Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Finland
Finland: Population density (people per sq. km of land area) was 18.49 people per sq. km of land area in 2024. ▲ Rising
Latest (2024)
18.49 people per sq. km of land area
Change on year
up 0.6%
World rank
191st
of 216 countries
All-time high
18.49 people per sq. km of land area
in 2024
All-time low
14.65 people per sq. km of land area
in 1961
Years of data
64
1961–2024
Population density in Finland, 1961–2024
Source: FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). Measured in people per sq. km of land area.
Analysis
In 2024, population density in Finland stood at 18.49 people per sq. km of land area. That is the highest value across all 64 years on record.
That represents a change of up 0.6% on the previous year and up 2.9% over ten years.
Over the whole period, population density in Finland peaked at 18.49 people per sq. km of land area in 2024 and was at its lowest, 14.65 people per sq. km of land area, in 1961.
That places Finland 191st out of 216 countries with data for 2024, putting it in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 64 years of available data.
Population density (people per sq. km of land area) in Finland, year by year
| Year | people per sq. km of land area | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1961 | 14.65 people per sq. km of land area | — |
| 1962 | 14.75 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1963 | 14.85 people per sq. km of land area | +0.7% |
| 1964 | 14.93 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1965 | 14.98 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1966 | 15.04 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1967 | 15.12 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1968 | 15.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1969 | 15.18 people per sq. km of land area | -0.1% |
| 1970 | 15.12 people per sq. km of land area | -0.4% |
| 1971 | 15.14 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 1972 | 15.23 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1973 | 15.32 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1974 | 15.4 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1975 | 15.47 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1976 | 15.51 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1977 | 15.56 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1978 | 15.6 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1979 | 15.64 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1980 | 15.69 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1981 | 15.76 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1982 | 15.85 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1983 | 15.94 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1984 | 16.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1985 | 16.09 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1986 | 16.15 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1987 | 16.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1988 | 16.24 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1989 | 16.3 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1990 | 16.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1991 | 16.46 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1992 | 16.55 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
| 1993 | 16.63 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 1994 | 16.71 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1995 | 16.77 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 1996 | 16.82 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1997 | 16.87 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1998 | 16.92 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 1999 | 16.96 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2000 | 16.99 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2001 | 17.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2002 | 17.07 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2003 | 17.11 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2004 | 17.16 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2005 | 17.22 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2006 | 17.32 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2007 | 17.39 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2008 | 17.48 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2009 | 17.57 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2010 | 17.65 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2011 | 17.73 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2012 | 17.82 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2013 | 17.9 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2014 | 17.97 people per sq. km of land area | +0.4% |
| 2015 | 18.03 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2016 | 18.08 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2017 | 18.12 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2018 | 18.15 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2019 | 18.17 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2020 | 18.19 people per sq. km of land area | +0.1% |
| 2021 | 18.23 people per sq. km of land area | +0.2% |
| 2022 | 18.28 people per sq. km of land area | +0.3% |
| 2023 | 18.37 people per sq. km of land area | +0.5% |
| 2024 | 18.49 people per sq. km of land area | +0.6% |
Finland compared with similar countries
- Finland's 18.49 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for high income countries, which is 147 people per sq. km of land area, 13% of the median. (85 countries reporting)
- Finland's 18.49 people per sq. km of land area is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 85.13 people per sq. km of land area, 22% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1960s | 14.97 people per sq. km of land area | 14.65 people per sq. km of land area | 15.19 people per sq. km of land area | 9 |
| 1970s | 15.4 people per sq. km of land area | 15.12 people per sq. km of land area | 15.64 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1980s | 16.02 people per sq. km of land area | 15.69 people per sq. km of land area | 16.3 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 1990s | 16.71 people per sq. km of land area | 16.37 people per sq. km of land area | 16.96 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2000s | 17.24 people per sq. km of land area | 16.99 people per sq. km of land area | 17.57 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2010s | 17.96 people per sq. km of land area | 17.65 people per sq. km of land area | 18.17 people per sq. km of land area | 10 |
| 2020s | 18.31 people per sq. km of land area | 18.19 people per sq. km of land area | 18.49 people per sq. km of land area | 5 |
Countries ranked near Finland
- 188 Uruguay 19.35 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 189 South Sudan 18.9 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 190 Congo 18.54 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 192 Belize 18.28 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 193 Paraguay 17.5 people per sq. km of land area compare
- 194 Oman 17.06 people per sq. km of land area compare
More urban development data for Finland
- Population in the largest city 32.2% (2025)
- PM2.5 air pollution, mean annual exposure 4.57 micrograms per cubic meter (2023)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per capita 0.24 units per person (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million 1.35 million (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, annual 0.5999 % change on previous year (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per unit 0 units per US$ of GDP (2025)
- Population in urban agglomerations of more than 1 million, per square 4.4 units per square kilometre (2023)
- Population in largest city 1.35 million (2025)
- Crude steelmaking capacity 4.53 Tonnes (2025)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 23 - Ecological 45.32 Hectares (2020)
Frequently asked questions
- What is population density in Finland?
- Population density in Finland was 18.49 people per sq. km of land area in 2024, according to FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO).
- What is the highest population density recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 18.49 people per sq. km of land area in 2024.
- What is the lowest population density recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 14.65 people per sq. km of land area in 1961.
- How does Finland rank for population density?
- Finland ranks 191st out of 216 countries with data for 2024.
- Is population density rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is up 2.9%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
- Where does this Finland data come from?
- The figures come from FAO population estimates, Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), publisher: Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), published as part of Population density (people per sq. km of land area). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Population density is midyear population divided by land area in square kilometers. Population is based on the de facto definition of population, which counts all residents regardless of legal status or citizenship--except for refugees not permanently settled in the country of asylum, who are generally considered part of the population of their country of origin. Land area is a country's total area, excluding area under inland water bodies, national claims to continental shelf, and exclusive economic zones. In most cases the definition of inland water bodies includes major rivers and lakes.