MigrantoFinnish Diaspora
181.8K Finns live abroad — 3% of the population of Finland
Finnish diaspora by country
The top 3 countries are home to 80% of the diaspora
| Country | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| Sweden | 129139 |
| Norway | 7986 |
| Australia | 7752 |
| Canada | 7526 |
| Estonia | 6040 |
| Denmark | 3948 |
| Belgium | 2596 |
| Italy | 2577 |
| Belarus | 2055 |
| Luxembourg | 1333 |
| Russia | 1227 |
| Hungary | 1088 |
| Libya | 936 |
| Greece | 833 |
| Israel | 687 |
| Poland | 652 |
| Brazil | 626 |
| China | 575 |
| Cyprus | 519 |
| Portugal | 429 |
| Malta | 407 |
| Iceland | 356 |
| Bulgaria | 290 |
| South Africa | 288 |
| Chile | 264 |
| Egypt | 236 |
| Slovakia | 226 |
| Mexico | 222 |
| Lithuania | 173 |
| Latvia | 139 |
| Kyrgyzstan | 109 |
| Namibia | 86 |
| Panama | 84 |
| Romania | 71 |
| Venezuela | 64 |
| Sri Lanka | 61 |
| Bolivia | 48 |
| Slovenia | 44 |
| Croatia | 34 |
| Costa Rica | 31 |
| Dominican Republic | 29 |
| Greenland | 12 |
| Cayman Islands | 11 |
| Georgia | 10 |
| Liechtenstein | 9 |
| Guinea | 4 |
| Mongolia | 2 |
By region
89% of the diaspora lives in Europe
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Key facts
The Finnish diaspora in numbers
Most Finns abroad live in Sweden
71% of the diaspora lives in Sweden, while the next country accounts for just 4%.
The map of the diaspora has changed since 1990
4 countries have entered the top 20 since 1990: Hungary, Poland, Cyprus. Hungary climbed from outside the top 20 to #12.
The diaspora is spread more widely than in 1990
The largest country's share fell from 82% to 71%.
Finnish diaspora population over time
People living abroad, by year
| Year | Emigrants |
|---|---|
| 1990 | 266717 |
| 1995 | 255507 |
| 2000 | 247766 |
| 2005 | 236417 |
| 2010 | 221943 |
| 2015 | 209216 |
| 2020 | 195782 |
| 2024 | 181834 |
Largest communities over time
Finns living in the 5 largest countries, by year
| Year | Sweden | Norway | Australia | Canada | Estonia |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1990 | 218888 | 4257 | 9389 | 17112 | 651 |
| 1995 | 206860 | 4533 | 9390 | 15620 | 1010 |
| 2000 | 196304 | 6635 | 9412 | 14257 | 1369 |
| 2005 | 185076 | 6476 | 9503 | 12707 | 1891 |
| 2010 | 170856 | 6593 | 9523 | 10422 | 2398 |
| 2015 | 157247 | 6779 | 9175 | 10068 | 3870 |
| 2020 | 142468 | 7182 | 8576 | 8685 | 5928 |
| 2024 | 129139 | 7986 | 7752 | 7526 | 6040 |
Fastest-changing communities
How the number of Finns in each country has changed since the selected year
Finns among immigrants in other countries
Where Finns make up the largest share of a country's immigrants
Data source: International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division)
Frequently asked questions
How many Finns live outside Finland?
Around 181.8K Finns live abroad, the world's #134 largest diaspora.
Where do most Finns abroad live?
Most Finns live in Sweden, Norway and Australia — these three countries account for about 80% of all Finns living abroad.
Which country has the largest Finnish population outside Finland?
Sweden is home to the largest Finnish community abroad — 129.1K people, about 71% of all Finns living abroad.
What share of the population of Finland lives abroad?
About 3% of the population of Finland lives abroad — that's 181.8K out of a total population of 5.6M.
Is the Finnish diaspora growing?
No — over the past decade, the number of Finns living abroad has fallen from 209.2K to 181.8K, about 13%.
Where does the data on the Finnish diaspora come from?
The source is International Migrant Stock 2024 (UN DESA, Population Division). It counts people born in Finland who now live in other countries. Descendants of emigrants born abroad are not included.
Where to live?
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Living in Finland
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