Every figure below carries its named source and year. The Eco Index scores twelve pillars on the same scale everywhere; seven are measured from published data with fixed thresholds, five are assessed from the named sources.
Finland at a Glance.
The score, and the four numbers that set the tone. 12 equally-weighted pillars, every pillar sourced.
Compare with:
Renewable power
57%
of electricity
Food imported
9%
of merchandise imports · ~US$7,491m a year
The Eco Index across 12 pillars · scored 0 to 5 · World Bank, OWID, WHO/UNICEF JMP, FiBL, Protected Planet, IUCN, UNESCO (2023-24)
Water
Food & farming
Plant-based
Organic
Conservation
Wildlife
Materials
Pollution
Recycling
Energy
Culture
Heritage
Facts That Surprise People About Finland.
The numbers and firsts that change how you see Finland, the sobering and the remarkable. Every one is dated and linked to its source.
SoberingHealth
The world's highest rate of childhood type 1 diabetes
In 2021 Finland had the highest rate of childhood type 1 diabetes in the world, with nearly 70 in every 100,000 children under 15 having the condition, according to a Euronews analysis of IHME data.
SoberingHealth
More than half of adults are overweight
In 2022, 55.3% of Finnish adults were overweight, according to World Bank data.
Source: World Bank, Prevalence of overweight (% of adults): Finland · 2022
SoberingNature
One in nine species assessed is threatened
The 2019 Red List of Finnish species classed 11.9% of the 22,000 species evaluated as threatened. Changes to forests are the main threat to 733 forest species.
RemarkableHealth
Heart deaths down 84% since 1972
The North Karelia Project began in 1972 to tackle very high cholesterol, blood pressure and smoking. Coronary deaths among the middle aged fell by 84% between 1972 and 2014.
RemarkablePeople
Happiest country for eight years running
The World Happiness Report 2025 ranked Finland the happiest country in the world for the eighth year in a row.
Source: PBS News, Finland ranked happiest country in the world · 2025
RemarkableHistory
A parliamentary first for women in 1906
In 1906 Finland's parliament became the first in the world to give all men and women the right both to vote and to stand for election. Nineteen women were elected the following year.
RemarkableNature
Nearly three quarters of the land is forest
In 2024, forest covered 74.2% of Finland's land area, according to World Bank data.
Source: World Bank, Forest area (% of land area): Finland · 2024
Worth knowingNature
A lake seal still clinging on
Metsähallitus estimated the Saimaa ringed seal population at around 495 animals at the start of 2024. Mild winters threaten its breeding lairs and raise pup mortality, and about a quarter of the seals recorded dead in 2023 had drowned in fishing gear.
The History of Finland.
Distinct living heritage endures in Finland. The kantele and the runic song tradition of the Kalevala remain part of Finnish cultural life, alongside pelimanni folk music and dance.
Where the name comes from
Suomi in Finnish, of debated origin. 'Finland' comes from a Germanic name for the peoples of the region. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
The land itself: low, flat to rolling plains, interspersed with lakes and low hills, rising to fells in Lapland. Its high point is Halti, 1,324 m. Source: UK Permanent Committee on Geographical Names toponymic factfile.
Where it starts
One of Europe’s oldest nets
The Stone Age in Finland began as the last Ice Age ended, around 9000 BC. The Antrea net, made of willow bast with bark floats and dated to about 8300 BC, was for a long time the oldest dated net found in Europe. Between about 4000 and 2500 BC red ochre figures were painted on the cliff at Astuvansalmi, the largest continuous group of rock paintings in the Nordic countries, with 85 figures identified. By about 6,000 years ago people at Kierikki on the River Ii lived in their villages all year round and traded surplus fish for flint and amber.
How it got here
Sweden, Russia, and 1906
Traditional Sámi livelihoods include reindeer herding, hunting and fishing, and they continue in the Sámi homeland today. Finland was part of the Swedish realm until Russia took it in the war of 1808 to 1809, after which it was an autonomous Grand Duchy. In 1906 its parliament became the first in the world to give all men and women both the vote and the right to stand for election, and 19 women were elected in 1907. Independence was declared in 1917.
The timeline
c. 9000 BC
After the ice.
The last Ice Age ends around 9000 BC and the Stone Age in Finland begins. Source
c. 8300 BC
The Antrea net.
A willow-bast fishing net with bark floats, for a long time the oldest dated net found in Europe. Source
c. 4000 to 2500 BC
Rock paintings.
Red ochre paintings are made on a lakeside cliff at Astuvansalmi, the largest continuous group of rock paintings in the Nordic countries, with 85 figures identified. Source
c. 4000 BC
Kierikki.
By about 6,000 years ago people at Kierikki on the River Ii live in their villages all year round, later building terraced houses up to 60 metres long and trading surplus fish for flint and amber. Source
c. AD 600s onward
Sami reindeer herding.
Sami communities in the north begin small-scale reindeer herding around the 7th century AD. Until about 1400 the herds stay small, and people also live by hunting, fishing and gathering. Source
1323 to 1809
Swedish rule.
A peace treaty in 1323 between Sweden and Novgorod leaves only eastern Finland to Novgorod, and Finland stays in the Swedish realm until Russia takes it in the war of 1808 to 1809. Source
1809 to 1917
Grand Duchy.
Finland is joined to Russia in 1809 and becomes an autonomous Grand Duchy. Its highest governing body is the Senate, whose members are Finns. Source
1906
Votes for women.
Finland gives women both the vote and the right to stand for parliament, among the first countries in the world to do so. Source
1917
Independence.
On 6 December 1917 the Parliament of Finland approves the declaration of independence drawn up by the Senate under P. E. Svinhufvud, ending more than a century as an autonomous Grand Duchy of the Russian Empire. Source
Finnish Heritage Agency, Museovirasto · National Museum of Finland · Kierikki Stone Age Centre · This is Finland, Main outlines of Finnish history · Metsähallitus, Astuvansalmi rock paintings · This is Finland, Finland’s parliament: pioneer of gender equality · Miettinen et al., The palaeoenvironment of the Antrea Net Find, Iskos 16 (2008) · Kierikki Stone Age Centre, The Stone Age in Finland and Kierikki · Sámi Parliament in Finland, Livelihoods, justice and environment
Nature and Biodiversity in Finland.
The World Bank records 13.6% of Finland's land and 11.8% of its seas as protected in 2024, managed through a well-run national-park and nature-reserve network. Enforcement is generally strong, but the continued clear-cutting of old-growth boreal forest remains a live and contested conservation gap.
Is wild Finland protected? 13.9% of the land is, against a 30% target for 2030
How protected is nature in Finland?
Forest cover73.72%
Terrestrial protected area13.9%
Marine protected area11.8%
23 (mammals, birds, fish & plants) listed as threatened.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · GBIF occurrence data · IUCN Red List, threatened species by country (Summary Statistics, Table 5) · World Bank, Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters): Finland · World Bank (IUCN data), Plant species (higher), threatened: Finland · World Bank (IUCN data), Fish species, threatened: Finland · World Bank (IUCN data), Mammal species, threatened: Finland · World Bank (IUCN data), Bird species, threatened: Finland
Found only here. Saimaa ringed seal, found only in Lake Saimaa (530 individuals counted in 2025)
The watchlist
ThreatenedMustela lutreola Assessed Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List. The Finnish occurrence records in GBIF are historical rather than recent.
ThreatenedEmberiza aureola Assessed Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and present in GBIF occurrence records for Finland.
ThreatenedAnguilla anguilla Assessed Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and present in GBIF occurrence records for Finland.
ThreatenedVanellus gregarius Assessed Critically Endangered on the IUCN Red List, and present in GBIF occurrence records for Finland.
What is still here, and what is gone?
Tap a species for the honest status.
Closest to being lost, by name
Mustela lutreola
Critically Endangered, the IUCN category immediately below Extinct in the Wild, and present in GBIF occurrence records for Finland. GBIF holds 2 verified occurrence records.
Emberiza aureola
Critically Endangered, the IUCN category immediately below Extinct in the Wild, and present in GBIF occurrence records for Finland. GBIF holds 293 verified occurrence records.
Bottle-palm (Beaucarnea recurvata)
Critically Endangered, the IUCN category immediately below Extinct in the Wild, and present in GBIF occurrence records for Finland. GBIF holds 3 verified occurrence records.
