Immigration to Finland declined in 2025 for the second consecutive year, while emigration reached the highest level since records began in 1990, according to new figures published by Statistics Finland.
A total of 51,121 people moved to Finland last year, down by about 12,800 from 2024. Despite the fall, immigration remained above levels recorded before the sharp increase seen after Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
At the same time, 19,888 people left Finland in 2025. Statistics Finland said the figure marked the highest annual emigration total since comparable records started more than three decades ago.
Net migration stood at 31,233 people, lower than the previous year due to the decline in arrivals and the rise in departures.
The largest foreign groups arriving in Finland were Ukrainians, Filipinos and Sri Lankans.
The migration data showed that population growth through internal movement remained concentrated in a small number of regions. Only five regions recorded net gains from domestic migration during the year.
Uusimaa received the largest gain, with more than 7,000 people moving into the region from elsewhere in Finland. Pirkanmaa and Southwest Finland also recorded positive migration figures.
North Ostrobothnia, Ostrobothnia and South Karelia experienced the largest domestic migration losses.
Among municipalities, Helsinki recorded the highest net inflow of residents from other parts of the country. Lappeenranta saw the largest net outflow.
Statistics Finland said immigration, emigration and internal migration patterns continued to shape regional population growth across the country.
The figures follow two years of elevated immigration linked in part to the arrival of people displaced by the war in Ukraine. Finland recorded a sharp rise in immigration after 2022, pushing annual totals to levels not previously seen in the country’s modern migration statistics.
HT