Home > Statistics > Citizenships granted > 2017 > Number of persons receiving Finnish citizenship reached new record in 2017

Published: 14 June 2018

Number of persons receiving Finnish citizenship reached new record in 2017

According to Statistics Finland, Finnish citizenship was granted in 2017 to 12,219 foreign citizens permanently resident in Finland. The number exceeded clearly the record of 2016 and is highest during Finnish independence. Altogether, 2,844 more citizenships were granted than in 2016. In relative terms, their number grew by 30 per cent from the previous year.

Persons having received Finnish citizenship in 1966 to 2017

Finnish citizenship was granted most to Russian citizens

In 2017, Finnish citizenship was granted by far most often to citizens of Russia, numbering 2,758 among those having been granted Finnish citizenship. This was 730 more than in the year before. Somali citizens were the second largest group of recipients of Finnish citizenship, numbering 957. The third most Finnish citizenships were granted to citizens of Iraq, 742 and the fourth most to Estonian citizens, 705.

Average age of persons having received Finnish citizenship was 28

The average age for women was 29.1 years and for men 27.3 years. Of the persons having received Finnish citizenship, 6,375 were women and 5,844 men. The relative share of women was 52 per cent and that of men 48 per cent. Among the persons having been granted Finnish citizenship, 3,544 or 29 per cent were aged under 18 and 258 were 65 or older. Examined by five-year age groups, the number of persons having received citizenship was highest among those aged 30 to 34, in all 2,005 persons representing 16 per cent of all those who received Finnish citizenship.

In all, 117,000 persons living in Finland have dual citizenship

In 2017, altogether 98 per cent of those having been granted Finnish citizenship retained their former citizenship. At the end of 2017, there were 117,024 persons permanently resident in Finland who held the citizenship of some other country in addition to Finnish citizenship. Their number grew by 11 per cent from the previous year. Of them, 21,099 were native-born citizens of Finland who have been granted citizenship in another country and 95,925 were foreign citizens who have been granted Finnish citizenship.

The largest dual nationality groups at the end of 2017 were citizens of Russia, 30,088, Sweden, 7,759, Somalia, 5,590, Estonia, 5,291, and Iraq, 4,152. Among dual nationality groups, the number of Russian citizens increased most in absolute numbers compared to the previous year, by 2,632 persons. However, in relative terms, the number of Somali citizens increased most, by 20 per cent.

Source: Population and Justice Statistics. Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Timo Nikander 029 551 3250, Matti Saari 029 551 3401

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

Publication in pdf-format (239.3 kB)

Tables

Tables in databases

Pick the data you need into tables, view the data as graphs, or download the data for your use.

• Database tables and their variables
• Archived tables

Figures

• Appendix figure 1. Naturalized foreigners by previous citizenship in 2017 (14.6.2018)
• Appendix figure 2. Largest dual nationality groups permanently resident in Finland by their second nationality in 2017 (14.6.2018)
• Appendix figure 3. Naturalized foreigners by age group in 2017 (14.6.2018)

Quality descriptions

• Quality description, naturalized foreigners 2017 (14.6.2018)

---

Updated 14.6.2018