01
Physical geography
Mostly low, flat to rolling plains interspersed with lakes and low hills.
Local timeHelsinki ·
Europe / Northern Europe · Card 015
Finland
Finland is a country in Northern Europe. Its capital is Helsinki.
Find Finland
● Capital · Gold highlights this card’s area.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
Map: Natural Earth. Boundaries show geographic context, not a position on sovereignty. Small islands may use enlarged markers.
At a glance
- Capital
- Helsinki
- Languages
- Finnish & Swedish
- Currency
- Euro (EUR)
- Population
- 5.6 million2025 · World Bank
- Area
- 338,424 km²130,666.18 square miles
- Independence
- 1917from Russia
Finland in context
Europe and its surrounding regions. The dot marks Helsinki; the mapped territory is highlighted in gold.
Natural Earth · locator mapGeography & languages
02
Languages
Languages used in public life include Finnish, Swedish.
03
Location
Northern Europe, bordering the Baltic Sea, Gulf of Bothnia, and Gulf of Finland, between Sweden and Russia.
Flag
White with a blue cross extending to the edges of the flag; the cross is shifted to the left in the style of the Dannebrog (Danish flag)
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · NATO · Finland accession
History & independence
Finland was part of Sweden until 1809, then an autonomous grand duchy within the Russian Empire. It declared independence in December 1917 following the Russian Revolution. A civil war followed in 1918, and Finland later fought the Soviet Union during the Second World War.
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Finland declares independence
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Finland joins the European Union
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Finland joins NATO
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · NATO · Finland accession
Economy
Main activities
Engineering, forest products, technology and services are major activities. Exports include machinery, paper products and electronics. Finland is part of the EU and uses the euro.
Industry and production
metals and metal products, electronics, machinery and scientific instruments, shipbuilding, pulp and paper, foodstuffs, chemicals, textiles, clothing
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · NATO · Finland accession
Population & economic trends
Dated World Bank observations. Population uses selected years; real GDP uses all available annual observations.
Population, 1970–2025
Millions of people5.62025 · millions of people
Population estimates may be revised. Selected years are shown.
Sources: World Bank · Population
View data table
| Year | People | Millions of people |
|---|---|---|
| 1970 | 4,606,307 | 4.606 |
| 1980 | 4,779,535 | 4.780 |
| 1990 | 4,986,431 | 4.986 |
| 2000 | 5,176,209 | 5.176 |
| 2010 | 5,363,352 | 5.363 |
| 2020 | 5,529,543 | 5.530 |
| 2025 | 5,646,436 | 5.646 |
Real GDP, 1990–2025
Billions of constant 2015 US dollars253.82025 · billions of constant 2015 US dollars
Constant prices adjust for inflation. This is total economic output, not current-dollar GDP or income per person. Missing years are left as gaps.
Sources: World Bank · Real GDP
View data table
| Year | Constant 2015 US$ | Billions of constant 2015 US dollars |
|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 156,033,016,628 | 156.033 |
| 1991 | 146,857,345,005 | 146.857 |
| 1992 | 141,994,349,627 | 141.994 |
| 1993 | 140,887,056,303 | 140.887 |
| 1994 | 146,472,344,494 | 146.472 |
| 1995 | 152,674,521,262 | 152.675 |
| 1996 | 158,266,465,562 | 158.266 |
| 1997 | 168,391,880,312 | 168.392 |
| 1998 | 177,576,428,489 | 177.576 |
| 1999 | 185,370,756,399 | 185.371 |
| 2000 | 196,036,503,504 | 196.037 |
| 2001 | 201,212,380,923 | 201.212 |
| 2002 | 204,607,490,635 | 204.607 |
| 2003 | 208,723,783,983 | 208.724 |
| 2004 | 217,083,963,685 | 217.084 |
| 2005 | 223,113,056,548 | 223.113 |
| 2006 | 232,081,249,320 | 232.081 |
| 2007 | 244,411,266,035 | 244.411 |
| 2008 | 246,328,504,349 | 246.329 |
| 2009 | 226,434,937,569 | 226.435 |
| 2010 | 233,609,048,325 | 233.609 |
| 2011 | 239,193,226,293 | 239.193 |
| 2012 | 235,550,695,854 | 235.551 |
| 2013 | 233,242,909,052 | 233.243 |
| 2014 | 232,127,848,351 | 232.128 |
| 2015 | 233,210,733,506 | 233.211 |
| 2016 | 239,208,760,000 | 239.209 |
| 2017 | 247,110,710,502 | 247.111 |
| 2018 | 250,058,685,919 | 250.059 |
| 2019 | 253,433,824,169 | 253.434 |
| 2020 | 247,120,696,232 | 247.121 |
| 2021 | 253,734,502,126 | 253.735 |
| 2022 | 255,670,602,725 | 255.671 |
| 2023 | 252,373,129,874 | 252.373 |
| 2024 | 253,318,435,247 | 253.318 |
| 2025 | 253,757,802,164 | 253.758 |
Human development
The Human Development Index combines health, education and income. Scores range from 0 to 1.
HDI · 20230.948Very High human developmentRank 12 of 193 · 2025 report
Human Development Index over time
19900.823
20000.898
20100.920
20200.947
20230.948
81.9 yearsLife expectancy at birth
13.0 yearsMean schooling, adults aged 25+
The latest values refer to 2023. All historical scores use the same report edition. HDI does not describe every aspect of inequality or quality of life.
Sources: UNDP · Human Development Report 2025
Government
Parliamentary republic. Parliament (Eduskunta - Riksdagen) has one chamber (a unicameral legislature).
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · NATO · Finland accession
Knowledge check
Three questions about Finland.
QUESTION 1 OF 3
Which city is identified as the capital of Finland?
Sources & notes
Sources: CIA World Factbook · archived profile · NATO · Finland accession
Prepared 24 September 2026. World Bank series: SP.POP.TOTL (persons) and NY.GDP.MKTP.KD (constant 2015 US dollars); downloaded 24 September 2026, provider update 13 July 2026. UNDP values use the 2025 report and 2023 observation year. These are dated statistical snapshots, not live population or economic counters.
Maps use Natural Earth geographic data. Background geography, flag descriptions and selected historical facts use archived public-domain CIA World Factbook profiles, supplemented by the sources linked above. The Factbook is no longer updated; dated statistics here come from the separately named providers.