Finland
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.
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.
At a Glance
The numbers that define this country
University Enrollment Rate
108.1%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Life Satisfaction
7.82How satisfied people are with their lives, rated on a scale from 0 to 10.
Human Development Index
0.95The Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
GDP Per Capita
$55.6KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
GDP Per Capita (PPP)
64.3KGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
Life Expectancy
81.7 yearsHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
Where They Stand Out
Global rankings worth knowing
🚀University Enrollment Rate
108.1%Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
👥Elderly Population (%)
23.9%The percentage of the population aged 65 and older.
🌱Forest Coverage (%)
73.7%The percentage of land covered by forests - natural or planted trees at least 5 meters tall (excludes orchards and urban parks).
🤝Women in Parliament (%)
46.0%The percentage of parliament seats held by women.
⚡Nuclear Electricity Share
42.0%Percent of electricity generated from nuclear from CIA World Factbook.
Did You Know?
Facts that catch players off guard
Has one of the highest rates of air pollution (pm2.5)
Air Pollution (PM2.5): 4.90
The average level of fine particle air pollution (PM2.5) that people are exposed to.
World Bank 2023Ranks #5 globally in university enrollment rate
University Enrollment Rate: 108.1%
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
World Bank 2023Has one of the highest rates of child mortality
Child Mortality: 2.30
The probability that a newborn will die before age 5, per 1,000 live births.
World Bank 2023Has one of the highest rates of infant mortality
Infant Mortality: 1.80
The number of babies who die before their first birthday, per 1,000 live births.
World Bank 2023Ranks #7 globally in elderly population (%)
Elderly Population (%): 23.9%
The percentage of the population aged 65 and older.
World Bank 2023Surprised? See how you stack up.
Play NowHow Finland Compares
Country vs continent vs world averages
GDP per Capita
Above avgGDP per person, adjusted for purchasing power parity (PPP) so costs of living are comparable across countries.
World Bank 2023Life Expectancy
Above avgHow many years a newborn can expect to live, based on current mortality rates.
World Bank 2023Human Development Index
Above avgThe Human Development Index (HDI), combining life expectancy, education, and income into a single score from 0 to 1.
Our World in Data 2023Internet Users
Above avgThe percentage of people who have used the internet in the last 3 months.
World Bank 2023Think you can guess which countries rank higher?
Test Your IntuitionAbout Finland
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.
- 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
- 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 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)
- 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)
- 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
Deep Dive
79 of 158 metricsEvery stat we track, organized by category
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Share something surprising about Finland!
Total university and college enrollment as a percentage of the typical college-age population.
Frequently Asked Questions about Finland
Finland has a population of 5.55M, ranking #120 globally by population.
Finland is located in Europe. It has an area of 338,455 km².
Life expectancy in Finland is 81.7 years, ranking #36 globally.
Finland's GDP per capita (PPP) is 64.3K, ranking #31 globally.
Finland ranks particularly high in University Enrollment Rate (#5), Life Satisfaction (#6), Human Development Index (#12).
Finland has an HDI of 0.948, ranking #12 globally. The HDI combines life expectancy, education, and income indicators.
Finland has a population density of 18.4 people per km², ranking #188 globally.
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