Anguilla anguilla
Critically Endangered, the IUCN category immediately below Extinct in the Wild, and present in GBIF occurrence records for Finland. GBIF holds 18 verified occurrence records.
Species named here are drawn from GBIF occurrence records for Finland filtered to the IUCN Red List threatened categories. Species are listed where GBIF holds occurrence records for them in this country. Record counts are not published here because the figure cannot be reproduced from a public GBIF query.
Who is putting it back
National park in Lapland, mapped and named in the open record for Finland. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in Lapland, mapped and named in the open record for Finland. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in Lapland, mapped and named in the open record for Finland. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in Lapland, mapped and named in the open record for Finland. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in North Ostrobothnia, mapped and named in the open record for Finland. OpenStreetMap.
Nature reserve in Kainuu, mapped and named in the open record for Finland. OpenStreetMap.
Water and Ocean in Finland.
Finland sits on roughly 188,000 lakes and abundant groundwater, and Helsinki draws its supply from Lake Päijänne through a 120 km tunnel. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.6% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024, among the most secure supplies in the world.
Does Finland have enough fresh water? Yes, with headroom
99.6% of people here have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Tap water is safe for a visitor nearly everywhere.
Cleanest water: Lakeland and Lapland (Lakes Saimaa and Päijänne, the Teno river)
How much fresh water does Finland have, per person?
19,258 m³
Finland
1,000 m³
the UN “water scarce” line
Finland withdraws about 3,000 million cubic metres of fresh water a year (2022). That is 7.1% of the fresh water actually available to it, which FAO counts as no water stress. Of what is taken, farming takes 36%, homes and towns 18%, industry 46%. Source: FAO AQUASTAT.
What are the rules on Finland beaches?
✓Tap water: Drinkable.
✓Plastic rules: EU single-use-plastic ban (straws, cutlery, plates, EPS containers) since 2021; voluntary retail Green Deal on bags rather than a statutory levy.
✓Solo travel: rated easy on the record for this destination.
✕Marine protection: 11.8% of the sea is protected. The 30x30 pledge for 2030 is not met yet.
Named by the City of Helsinki: Pihlajasaari beach, Uunisaari beach, Suomenlinna beach, Kivinokka beach, Puotila beach, Seurasaari baths, plus lake swimming at Luukinjärvi and Kaitalampi in the Luukki outdoor area. That is 19 public swimming sites listed for Helsinki alone, each one a place you can look up before you go. City of Helsinki, Culture and Leisure Division.
Where does the sewage go?
90.1%
of people have safely managed sanitation
90.1% of people here use a safely managed sanitation service, meaning waste is contained, emptied and treated rather than reaching the ground or the sea untreated (2024, World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP, SDG 6.2.1). That is close to universal coverage.
How is the sea around Finland doing?
One cross-section, every answer measured.
Surface
What the coast carries
Midnight sun Jun–Jul, aurora Sep–Mar; Lapland winters are dark and freezing.
Nearshore
Protected water
11.8% of territorial waters are protected, against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Cleanest
Where the water is cleanest
Lakeland and Lapland (Lakes Saimaa and Päijänne, the Teno river).
The record
Measured
Finland sits on roughly 188,000 lakes and abundant groundwater, and Helsinki draws its supply from Lake Päijänne through a 120 km tunnel. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.6% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024, among the most secure supplies in the world.
Finland scored 71 out of 100 on the Ocean Health Index in its 2025 assessment, below the global average of 72, and ranked 122nd of 220 coastal regions. The index team says it is no longer updating scores, so the 2025 figures may be the last.
Sea protected
11.8%
Against the 30% pledged for 2030 under the Global Biodiversity Framework.
Threatened species
23 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Mammals, birds, fish and higher plants on the IUCN list.
Is the tap water safe in Finland?
99.6% of people have safely managed drinking water at home (2024, WHO/UNICEF JMP). Renewable fresh water works out at about 19,258 cubic metres per person a year (World Bank).
How hard is the water supply being pushed?
Of every 10 buckets nature refills, 1 are already taken. Withdrawals run at 7.1% of what Finland renews internally each year (2022, World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT). That is inside the 25% mark generally treated as water stress, so the supply has headroom.
When is the best time to visit Finland? Tap your month.
Tap your month.
How much fresh water does Finland actually have?
Nature renews about 19,258 cubic metres of fresh water per person per year here. That ranks Finland 176 of 208 countries measured, placing it among the 40 best-watered countries measured. The UN treats anything under 1,000 cubic metres as water scarce, and this is above that line. World Bank / FAO AQUASTAT.
Food and Drink in Finland.
Finland’s rate of self-sufficiency in food supply is high, and most inputs to its food sectors are domestic. Farming and food processing still depend heavily on imported fossil fuels for energy and chemical inputs, and livestock production relies on imported supplementary protein feed.
Where does the food in Finland come from?
8.8% imported
about US$7,491m a year
On the plate: Rye bread, oats, potatoes, root vegetables, wild berries (bilberry, lingonberry, cloudberry), foraged mushrooms
1 of 10
bites are imported
The island buys in more food energy than it eats. About US$7,491m a year leaves the country to pay for it. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
Food is 8.8% of everything Finland imports (2024, World Bank). Farming itself is 2.6% of the economy and 7.4% of the land is agricultural, of which 7.4% is arable. The green slice is roughly what still grows here.
What is killing people in Finland? The imported diet.
Cause of death, and the diet behind it.
Non-communicable diseases, all combined92.3%
Diabetes6.9%
A national register study in Diabetes Care (2010) counted 9,481 first major amputations in Finland between 1997 and 2007, and 5,047 of them, 53.2 per cent, were in people with diabetes. People with diabetes were 7.4 times more likely to lose a limb, but their rate fell from 94.4 to 48.3 per 100,000 over the decade. A 2022 Tampere University thesis using national data found that below knee amputations fell by 46.2 per cent between 1997 and 2018, while smaller amputations below the ankle doubled. Source: Ikonen et al., Diabetes Care.
Adults living with overweight or obesity. 55.3%.
Can Finland feed itself?
7.4%
Arable land
7.4%
Agricultural land
100,852
Farmers
5,545,036
Arable acres
2.6%
Agriculture, share of GDP
Harvest: Berry and mushroom foraging July to September; new potatoes early summer
Feeding itself
Finland is highly self-sufficient in staples such as dairy, cereals, pork and poultry, but its northern climate means nearly all fruit, vegetables and warm-climate produce are imported, so roughly a third of consumed food comes from abroad. Farming also leans heavily on imported feed protein, fuel and fertiliser, a recognised vulnerability.
Certification
FiBL's OrganicTargets4EU factsheet puts 13.6% of Finnish farmland under certified organic management in 2024, above the EU average of 11.1%. Organic area is concentrated in the south and west where most farming sits.
Water for crops
Finland sits on roughly 188,000 lakes and abundant groundwater, and Helsinki draws its supply from Lake Päijänne through a 120 km tunnel. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.6% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024, among the most secure supplies in the world.
Why the organic number looks like that. Certification covers only part of what is grown cleanly, so a small certified share is a gap in the paperwork rather than proof that nothing is. What the official land record does show: 7.4% of the country is agricultural land and 7.4% is arable (2023, World Bank). Certification is paid for per farm per year by a foreign body, which prices out smallholders, so the organic number reads worse than the practice.
What actually grows here
BarleyOatsWheatPotatoesSugar beetsPeasRye
The food that already fits
The plant-based kitchen here is not an import. By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Finland are oats, barley, wheat, sugar beet and potatoes (FAO, FAOSTAT crop production, 2024). That is what the land itself puts on a plate.
Buy where residents buy: the Old Market Hall beside Helsinki's Market Square, the city's oldest market hall, open Monday to Saturday 8.00 to 18.00; Hakaniemi Market Hall in Helsinki, two floors of food stalls and cafés, open Monday to Saturday 8.00 to 18.00; and Tampere Market Hall, with more than 30 small food shops, bakeries, cafés and craft stalls, open Monday to Friday 9.00 to 18.00 and Saturday 9.00 to 16.00. These are public market halls rather than farm shops we have checked, so ask stallholders what is local and in season.
