The country recorded the highest population outflow since 1990.
Immigration to Finland decreased last year. The number of work permits issued fell by about a quarter compared to the year before last. A total of just under 8,400 permits were issued. The most noticeable decline occurred in the fields of social services, healthcare, and construction.
According to the Migration Service, labor immigration has started to rise again this year.
The number of asylum seekers remained low. Last year, just over 2,500 asylum applications were submitted – about 400 fewer than two years ago.
Last year, a record number of people received Finnish citizenship – over 14,700 individuals. The most common recipients of Finnish citizenship were from Russia (1,940), Iraq (1,561), Afghanistan (858), Syria (856), and Somalia (793). The year before last, nearly a thousand fewer people received citizenship.
According to the Migration Service, the increase in citizenship decisions is explained by the elimination of the backlog of applications submitted in previous years.
The number of people leaving Finland in 2025 increased to nearly 20,000. This is the highest emigration rate recorded since statistics began in 1990. Among them were 854 Russians and 512 Ukrainians.
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