Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Finland
Finland: Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas was 2.16 million people in 2020. ▬ Flat
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Finland, 1950–2020
Source: European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in people.
Analysis
The most recent figure for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Finland is 2.16 million people, measured in 2020.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 1.8% over ten years.
Over the whole period, number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Finland peaked at 2.30 million people in 1985 and was at its lowest, 2.07 million people, in 1950.
Finland ranks 99th of 236 countries on this measure, in the middle of the range.
Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Finland, year by year
| Year | people | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1950 | 2.07 million people | — |
| 1955 | 2.13 million people | +3.2% |
| 1960 | 2.19 million people | +2.6% |
| 1965 | 2.23 million people | +1.8% |
| 1970 | 2.25 million people | +0.8% |
| 1975 | 2.28 million people | +1.7% |
| 1980 | 2.27 million people | -0.6% |
| 1985 | 2.30 million people | +1.5% |
| 1990 | 2.27 million people | -1.3% |
| 1995 | 2.27 million people | -0.3% |
| 2000 | 2.25 million people | -1.0% |
| 2005 | 2.22 million people | -1.3% |
| 2010 | 2.20 million people | -0.6% |
| 2015 | 2.17 million people | -1.4% |
| 2020 | 2.16 million people | -0.4% |
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1950s | 2.10 million people | 2.07 million people | 2.13 million people | 2 |
| 1960s | 2.21 million people | 2.19 million people | 2.23 million people | 2 |
| 1970s | 2.26 million people | 2.25 million people | 2.28 million people | 2 |
| 1980s | 2.29 million people | 2.27 million people | 2.30 million people | 2 |
| 1990s | 2.27 million people | 2.27 million people | 2.27 million people | 2 |
| 2000s | 2.23 million people | 2.22 million people | 2.25 million people | 2 |
| 2010s | 2.19 million people | 2.17 million people | 2.20 million people | 2 |
| 2020s | 2.16 million people | 2.16 million people | 2.16 million people | 1 |
Countries ranked near Finland
- 96 Nicaragua 2.34 million people compare
- 97 Ireland 2.25 million people compare
- 98 Central African Republic 2.21 million people compare
- 100 Azerbaijan 2.15 million people compare
- 101 Liberia 2.11 million people compare
- 102 Switzerland 2.07 million people compare
More population data for Finland
- Population regions with projections, annual growth rate -0.3569 % change on previous year (2100)
- Urban and rural population 2050, annual growth rate -0.3888 % change on previous year (2050)
- Population long run with projections, annual growth rate -0.3569 % change on previous year (2100)
- Un population 2024 vs 2022, annual growth rate -0.1705 % change on previous year (2100)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 05 - Demographic estimates 5,461 Persons (2050)
- Africa's Development Dynamics (AfDD) Table 03 - Annual population 0.0156 Percent per annum (2030)
- Projected population under age 5, annual growth rate -0.0727 % change on previous year (2100)
- World population growth -0.4% (2100)
- Population density 15.14 people per km² (2100)
- Number of children under 5, by world region 178,591 people (2100)
Frequently asked questions
- What is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Finland?
- Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas in Finland was 2.16 million people in 2020, according to European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
- What is the highest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 2.30 million people in 1985.
- What is the lowest number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 2.07 million people in 1950.
- How does Finland rank for number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas?
- Finland ranks 99th out of 236 countries with data for 2020.
- Is number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 1.8%. The long-run trend across the full record is flat.
- Where does this Finland data come from?
- The figures come from European Commission, Joint Research Centre (JRC) (2025) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Number of people living in cities, towns and rural areas. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
Download this data
CSV · JSON — 15 observations, free to reuse under CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data).
About this data
Estimated number of people living in rural areas. Rural areas are identified using satellite imagery and population data, applying the same definitions across countries.