Not yet checked by us. Plant based kitchens listed publicly: Brindavan & Bhajan Café, vegan buffet in Helsinki (Vallila): Indian inspired dishes, salads and stews, priced by weight; Rakastan Café, vegan café in central Helsinki: vegan Karelian pies, soup lunches and pastries; Magu, vegan restaurant in Helsinki: seasonal tasting and set menus from local produce; Thai Vegan Kitchen, vegan restaurant in Helsinki (Lapinlahdenkatu): Thai and other East Asian dishes with daily specials; Peace Kitchen, vegan restaurant in Helsinki (Kallio): noodles, from the team behind Thai Vegan Kitchen. Tell us how they are.
Is this grown in Finland?
Tap a food for the honest answer.
Rye breadOatsPotatoesRoot vegetablesLingonberryForaged mushrooms
World Bank Open Data · FAO, FAOSTAT crop production · World Health Organization · FAO AQUASTAT · Ikonen et al., Diabetes Care 2010, Fewer major amputations among individuals with diabetes in Finland in 1997 to 2007 · Tampere University, Laakso 2022, Diabetic foot infection and lower extremity amputations · MyHelsinki (City of Helsinki), Best vegan joints in Helsinki (16 November 2024) · Old Market Hall Helsinki, official site · Hakaniemi Market Hall, official site · City of Tampere, Tampere Market Hall · Huan-Niemi et al., Dependency of domestic food sectors on imported inputs with Finland as a case study, Agricultural and Food Science (2021)
Climate and Energy in Finland.
Finland has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the industrial world, with nuclear power and wind and hydropower together supplying roughly 90 per cent low-carbon generation after the Olkiluoto 3 reactor and rapid wind growth came online. Fossil CO2 emissions are moderate at about 5.8 tonnes per person in 2023, reflecting a cold climate, high energy use and heavy industry, though emissions have fallen sharply. Finland's Climate Act sets one of the world's most ambitious targets, carbon neutrality by 2035. The clean grid and leading policy outweigh the mid-range emissions.
What powers Finland?
Renewable 56.5%Fossil 3.7%
Fingrid owns and runs the national transmission grid and all the main links to neighbouring countries. In February 2026 the pension insurer Ilmarinen sold its stake of about 20 per cent. The Finnish State bought its A shares and OP Pohjola bought the rest, and once the deal closed in May 2026 the state held 59.5 per cent and OP Pohjola 14.2 per cent, with the remainder held by Finnish insurance and pension companies. The Energy Authority, the regulator, granted Fingrid its current network licence in January 2015, valid until further notice.
Climate pollution per person
The safe amount, what the planet can absorb
2 tonnes
One person here
5.54 tonnes
The world average, for comparison
4.7 tonnes
The worst it ever got
14.21 tonnes
The grid
Finland has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the industrial world, with nuclear power and wind and hydropower together supplying roughly 90 per cent low-carbon generation after the Olkiluoto 3 reactor and rapid wind growth came online. Fossil CO2 emissions are moderate at about 5.8 tonnes per person in 2023, reflecting a cold climate, high energy use and heavy industry, though emissions have fallen sharply.
Pollution
The Finnish Meteorological Institute's Pallas station in Lapland records some of Europe's cleanest air, and the country's population-weighted PM2.5 was just 4.57 µg/m³ in 2023 according to the World Bank, far below the older WHO guideline. EU single-use-plastic bans are in force and litter is very low.
Water stress
Finland sits on roughly 188,000 lakes and abundant groundwater, and Helsinki draws its supply from Lake Päijänne through a 120 km tunnel. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.6% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024, among the most secure supplies in the world.
What pollutes most here
1The grid The share of electricity still generated from fossil fuel.44.1%
2Industry Peat extraction and burning, old-growth clear-cut forestry, and metal mining such as Talvivaara/Terrafame.named
3Air Modelled annual mean against a WHO guideline of 5 µg/m³.4.57
4On the record The Finnish Meteorological Institute's Pallas station in Lapland records some of Europe's cleanest air, and the country's population-weighted PM2.5 was just 4.57 µg/m³ in 2023 according to the World Bank, below the current WHO guideline of 5 micrograms, which few countries meet.
What has Finland promised on climate?
Net zero, whole economy2035
Electricity renewable today52.9% (2021)
Land protected, against a 30% target13.9% by 2025
Sea protected, against a 30% target11.8% by 2025
The net-zero target year on file with Climate Watch is 2035, status: in law; in policy document. Measured against it, 52.9% of electricity is already renewable (2021, World Bank), so 47.1% of the grid is still to be converted. The pledge on file is measured here against what has actually been delivered, not taken on its own (UNFCCC NDC Registry, CBD Kunming-Montreal Target 3).
The biggest line item
One return flight against a whole year of living.
A resident's entire year5.54 t CO2e
Safe-climate budget, per year2 t CO2e
Sydney return, economy2.74 t CO2e
Johannesburg return, economy1.73 t CO2e
Singapore return, economy1.67 t CO2e
Los Angeles return, economy1.63 t CO2e
New York return, economy1.19 t CO2e
How much CO2 does flying to Finland emit?
Tap where you would fly from. One return flight, economy.
Firsts on climate finance. In 2017 Finland put €114 million into a blended finance programme with the World Bank's private sector arm, IFC, to back climate projects in developing countries. IFC says Finland was the first European country to enter such a partnership with it, and the money was invested between October 2017 and December 2023. At home, the municipal lender MuniFin says it became the first Finnish credit institution to issue green bonds in 2016, and its green lending portfolio stood at about €9.1 billion across more than 700 projects at the end of 2025. In June 2026 it issued its first green bond in Swiss francs, worth CHF 120 million.
Climate Watch (WRI) · UNFCCC NDC Registry · World Bank Open Data · UK DESNZ greenhouse gas conversion factors · Fingrid, Changes in Fingrid's ownership: Finnish State increases its shareholding (Feb 2026) · Fingrid, Fingrid ownership structure change completed (May 2026) · Fingrid, Fingrid granted electricity network licence (2015) · IFC, Finland-IFC Blended Finance for Climate Program, 2017 to 2023 investment highlights · MuniFin, MuniFin celebrates 10 years of green bonds (June 2026) · MuniFin, news archive (inaugural green CHF bond, June 2026)
AI and Data Centres in Finland.
Every prompt runs on a machine in a building on somebody’s grid. What that costs the planet depends less on the prompt than on what is burning to power it. Here is what would power one in Finland.
Data centres
36
Registered colocation and interconnection facilities, PeeringDB, 2026
Grid renewable
56.5 %
What a machine here runs on.
What powers a data centre in Finland?
A machine here runs mostly on renewables, but not entirely.
Renewable 56.5%Fossil 43.5%
Cooling water. Every one of those halls runs on the national grid, which is 52.9% renewable today (World Bank). A data centre is only as clean as the electricity behind it, so the same figure that decides this country's climate score also decides the footprint of the AI running inside it. Cooling water use is not separately published by facility, and no operator here reports it.
The rules. Finland has 36 colocation and interconnection facilities on the public PeeringDB register, concentrated in Helsinki (12), Espoo (8), Oulu (4), alongside 14 internet exchanges (FICIX 2 (Helsinki), TREX Tampere, FICIX 3 (Oulu), FICIX 1 (Espoo)). Named sites include Digita Helsinki Pasila Broadcasting Tower, IP-Only Espoo, Equinix HE3 - Helsinki, Suvilahti, Equinix HE4 - Helsinki, Hansa.
Where the cables land. 11 landing points · Espoo, Hamnäs, Hanko, Haradsholm
Economy and Tourism in Finland.
63% residents to 37% visitors across a year. 3,290,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 5,646,436 people who live here (2025, World Bank / UN Tourism).
Where a visitor dollar goes in Finland
896k
Visitors a year
0.2
Visitors per resident
How deep in debt is Finland?· for every $100 Finland earns in a year, it owes…
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · today
$ 93What is owed now, for every $100 of national income (2026).
IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026signed, the creditors
Pay to the order of: the creditorsmemo · projected 2031
$ 101The IMF's own forecast has this rising to $101 by 2031.
IMF World Economic Outlook projection, 2031signed, the forecast
For every $100 Finland earns in a year, it owes $93 (2026, IMF World Economic Outlook). The interest on that is paid before schools, clinics or coastline get their turn.
Where does a tourist dollar actually go in Finland?
Play one tourist dollar around the board. Every square is a measured fact from this page.
START!
