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Published: 13 May 2015

Number of persons receiving Finnish citizenship fell in 2014

According to Statistics Finland, Finnish citizenship was granted in 2014 to 8,260 foreign citizens permanently resident in Finland. The figure is 670 lower than one year before. Ninety-six per cent of those having been granted Finnish citizenship retained their former citizenship. Of the persons receiving Finnish citizenship, 4,462 were women and 3,798 men. Among the persons having been granted Finnish citizenship, 2,216 were aged under 15 and 191 were older than 65.

Recipients of Finnish citizenship 1966–2014

Last year, Finnish citizenship was granted to 7,336 citizens of countries outside the European Union, which is 89 per cent of all granted Finnish citizenships. The percentage is at the same level as in the previous year, because the decrease in the number of citizenships granted was almost entirely made up of citizens not belonging to the European Union. In all, 924 of those having being granted Finnish citizenship were from countries belonging to the European Union, which is just a few lower than one year previously. In recent years, around every fifth of those having been granted Finnish citizenship had been born in Finland and about four out of five abroad.

In 2014, Finnish citizenship was granted by far most often to citizens of Russia, numbering 2,317 among those having been granted Finnish citizenship. This was good 200 more than in the year before. Somali citizens were the second largest group of recipients of Finnish citizenship, numbering 834. Almost as many Somalis received Finnish citizenship in the year before. In all, 405 citizens of Iraq living in Finland were granted Finnish citizenship, which is slightly over one hundred more than in the year before. Finnish citizenship was granted the fourth most often to Estonian citizens, 382, around 50 fewer than in the year before.

Finland has a high share of granted citizenships

In a comparison of Nordic countries, Sweden has the top position when the number of citizenships granted is compared to the number of foreign citizens living in the country. Finland is clearly the second before Iceland, Norway and Denmark.

Naturalized foreign citizens in Nordic countries 2013/2014, per cent of foreigners

Source: Population and Justice Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Matti Saari 029 551 3401

Director in charge: Riitta Harala

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Appendix tables

• Appendix table 1. Naturalized foreigners and foreigners by age structure 2014 (13.5.2015)
• Appendix table 2. Citizenships granted according to country of previous citizenship 2009 - 2014 (13.5.2015)

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Naturalized foreigners by previous citizenship 2014 (13.5.2015)

Quality descriptions

• Quality description, naturalized foreigners 2014 (13.5.2015)

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Updated 13.5.2015