data.
Nuclear Electricity Share
42%#5globallyTop stat
Percent of electricity generated from nuclear from CIA World Factbook.
Reality checks
Did You Know?
The stats that tend to surprise players in real rounds.
Keeps air pollution (pm2.5) unusually low
#2004.9 µg/m³Air Pollution (PM2.5)
The average level of fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) that people are exposed to.
Keeps child mortality unusually low
#1902.3 per 1k birthsChild Mortality
Deaths before age 5 per 1,000 live births, from World Bank Open Data.
Only ranks #199 in teen birth rate
#1993.1 per 1kTeen Birth Rate
The number of births per 1,000 women aged 15-19.
Only ranks #210 in birth rate
#2107.8 per 1kBirth Rate
The number of babies born per 1,000 people each year.
Only ranks #207 in fertility rate
#2071.3 children/womanFertility Rate
The average number of children a woman would have over her lifetime based on current birth rates.
Compared with the region
How Finland Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
Finland
Europe avg
World avg
GDP per Capita
GDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
- Country
- $64,288.55
- Region avg
- $57,483.02
- World avg
- $31,844.55
Finland$64,288.55
Europe$57,483.02
World$31,844.55
+102% above worldWB 2023
Life Expectancy
How many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
- Country
- 81.7 years
- Region avg
- 80.0 years
- World avg
- 73.7 years
Finland81.7 years
Europe80.0 years
World73.7 years
+11% above worldWB 2023
Human Development Index
Composite 0-1 index of life expectancy, education, and income, from Our World in Data using the latest available country values in TerraBrawl.
- Country
- 0.95
- Region avg
- 0.89
- World avg
- 0.74
Finland0.95
Europe0.89
World0.74
+28% above worldOWID 2023
Internet Users
The percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
- Country
- 94%
- Region avg
- 90.13%
- World avg
- 70.29%
Finland94%
Europe90.13%
World70.29%
+34% above worldWB 2023
Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Play this countryFactbook notes
About Finland
Country briefing
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.
Read the full Factbook note
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. During the next 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, although the system is currently facing the challenges of 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.
Geography & Climate6 facts
- Location
- Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia
- 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
- Terrain
- mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills
- Natural Resources
- timber, iron ore, copper, lead, zinc, chromite, nickel, gold, silver, limestone
- Natural Hazards
- severe winters in the north
- Size Comparison
- slightly more than two times the size of Georgia; slightly smaller than Montana
People & Culture4 facts
- Languages
- Finnish (official) 85.9%, Swedish (official) 5.2%, Russian 1.7%, other 7.2% (2022 est.)
- Religions
- Lutheran 66.6%, Greek Orthodox 1.1%, other 1.7%, none 30.6% (2022 est.)
- Ethnic Groups
- Finnish, Swedish, Russian, Estonian, Romani, Sami
- Major Cities
- 1.338 million HELSINKI (capital) (2023)
Government & History10 facts
- Government Type
- parliamentary republic
- Capital
- Helsinki
- Capital Coordinates
- 60 10 N, 24 56 E
- Capital Timezone
- UTC+2 (7 hours ahead of Washington, DC, during Standard Time)
- Official Name
- Republic of Finland
- Name Origin
- name derives from the Finns, an ethnic group in northeastern Europe; their name comes from the Germanic word finna, meaning "fish scale;" the local name, Suomi, may come from two local words: suo, meaning "marsh," and maa, meaning "land"
- Independence
- 6 December 1917 (from Russia)
- National Symbols
- lion
- National Anthem
- "Maamme" (Our Land)
- UNESCO Heritage
- 7 (6 cultural, 1 natural)
Economy & Trade7 facts
- Overview
- high-income, export-based EU and eurozone economy; major timber, metals, engineering, telecom, and electronics industries; emerging from recession triggered by inflation, weak consumer and export demand, and lower private investment; labor market reform plan to address structural rigidities
- Industries
- metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
- Agricultural Products
- milk, barley, oats, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, pork, chicken, peas, rye (2023)
- Export Partners
- USA 11%, Germany 11%, Sweden 10%, Netherlands 7%, China 5% (2023)
- Export Commodities
- paper, refined petroleum, steel, wood pulp, ships (2023)
- Import Partners
- Germany 14%, Sweden 12%, China 9%, Norway 8%, Netherlands 5% (2023)
- Import Commodities
- crude petroleum, cars, refined petroleum, packaged medicine, broadcasting equipment (2023)
Infrastructure & Defense4 facts
- Military Forces
- Finnish Defense Forces (FDF; Puolustusvoimat): Army (Maavoimat), Navy (Merivoimat), Air Force (Ilmavoimat) (2025)
- Military Service
- all Finnish men are obligated to serve 5.5-12 months of service within a branch of the military or the Border Guard upon reaching the age of 18 (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 (2025)
- Energy Mix
- fossil fuels: 5.6% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); nuclear: 41.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); solar: 0.8% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); wind: 18.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); hydroelectricity: 19.4% of total installed capacity (2023 est.); biomass and waste: 13.7% of total installed capacity (2023 est.)