1
GO: a visitor lands
$100 goes on the table. 3,290,000 international arrivals in 2019 against 5,646,436 residents, 0.6 visitors for every resident (World Bank / UN Tourism).
$100 in play2
The bed
Who owns the largest places to stay in Finland is not published in the records we can check, so this square is left open rather than guessed. Where a listing names its owner, it is shown in the ownership table below.
not published3
The plate
Food is only 8.8% of everything Finland imports (2024, World Bank), so most of a meal is bought from producers inside the country. Eating what the land here actually grows, barley, oats, wheat, potatoes, sugar beets, peas, rye, keeps that money with the grower.
mostly home-grown4
The power
52.9% of the electricity is renewable (2021, World Bank), so the energy on the bill is mostly generated inside the country rather than shipped in.
made at home5
What actually stays
Of the two parts of a visitor's bill that can be measured here, the plate and the power stay inside Finland. This is not an economy where a visitor's money drains away, and the board is shorter for it.
most of it6
Pay the bank first
Finland owes $93 for every $100 it earns (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). The interest is paid before anything else on this board.
$93 per $1007
A spread hand
The largest single export, machinery and mechanical appliances, is 14.4% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). No one shock can take the whole board.
top export 14.4%8
Community chest
Tourism earns 1.8% of everything Finland makes from exports (2020, World Bank / UN Tourism). That is how much of the economy depends on the game continuing.
1.8% of exports9
The flight
Getting here is usually the biggest single line on the bill. From Sydney a return economy seat is 2.74 t CO2, on the UK Government's published conversion factors. It is the one part of the trip this board cannot reduce.
2.74 t CO210
Back to GO
The economy turns over about US$338 billion a year (IMF World Economic Outlook, 2026 projection). Every lap of this board is a choice about how much of it stays.
US$338bnGDPUS$317.0bn
Agriculture, share of GDP2.6%
Visitors a year896,000
Visitors per resident0.2
Residents~5,646,436
Agriculture
Farming is 2.6% of the economy. Finland is highly self-sufficient in staples such as dairy, cereals, pork and poultry, but its northern climate means nearly all fruit, vegetables and warm-climate produce are imported, so roughly a third of consumed food comes from abroad.
Natural materials
Living natural-materials traditions include Finnsheep wool, hand-knitted villasukat socks and mittens, linen (pellava) weaving, and the woven ryijy rug and räsymatto rag rugs still made in homes and craft guilds. Reusable and repair culture is strong.
Energy
Finland has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the industrial world, with nuclear power and wind and hydropower together supplying roughly 90 per cent low-carbon generation after the Olkiluoto 3 reactor and rapid wind growth came online. Fossil CO2 emissions are moderate at about 5.8 tonnes per person in 2023, reflecting a cold climate, high energy use and heavy industry, though emissions have fallen sharply.
Who owns the biggest hotels in Finland?
By rooms · company records and press.
Kakslauttanen Arctic Resort · ~150 roomsIndependentnot published
Ollero Eco Lodge · ~2 roomsIndependentnot published
Visitors, over time
20152,622k
20162,789k
20173,180k
20183,224k
20193,290k
2020896k
International tourism receipts run at about US$1.76 billion in 2020 (World Bank / UN Tourism). That is 1.8% of everything the country earns from exports.
How much of your money actually stays here?
Tap the holiday you are planning.
Visiting Finland, whoever you are.
Resort guest, villa renter, family, nomad or backpacker. The honest playbook for each, from the same sourced numbers.
Already booked a resort? · the rescue list
Five swaps that move your money back on-island
1. Eat where the country eats Choose kitchens cooking rye bread, oats, potatoes, root vegetables, wild berries (bilberry, lingonberry, cloudberry), foraged mushrooms over imported menus.
2. Book with a local operator Never the lobby desk. The margin on a tour is the part that stays.
3. Stay somewhere locally owned Ownership decides where the room rate books. Eco stays
4. Use the transport residents use VR trains and long-distance buses between cities, domestic flights to Lapland, trams and metro in Helsinki; a car helps in rural areas
5. Buy the craft, not the souvenir Natural-materials work made here pays the maker directly; imported gifts pay a shipping line.
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First time here
The EU's most forested country, with near pristine air, roughly 188,000 lakes and living Sámi culture in the Arctic north.
Best time: June to August for lakes and midnight sun; December to March for aurora and snow
Getting around
VR trains and long-distance buses between cities, domestic flights to Lapland, trams and metro in Helsinki; a car helps in rural areas
Transport is where the fare either stays or leaves.
Eating here
The everyday plate is rye bread, oats, potatoes, root vegetables, wild berries (bilberry, lingonberry, cloudberry), foraged mushrooms. Everyday plant staples are rye, the national dark bread, alongside oats, potatoes and root vegetables, plus wild-foraged bilberries, lingonberries, cloudberries and mushrooms.
Eating what the country grows is the cheapest way to cut the import bill.
Good to know
Cards everywhere; EUR. Sauna is culture and lakes are the national pastime.
Rate my hotel. Tap yours for the honest verdict.
Ownership from company records and press.
Who owns the places to stay
Kakslauttanen Arctic ResortIndependent · 150 rooms
Ollero Eco LodgeIndependent · 2 rooms
None of the 2 properties listed here publishes who ultimately owns it, so no claim is made either way. Ownership is what decides how much of a room rate stays in the country, which is why we show it when a listing states it.
Society and Governance in Finland.
How well is Finland actually run?
Governance, measured · World Bank WGI
Four measured answers, none of them opinion. Averaged across corruption control, delivery and accountability, Finland scores 89 out of 100 (2024, World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators). That is a state that generally does what it says it will do, which is what makes a climate pledge worth reading.
What is daily life in Finland really like? Measured
Getting around, breathing, throwing away, learning. The honest checklist.
TransportAirWaterWastePower
✓How you get around VR trains and long-distance buses between cities, domestic flights to Lapland, trams and metro in Helsinki; a car helps in rural areas
Made in Finland.
Living natural-materials traditions include Finnsheep wool, hand-knitted villasukat socks and mittens, linen (pellava) weaving, and the woven ryijy rug and räsymatto rag rugs still made in homes and craft guilds. Reusable and repair culture is strong. Every step of processing done at home is value that stops leaving the country.
What Finland actually sells the world
The single biggest thing Finland sells the world is machinery and mechanical appliances, 14.4% of all exports in 2023 (about US$11.91 billion, UN Comtrade). The next four are mineral fuels and oils at 9.5%, electrical machinery and electronics at 9.4%, paper and paperboard at 8.3%, iron and steel at 7.0%.
Made now · natural materials
Living natural-materials traditions include Finnsheep wool
Worked in Finland from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Hand-knitted villasukat socks
Worked in Finland from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Mittens
Worked in Finland from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Linen (pellava) weaving
Worked in Finland from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Woven ryijy rug
Worked in Finland from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Made now · natural materials
Räsymatto rag rugs still made in homes
Worked in Finland from local material, and still a working craft rather than a museum piece.
Could make · grown here already
Rye bread
Grown in Finland and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Oats
Grown in Finland and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
Could make · grown here already
Potatoes
Grown in Finland and mostly sold raw. Processing it here would keep the margin here.
The maths for an entrepreneur. Finland produces about US$317 billion a year, which is roughly US$56,149 per person (2025, World Bank). Farming is 2.6% of that, while food is 8.8% of everything the country imports. The country buys in more food than its own farms contribute to the economy, and every point of that gap is a business someone could build here rather than ship in. With 7.4% of the land arable, the raw material for that is already in the ground.
See the verified makersCulture in Finland.
Kantele music
A living tradition of Finland, still practised rather than archived.
Runic song of the Kalevala
A living tradition of Finland, still practised rather than archived.
Pelimanni folk music and dance
A living tradition of Finland, still practised rather than archived.
Sámi yoik ancestral chantA living tradition of Finland, still practised rather than archived.
Reindeer-herding traditions in LaplandA living tradition of Finland, still practised rather than archived.
Does Finland protect its heritage by law?
Partly, and the gaps say as much as the protections.
What is kept alive. Finland is a modern and largely secular society, but distinct living heritage endures. The kantele and the runic song tradition of the Kalevala remain part of Finnish cultural life, alongside pelimanni folk music and dance. In the north, the Sámi maintain living indigenous heritage, including the yoik ancestral chant and reindeer-herding traditions bound to the land.
Who it belongs to. The Sámi are the only Indigenous people recognised within the European Union, living across Finnish Lapland with their own parliament, languages and reindeer-herding culture. Ethical Sámi-led tourism exists and is promoted, but much Lapland tourism is externally owned and staged fake-Sámi experiences remain a problem, so travellers should seek Sámi-owned operators.
Only here. Finnish sauna culture, inscribed on UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list in 2020, with around 3.3 million saunas.
The Future of Finland.
Three futures for Finland, every one run forward from measured data.
Where the making actually happens
Named cultural and craft sites on the open map: The Botanical Garden of the University of Turku (Turku), Kaisaniemi Botanical Garden (Helsinki). OpenStreetMap. Named craft workshops on the open map: Aalto Pahvi, Aon restorff, Askarelli, Brittas Garnkvarn, Butik Unik, Cerisa's.
Every measured trend on one line
Run forward at the pace already recorded.
World Bank open data, recorded series
How much forest is left?
Forest cover moved from 72.8% to 74.2% across 29 recorded years.
How clean is the grid?
Renewable electricity moved from 30.5% to 52.9% across 26 recorded years.
How much climate pollution per person?
CO2 per person moved from 11.5 t to 5.54 t across 29 recorded years.
How many people visit?
Tourist arrivals moved from 1,779k to 896k across 25 recorded years.
How much land is protected?
Protected land moved from 14.9% to 13.9% across 12 recorded years.
How many people still farm?
Farm workforce moved from 7.76% to 3.49% across 30 recorded years.
How much sea is protected?
Protected sea moved from 9.7% to 11.8% across 12 recorded years.
How much land is farmed?
Agricultural land moved from 7.37% to 7.43% across 29 recorded years.
How fast is it urbanising?
Urban population moved from 64.8% to 74.5% across 30 recorded years.
Is the air getting cleaner?
Air pollution moved from 10.2 µg/m³ to 4.57 µg/m³ across 28 recorded years.
Is water getting scarcer?
Fresh water per person moved from 20,948 m³ to 19,258 m³ across 27 recorded years.
Is diet-related disease rising?
Adult overweight moved from 49.4% to 55.3% across 27 recorded years.
Who has power?
Electricity access moved from 100% to 100% across 29 recorded years.
Is income rising?
GDP per person moved from 26,246 to 56,149 across 30 recorded years.
How fast is it growing?
Population moved from 5,108k to 5,646k across 30 recorded years.
What share of all energy is renewable?
Renewable energy use moved from 27.3% to 50.2% across 26 recorded years.
How much energy does one person use?
Energy per person moved from 5,662 kg to 5,647 kg across 29 recorded years.
How much land and sea is protected together?
Protected area, total moved from 13.9% to 13.5% across 12 recorded years.
How long do people live?
Life expectancy moved from 76.4 yrs to 82.3 yrs across 29 recorded years.
How much does a hectare of cereal produce?
Cereal yield moved from 3,409 kg/ha to 3,620 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How much fertiliser goes on the land?
Fertiliser use moved from 159 kg/ha to 102 kg/ha across 29 recorded years.
How many people still live rurally?
Rural population moved from 35.2% to 25.5% across 30 recorded years.
How much value per cubic metre of water?
Water productivity moved from 59 $/m3 to 85.2 $/m3 across 27 recorded years.
How much goes on health?
Health spending moved from 7.1% to 10.5% across 23 recorded years.
How much forest is there in total?
Forest area moved from 221,605 km2 to 225,430 km2 across 30 recorded years.
How much electricity per person?
Electric power use moved from 13,591 kWh to 15,057 kWh across 30 recorded years.
How have agriculture emissions moved?
Agriculture emissions moved from 8.11 to 6.35 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have building emissions moved?
Building emissions moved from 6.94 to 1.67 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have electricity/heat emissions moved?
Electricity/Heat emissions moved from 20.02 to 12.33 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have energy emissions moved?
Energy emissions moved from 55.02 to 30.99 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have industrial processes emissions moved?
Industrial Processes emissions moved from 2.26 to 1.72 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have manufacturing/construction emissions moved?
Manufacturing/Construction emissions moved from 13.85 to 5.33 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
How have transportation emissions moved?
Transportation emissions moved from 12.01 to 9.64 MtCO2e across 33 recorded years.
Climate Watch (WRI), historical emissions
Worst caseCurrent pathBest case
Worst case
Every measured decline continues at the pace already recorded. The weakest pillar, natural fibres at 2/5, is the one that gives way first.
Computed from: recorded series extended with no policy change
What the best case actually asks for
Lift natural fibres
It scores 2 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Finland's record. Living natural-materials traditions include Finnsheep wool, hand-knitted villasukat socks and mittens, linen (pellava) weaving, and the woven ryijy rug and räsymatto rag rugs still made in homes and craft guilds. Reusable and repair culture is strong.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift conservation
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Finland's record. The World Bank records 13.6% of Finland's land and 11.8% of its seas as protected in 2024, managed through a well-run national-park and nature-reserve network.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Lift wildlife
It scores 3 out of 5 today, among the weakest parts of Finland's record. Finland's signature endemic is the Saimaa ringed seal, found only in Lake Saimaa, with 530 individuals counted in 2025 after two decades of recovery and one of the world's most endangered seals.
measured each year
Costs: spending and enforcement, not new technology
Government and Goals in Finland.
Who is in charge of Finland now · Office-holders from the UN Protocol and Liaison Service public list of Heads of State and Heads of Government, 20 October 2026. Legislature and election dates from IFES ElectionGuide. Constitution dates from the Constitute Project. Governance scores from the World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators 2024.
Petteri Orpo
Prime Minister
Petteri Orpo is the head of government of Finland, in office since 20 June 2023. Every climate, protection and energy pledge on this page is delivered, or not, under this administration.
Public opinion, measured
Voice and accountability, the freedom to question government scores 88.8 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 89.1 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Control of corruption scores 91.2 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 92.1 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Political stability and absence of violence scores 82.3 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 80.9 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Rule of law scores 91.8 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Up from 91.6 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Regulatory quality scores 83.6 out of 100 in 2025. On this World Bank scale, 100 is the strongest governance measured. Down from 87.8 in 2024. World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025 data (updated 25 September 2026)
Petteri OrpoPrime Minister
Parliament (Eduskunta, Riksdagen)Legislature, unicameral
Last election2 April 2023
Constitution1999, as revised to 2018
Government typeparliamentary republic
Finland national goals: climate commitments on record · as recorded by Climate Watch, World Resources Institute
Plain Answers About Finland.
The questions people actually type, answered in full sentences from the sourced data above.
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Is Finland sustainable?
Finland scores 77 out of 100 on the Throne Eco Index, across twelve equally weighted pillars. The EU's most forested country, with near pristine air, roughly 188,000 lakes and living Sámi culture in the Arctic north.
Is the water in Finland safe and plentiful?
Finland sits on roughly 188,000 lakes and abundant groundwater, and Helsinki draws its supply from Lake Päijänne through a 120 km tunnel. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.6% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024, among the most secure supplies in the world.
Can Finland feed itself?
Finland is highly self-sufficient in staples such as dairy, cereals, pork and poultry, but its northern climate means nearly all fruit, vegetables and warm-climate produce are imported, so roughly a third of consumed food comes from abroad. Farming also leans heavily on imported feed protein, fuel and fertiliser, a recognised vulnerability.
Is it easy to eat plant-based in Finland?
Everyday plant staples are rye, the national dark bread, alongside oats, potatoes and root vegetables, plus wild-foraged bilberries, lingonberries, cloudberries and mushrooms. Finland is a major oat grower and a world leader in plant-based dairy alternatives, and urban vegan culture in Helsinki is strong and growing.
How much of Finland is actually protected?
The World Bank records 13.6% of Finland's land and 11.8% of its seas as protected in 2024, managed through a well-run national-park and nature-reserve network. Enforcement is generally strong, but the continued clear-cutting of old-growth boreal forest remains a live and contested conservation gap.
What wildlife is left in Finland?
Finland's signature endemic is the Saimaa ringed seal, found only in Lake Saimaa, with 530 individuals counted in 2025 after two decades of recovery and one of the world's most endangered seals. Iconic large fauna include brown bear, grey wolf, lynx, wolverine and semi-domesticated reindeer, and the Finnish forest reindeer has been reintroduced in the east, though overall endemism is low.