- Broadcast Media
- 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 digital; 13 national and 25 regional public radio stations; a large number of private radio broadcasters
Source:World Factbook archive 2026
Data vault
Deep Dive
Every tracked stat, grouped for fast scanning.
Education & Future8 statsBest: #5
University Enrollment Rate
Human Development Index
R&D Spending (% GDP)
Education Spending (% GDP)
Domestic Patents
Leisure Time
Foreign Patents
Life Expectancy
Energy2 statsBest: #5
Nuclear Electricity Share
42%#5
Electric Generating Capacity
26.78M kW#41
Society & Equality6 statsBest: #6
Demographics12 statsBest: #7
Elderly Population (%)
Death Rate
Median Age
Dependency Ratio
Land Area
Urban Population (%)
Population
Population Density
Youth Population (%)
Fertility Rate
Teen Birth Rate
Birth Rate
Wealth & Economy13 statsBest: #8
GDP Per Capita
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
Gender Pay Gap (%)
GDP (Nominal)
Youth Unemployment Rate
Unemployment Rate
Long-Term Unemployment
Government Debt (% GDP)
High-Tech Exports (%)
FDI Inflows (% GDP)
Employment Rate (%)
Inflation Rate
GDP Growth Rate
Environment9 statsBest: #10
Forest Coverage (%)
Renewable Energy (%)
Forest Area
Electricity Access (%)
CO2 Per Capita
Total CO2 Emissions
Protected Land (%)
Irrigated Land
80 km²#142
Air Pollution (PM2.5)
Lifestyle5 statsBest: #30
Health & Survival9 statsBest: #32
Life Expectancy
Suicide Rate
Health Spending (% GDP)
Doctors (per 1,000)
Smoking Rate
Hospital Beds (per 1,000)
Obesity Rate
Child Mortality
Infant Mortality
Infrastructure3 statsBest: #33
Technology3 statsBest: #41
Military & Defense2 statsBest: #46
Land & Sea4 statsBest: #75
Land Border Length
2.6K km#75
Coastline Length
1.3K km#77
Lowest Elevation
0 m#80
Highest Elevation
1.3K m#149
Keep exploring
Related Countries
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Where Finland leads
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Share a country stat
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Finland
#5 in University Enrollment Rate
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Top 5% globally
108.13%
Frequently Asked Questions about Finland
What is the population of Finland?
Finland has a population of 5.55M, ranking #120 globally by population.
What continent is Finland in?
Finland is located in Europe. It has an area of 338,455 km².
What is the life expectancy in Finland?
Life expectancy in Finland is 81.7 years, ranking #36 globally.
What is the GDP per capita of Finland?
Finland's GDP per capita (PPP) is $64,288.55, ranking #31 globally.
What is Finland known for in global statistics?
Finland ranks particularly high in University Enrollment Rate (#5), Life Satisfaction (#6), Human Development Index (#12).
What is Finland's Human Development Index?
Finland has an HDI of 0.948, ranking #12 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
How densely populated is Finland?
Finland has a population density of 18.4 people per km², ranking #188 globally.