Is Finland on clean energy?
Finland has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the industrial world, with nuclear power and wind and hydropower together supplying roughly 90 per cent low-carbon generation after the Olkiluoto 3 reactor and rapid wind growth came online. Fossil CO2 emissions are moderate at about 5.8 tonnes per person in 2023, reflecting a cold climate, high energy use and heavy industry, though emissions have fallen sharply. Finland's Climate Act sets one of the world's most ambitious targets, carbon neutrality by 2035.
How polluted is Finland?
The Finnish Meteorological Institute's Pallas station in Lapland records some of Europe's cleanest air, and the country's population-weighted PM2.5 was just 4.57 µg/m³ in 2023 according to the World Bank, far below the older WHO guideline. EU single-use-plastic bans are in force and litter is very low.
Does recycling work in Finland?
Eurostat records a 44.8% municipal recycling rate for 2023, with most of the remainder recovered as energy and landfilling now minimal.
Is the farming in Finland organic?
FiBL's OrganicTargets4EU factsheet puts 13.6% of Finnish farmland under certified organic management in 2024, above the EU average of 11.1%. Organic area is concentrated in the south and west where most farming sits.
Are there natural materials and craft in Finland?
Living natural-materials traditions include Finnsheep wool, hand-knitted villasukat socks and mittens, linen (pellava) weaving, and the woven ryijy rug and räsymatto rag rugs still made in homes and craft guilds. Reusable and repair culture is strong.
Is there living culture in Finland?
The Sámi are the only Indigenous people recognised within the European Union, living across Finnish Lapland with their own parliament, languages and reindeer-herding culture. Ethical Sámi-led tourism exists and is promoted, but much Lapland tourism is externally owned and staged fake-Sámi experiences remain a problem, so travellers should seek Sámi-owned operators.
What heritage does Finland keep alive?
Finland is a modern and largely secular society, but distinct living heritage endures. The kantele and the runic song tradition of the Kalevala remain part of Finnish cultural life, alongside pelimanni folk music and dance. In the north, the Sámi maintain living indigenous heritage, including the yoik ancestral chant and reindeer-herding traditions bound to the land.
So is Finland actually green? The measured answer
What is working: renewable electricity at 52.9%.
What is not: land protected at 13.9% against a 30% mark, sea protected at 11.8% against a 30% mark.
World Bank Open Data · Protected Planet (UNEP-WCMC / WDPA) · Climate Watch (WRI) · Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026 · CIA World Factbook, Finland (archived) · World Bank, Population, total: Finland · World Bank, Terrestrial protected areas (% of land area): Finland · World Bank, Renewable electricity output: Finland · World Bank, CO2 emissions per capita: Finland · World Bank, Cause of death by non-communicable diseases: Finland
How Finland Ranks, region and world.
Where Finland sits on the Eco Index, against its Europe neighbours and the 77 destinations scored worldwide.
How does Finland compare in Europe?
1Switzerland78
2France78
4Slovenia77
5Portugal75
Scored Europe destinations, Eco Index.
The global top 10 of the 77 destinations scored
1Switzerland78
2France78
4Slovenia77
5Australia77
6Portugal75
7Germany75
8New Zealand75
9Italy73
10Spain73
Finland sits 3 of 77 at 77/100. Every name links to its own destination page, built exactly like this one. The full ranking
What is Finland particularly good at?
✓ Water, scored 5/5. Finland sits on roughly 188,000 lakes and abundant groundwater, and Helsinki draws its supply from Lake Päijänne through a 120 km tunnel. The WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme records 99.6% of the population on safely managed drinking water in 2024, among the most secure supplies in the world.
✓ Pollution, scored 5/5. The Finnish Meteorological Institute's Pallas station in Lapland records some of Europe's cleanest air, and the country's population-weighted PM2.5 was just 4.57 µg/m³ in 2023 according to the World Bank, far below the older WHO guideline. EU single-use-plastic bans are in force and litter is very low.
✓ Energy, scored 5/5. Finland has one of the cleanest electricity systems in the industrial world, with nuclear power and wind and hydropower together supplying roughly 90 per cent low-carbon generation after the Olkiluoto 3 reactor and rapid wind growth came online. Fossil CO2 emissions are moderate at about 5.8 tonnes per person in 2023, reflecting a cold climate, high energy use and heavy industry, though emissions have fallen sharply. Finland's Climate Act sets one of the world's most ambitious targets, carbon neutrality by 2035. The clean grid and leading policy outweigh the mid-range emissions.
Where does Finland score worst?
✕ Natural fibres, scored 2/5. Living natural-materials traditions include Finnsheep wool, hand-knitted villasukat socks and mittens, linen (pellava) weaving, and the woven ryijy rug and räsymatto rag rugs still made in homes and craft guilds. Reusable and repair culture is strong.
✕ Conservation, scored 3/5. The World Bank records 13.6% of Finland's land and 11.8% of its seas as protected in 2024, managed through a well-run national-park and nature-reserve network. Enforcement is generally strong, but the continued clear-cutting of old-growth boreal forest remains a live and contested conservation gap.
✕ Wildlife, scored 3/5. Finland's signature endemic is the Saimaa ringed seal, found only in Lake Saimaa, with 530 individuals counted in 2025 after two decades of recovery and one of the world's most endangered seals. Iconic large fauna include brown bear, grey wolf, lynx, wolverine and semi-domesticated reindeer, and the Finnish forest reindeer has been reintroduced in the east, though overall endemism is low.
A note from the lens of mother natureSwipe
Natural fibres, 2/5
Living natural-materials traditions include Finnsheep wool, hand-knitted villasukat socks and mittens, linen (pellava) weaving, and the woven ryijy rug and räsymatto rag rugs still made in homes and craft guilds. Reusable and repair culture is strong.
Consequence: It is the lowest-scoring part of Finland's record, so it is where the score moves first.
Conservation, 3/5
The World Bank records 13.6% of Finland's land and 11.8% of its seas as protected in 2024, managed through a well-run national-park and nature-reserve network. Enforcement is generally strong, but the continued clear-cutting of old-growth boreal forest remains a live and contested conservation gap.
Wildlife, 3/5
Finland's signature endemic is the Saimaa ringed seal, found only in Lake Saimaa, with 530 individuals counted in 2025 after two decades of recovery and one of the world's most endangered seals.
The Finland Directory.
Everything on Hold The Throne that sits in Finland, checked and listed.
How the rest of the world scores Finland
Independent global indices, for calibration.
Forest cover
74.2
World Bank, 2024.
Protected land
13.9
World Bank, 2025.
Protected sea
11.8
World Bank, 2025.
Renewable grid
52.9
World Bank, 2021.
CO2 per person
5.5t
World Bank, 2024.
Threatened species
23 (mammals, birds, fish & plants)
Recorded figure, sourced on this page.
Control of corruption
91.2 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Government effectiveness
92.1 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Rule of law
91.8 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Political stability
82.3 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Voice and accountability
88.8 / 100
World Bank Worldwide Governance Indicators, 2025. Score from 0 to 100, where 100 is the strongest governance.
Environmental Performance Index
71.0 / 100 · 4 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 4 of 177 countries assessed.
Ecosystem vitality
60.0 / 100 · 16 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 16 of 177 countries assessed.
Biodiversity and habitat
51.1 / 100 · 60 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 60 of 177 countries assessed.
Air quality
96.9 / 100 · 2 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 2 of 177 countries assessed.
Terrestrial biomes protected
43.5 / 100 · 113 of 177
Yale Environmental Performance Index 2026, ranked 113 of 177 countries assessed.
How Finland Is Scored. The Throne Standard.
Every destination on the index is scored the same way, so a 4 in Barbados means exactly what a 4 means in Iceland. No self-declared data and no brochure claims are accepted. Seven pillars are scored from published measurements with the same fixed thresholds everywhere: energy (low-carbon share of electricity, 90% or more scores 5, 70% 4, 50% 3, 25% 2), conservation (land and sea protected), water (safe drinking water, wastewater treated, water stress), organic farmland, recycling, food import dependence and air quality. Where a measurement is not published for a place, that pillar keeps its source-assessed score and is labelled as such. Wildlife, culture, heritage, materials and plant-based eating have no comparable measurement and are assessed from the named sources. The Eco Index is the average of the twelve pillar scores multiplied by 20. Every figure on this page carries its named source and year, and the history on each page names what empire took as plainly as it scores the present.
The 12 pillars every destination is scored on, equally weighted
01
Water
Safe drinking water, wastewater treated and water stress. Measured.
02
Food & farming
How much of the import bill is food: whether the place feeds itself. Measured.
03
Plant-based
How easy it is to eat plant-based, from documented sources.
04
Organic
Certified organic share of farmland. Measured.
05
Conservation
Land and sea legally protected, against the 30 by 30 goal. Measured.
06
Wildlife
What survives, what is endemic, what is lost, from documented sources.
07
Materials
Local natural fibres and craft, from documented sources.
08
Pollution
Air quality (PM2.5, measured) and plastics and waste policy.
09
Recycling
Share of municipal waste recycled. Measured.
10
Energy
Low-carbon share of electricity, nuclear included. Measured.
11
Culture
Living culture and community-led visits, from documented sources.
12
Heritage
What the law keeps standing, from documented sources.
What each 0 to 5 pillar score means, in plain words
0
Absent
nothing verifiable exists
1
Failing
measurably going the wrong way
2
Weak
claims outrun delivery
3
Fair
real effort, mixed results
4
Strong
genuinely good, evidence named
5
Leading
world class, and the trend holds
Where the numbers come from.
The institutions above are the ones cited on this page, ranked by how many of its figures they carry. This same sectioned page renders for all 77 scored destinations, each with its own researched history, comparison charts and three-way future. Read the full methodology
Every figure on this page, and where it came from: 83 sources across 35 institutions
World Bank16 FIGURES
- Forest area (% of land area) AG.LND.FRST.ZS, 2023 check
- Marine protected areas (% of territorial waters) ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS, 2025 check
- PM2.5 mean annual exposure EN.ATM.PM25.MC.M3, 2023 check
- CO2 emissions per capita EN.GHG.CO2.PC.CE.AR5, 2024 check
- Threatened species (mammals EN.MAM.THRD.NO, birds EN.BIR.THRD.NO, fish EN.FSH.THRD.NO, higher plants EN.HPT.THRD.NO), 2022 check
- Renewable electricity output (% of total) EG.ELC.RNEW.ZS, 2021 check
- GDP (current US$) NY.GDP.MKTP.CD, 2025 check
- International tourist arrivals ST.INT.ARVL, 2020 check
- Agricultural land (% of land area) AG.LND.AGRI.ZS, 2023 check
- Arable land (% of land area) AG.LND.ARBL.ZS, 2023 check
- Agriculture, value added (% of GDP) NV.AGR.TOTL.ZS, 2025 check
- Renewable internal freshwater per capita (m3) ER.H2O.INTR.PC, 2022 check
- Safely managed sanitation (% of population) SH.STA.SMSS.ZS, 2024 check
- Overweight prevalence, adults (%) SH.STA.OWAD.ZS, 2022 check
- Central government debt (% of GDP) GC.DOD.TOTL.GD.ZS, 1994 check
- Population total SP.POP.TOTL, 2025 check
UNESCO Intangible Cultural Heritage6 FIGURES
- Sauna culture in Finland, Representative List corroboration: https://web.archive.org/web/20241228020804/https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/sauna-culture-in-finland-01596 (the snapshot actually read: 'Inscribed in 2020 (15.COM) on the Representative List of the Intangible Cultural Heritage of Humanity' and 'With 3.3 million saunas in a country of 5.5 million inhabitants, the element is readily accessible to all.')
- Sauna culture in Finland, Representative List corroboration: https://www.museovirasto.fi/en/articles/sauna-culture-intangible-cultural-heritage (Finnish Heritage Agency: 'The sauna culture from Finland was inscribed on the UNESCO list at the December 17, 2020 meeting of the Intergovernmental Committee for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.')
- Sauna culture in Finland, Representative List corroboration: https://www.sauna.fi/en/ (Finnish Sauna Society: 'Unesco to include the Finnish sauna bathing tradition to its list of intangible cultural heritage on 17 December 2020. Sauna bathing is the first Finnish tradition added to this list.')
- Sauna culture in Finland, Representative List corroboration: https://web.archive.org/web/20241228020804/https://ich.unesco.org/en/RL/sauna-culture-in-finland-01596 (the snapshot actually read, carrying 'Inscribed in 2020 (15.COM)' and 'With 3.3 million saunas in a country of 5.5 million inhabitants')
- Sauna culture in Finland, Representative List corroboration: https://www.museovirasto.fi/en/articles/sauna-culture-intangible-cultural-heritage (Finnish Heritage Agency, inscription dated 17 December 2020)
- Sauna culture in Finland, Representative List corroboration: https://www.sauna.fi/en/ (Finnish Sauna Society, inscription dated 17 December 2020)
Eurostat4 FIGURES
Metsähallitus / Parks and Wildlife Finland4 FIGURES
- Saimaannorppakannan seuranta (Saimaa ringed seal population monitoring), Finland's signature endemic is the Saimaa ringed seal, found only in Lake Saimaa, with 530 individuals counted check
- Saimaannorppakannan seuranta (Saimaa ringed seal population monitoring) corroboration: https://www.metsa.fi/suojelu-ja-hoito/lajien-suojelu/saimaannorppa/ (Metsähallitus: 'Saimaannorppa elää vain Suomessa ja vain Saimaan vesistössä')
- Saimaannorppakannan seuranta (Saimaa ringed seal population monitoring) corroboration: https://www.metsa.fi/en/protection-and-management/species/saimaa-ringed-seal/ (Metsähallitus English: 'The endangered (EN) Saimaa ringed seal only lives in Finland and in the Lake Saimaa only'; 'The present population size estimate is 530 individuals')
- Saimaannorppakannan seuranta (Saimaa ringed seal population monitoring) corroboration: https://wwf.fi/elainlajit/saimaannorppa/ (WWF Finland: 'Saimaannorppien määrän arvioidaan olevan nykyisin noin 530')
Other published sources4 FIGURES
- Australia's Commonwealth Franchise Act 1902 s.3 already gave the federal vote to "all persons ... whether male or female", and the Commonwealth Electoral Act 1902 made electors eligible for nomination, four years before Finland; the Finnish Parliament itself says Finnish women were "among the first in the world", with the 1907 intake the world's first women MPs check
- Parliament of Finland wording: "Finnish women were among the first in the world to exercise full political rights, including the right to stand for election" (Australia legislated both in 1902) check
- The national monument register calls it "maamme suurin ja laajin yhtenainen kalliomaalauspinta", the largest continuous rock painting surface in Finland, over 80 figures, dated about 4000 to 2200 BC; no source found for a Nordic-wide superlative check
- The species behind this card is the bottle palm Beaucarnea recurvata, whose World Checklist of Vascular Plants distribution is Mexico only (TDWG MXE, MXG, MXS); GBIF holds exactly three Finnish records, all from one address in Somero check
UNESCO Institute for Statistics data4 FIGURES
- read through the World Bank World Development Indicators API (indicator source recorded as 'Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)'), Public spending on education runs at 6.4% of GDP and 12.1% of all government spending, and secondary enrolment check
- read through the World Bank World Development Indicators API (indicator source recorded as 'Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)') corroboration: https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/FIN/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GB.ZS?format=json&date=2018:2024 (government expenditure on education as % of government expenditure, Finland 2022 = 12.1128)
- read through the World Bank World Development Indicators API (indicator source recorded as 'Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)') corroboration: https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/FIN/indicator/SE.SEC.ENRR?format=json&date=2018:2024 (school enrolment, secondary, % gross, Finland 2024 = 142.395)
- read through the World Bank World Development Indicators API (indicator source recorded as 'Data API, UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO)') corroboration: https://api.worldbank.org/v2/indicator/SE.XPD.TOTL.GD.ZS?format=json (indicator metadata naming UNESCO as the source organisation)
BirdLife International, IUCN and UNEP-WCMC3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, terrestrial Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_TERR, Finland, 2025 (71.7%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, marine Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_MRN_MPA, Finland, 2025 (60.8%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, freshwater Key Biodiversity Areas covered by protected areas (%) ER_PTD_FRHWTR, Finland, 2025 (75.5%), country-reported check
Convention on Biological Diversity3 FIGURES
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3, The 30x30 target is 30% by 2030, so 18.2 percentage points are still to be designated. check
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3 corroboration: https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/FIN/indicator/ER.MRN.PTMR.ZS?format=json&date=2018:2024 (marine protected areas, % of territorial waters, Finland 2024 = 11.8; source recorded as Protected Planet WDPA / UNEP-WCMC)
- Kunming-Montreal Global Biodiversity Framework, Target 3 corroboration: https://api.worldbank.org/v2/country/FIN/indicator/ER.LND.PTLD.ZS?format=json&date=2018:2024 (terrestrial protected areas, % of total land area, Finland 2024 = 13.6; source recorded as Protected Planet WDPA / UNEP-WCMC)
FAO, Global Forest Resources Assessment3 FIGURES
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area (% of land area) AG_LND_FRST, Finland, 2025 (74.2%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area under a long-term management plan (%) AG_LND_FRSTMGT, Finland, 2025 (100.0%), country-reported check
- UN SDG Global Database, forest area inside legally established protected areas (%) AG_LND_FRSTPRCT, Finland, 2025 (14.8%), country-reported check
Geologian tutkimuskeskus GTK3 FIGURES
- Geological Survey of Finland, on the Salpausselkä ice-margin formations, The ice sheet retreated around 9000 BC and the first communities settled the coasts and lakes. check
- Geological Survey of Finland, on the Salpausselkä ice-margin formations corroboration: https://web.archive.org/web/20260608111623/https://www.gtk.fi/ajankohtaista/jaakauden-muovaamat-salpausselat-vaikuttavat-yha-arkeemme-uusi-yhteenveto-kokoaa-ajantasaisen-tiedon/ (the snapshot actually read: 'Salpausselät kerrostuivat pääosin viimeisimmän Veiksel-jääkauden loppuvaiheessa noin 13 000–11 000 vuotta sitten' and 'Kerrostuminen jatkui vielä lyhyen aikaa siirryttäessä lämpimämpään ilmastovaiheeseen, jolloin Fennoskandian mannerjäätikkö suli lopullisesti')
- Geological Survey of Finland, on the Salpausselkä ice-margin formations corroboration: https://www.museovirasto.fi/en/cultural-environment/archaeological-cultural-heritage (Finnish Heritage Agency: 'The prehistoric period begins when people arrive in Finland after the Ice Age, approximately 12,000 years ago')
Sámediggi3 FIGURES
- the Sámi Parliament of Finland, The Sámi are the only Indigenous people recognised within the European Union, living across Finnish Lapland wi check
- the Sámi Parliament of Finland corroboration: https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/1995/974 (Act on the Sámi Parliament 974/1995, section 4: 'Saamelaisten kotiseutualueella tarkoitetaan tämän lain liitteenä olevaan karttaan merkittyä aluetta, joka käsittää Enontekiön, Inarin ja Utsjoen kuntien alueet sekä Sodankylän kunnassa sijaitsevan Lapin paliskunnan alueen.')
- the Sámi Parliament of Finland corroboration: https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2003/1086 (Sámi Language Act 1086/2003, which names inarinsaame, koltansaame and pohjoissaame, that is Inari Sámi, Skolt Sámi and Northern Sámi)
Finlex2 FIGURES
- Ilmastolaki (Climate Act) 423/2022, the text of the law, Finland's Climate Act sets one of the world's most ambitious targets, carbon neutrality by 2035. check
- Ilmastolaki (Climate Act) 423/2022, the text of the law corroboration: https://www.finlex.fi/fi/lainsaadanto/2022/423 Swedish text of the same provision: 'utsläppen av antropogena växthusgaser minskar och det antropogena upptaget i sänkor ökar så att växthusgasutsläppen senast 2035 är högst lika stora som upptaget och att upptaget fortsätter att öka och utsläppen att minska också därefter'
Luonnonvarakeskus (Luke)2 FIGURES
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Crop Production Statistics, table 'Production 1920- (million kg)', Official Statistics of Finland, By tonnage, the largest crops grown in Finland are oats, barley, wheat, sugar beet and potatoes (FAO, FAOSTAT check
- Natural Resources Institute Finland, Crop Production Statistics, table 'Production 1920- (million kg)', Official Statistics of Finland corroboration: https://web.archive.org/web/20250220110018/https://www.luke.fi/en/news/crop-production-statistics-2024-good-oat-and-pea-harvests-poor-rye-harvest (Luke: 'The oat harvest was larger than the barley harvest for the first time in 50 years'; 'Last year's potato harvest was about 550,000 tons'; 'The rye harvest of about 43,000 tons in 2024')
Museovirasto2 FIGURES
- the Finnish Heritage Agency, Archaeological cultural heritage corroboration: https://www.gtk.fi/ajankohtaista/jaakauden-muovaamat-salpausselat-vaikuttavat-yha-arkeemme-uusi-yhteenveto-kokoaa-ajantasaisen-tiedon/ (Geological Survey of Finland on Salpausselkä, deposited about 13,000 to 11,000 years ago at the margin of the melting ice sheet)
- the Finnish Heritage Agency, Archaeological cultural heritage corroboration: https://web.archive.org/web/20260608111623/https://www.gtk.fi/ajankohtaista/jaakauden-muovaamat-salpausselat-vaikuttavat-yha-arkeemme-uusi-yhteenveto-kokoaa-ajantasaisen-tiedon/ (the GTK snapshot actually read)
UN Comtrade2 FIGURES
- Finland 2023 exports to world, HS chapter 84 (nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances), The largest single export, machinery and mechanical appliances, is 14.4% of the total (2023, UN Comtrade). check
- Finland 2023 exports to world, HS chapter 84 (nuclear reactors, boilers, machinery and mechanical appliances) corroboration: https://comtradeapi.un.org/public/v1/preview/C/A/HS?reporterCode=246&period=2023&partnerCode=0&cmdCode=TOTAL&flowCode=X&customsCode=C00&motCode=0 (Finland 2023 total exports to world, USD 82,567,752,672.76)
UNESCO2 FIGURES
WHO/UNICEF Joint Monitoring Programme2 FIGURES
American Society of Mammalogists1 FIGURE
- Mammal Diversity Database taxon account for Varecia variegata, Varecia variegata range check
Climate Watch (WRI)1 FIGURE
- Net-Zero Tracker check
Constitute Project1 FIGURE
- Finland 1999 (rev. 2018) check
Contreras Hernandez et al. 20171 FIGURE
- Estado de conservacion de las poblaciones silvestres de la palma monja (Beaucarnea recurvata), Instituto de Ecologia AC, final report to SNIB-CONABIO, project NE006, Beaucarnea recurvata range check
FiBL / OrganicTargets4EU1 FIGURE
- Finland organic country factsheet, 2024 check
Finnish Environment Institute (Syke)1 FIGURE
- national environmental authority for Finland check
Finnish Ministry of the Environment / SYKE1 FIGURE
- Red List of Finnish Species (2,667 threatened), 2019 check
IEA, World Energy Balances1 FIGURE
- UN SDG Global Database, renewable share of total final energy consumption (%) EG_FEC_RNEW, Finland, 2023 (50.8%), modelled estimate check
IFES ElectionGuide1 FIGURE
- Finland elections and chambers check
Metsahallitus1 FIGURE
- Saimaa ringed seal population estimate, 530 individuals, October 2025 check
Our World in Data / Ember1 FIGURE
- Share of electricity from renewables, 2024 check
Statistics Finland1 FIGURE
- growth of nuclear, wind and hydro power in electricity, 2023. check
Tasmanian Government1 FIGURE
- Natural Resources and Environment Tasmania, Threatened Species Link profile for Spotted Handfish, Brachionichthys hirsutus range check
UN Protocol and Liaison Service1 FIGURE
- Heads of State, Heads of Government and Ministers for Foreign Affairs, public list dated 20 October 2026 check
UNFCCC1 FIGURE
- NDC Registry check
World Bank / UNEP-WCMC WDPA1 FIGURE
- Terrestrial protected areas ER.LND.PTLD.ZS, 2024 check
World Bank / WHO-UNICEF JMP1 FIGURE
- Safely managed drinking water SH.H2O.SMDW.ZS, 2024 check
Yle (Finnish Broadcasting Company)1 FIGURE
- Kadonneet elaimet: Sukelsiko sampi sukupuuttoon?, Acipenser gueldenstaedtii range check