Finland Times

Monday, 11 November, 2024
Home NATIONALForeign-language speakers account for 90% population growth
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Sun, 23 Mar, 2014 12:05:46 AM
FTimes Report, March 23
 
Change in the population by native language in 1990 to 2013. Source: Statistics Finland.
Foreign language speakers have been playing a vital role in the growth of population in the country in last year, according to Statistics Finland.
 
The report said population grew by 24,596 in 2013 in which the number of foreign-language speaking people was 22. 
 
According to Statistics Finland, the official total population of Finland at the end of 2013 was 5,451,270, of whom 2,680,364 were men and 2,770,906 women. 
 
The number of native speakers grew by 2,514 while the number of Swedish speakers fell by 67 and Sami speakers grew by 30.
 
Uusimaa contributed 76% to the population growth.
 
In 2013, population grew in 10 and diminished in nine regions. In absolute numbers, the highest growth of 18,638 was seen in Uusimaa and 3,598 in Pirkanmaa and 2,617 in North Ostrobothnia.
 
The biggest absolute decline in population of 908 was seen in Etelä-Savo, 710 in Kainuu and 576 in Kymenlaakso. 
 
In terms of municipalities, the population grew in 106 and diminished in 213. Helsinki had the biggest absolute increase of 8,696, followed by 3,929 in Espoo and 3,025 Tampere. Salo had the biggest absolute decrease of 380 followed by 370 in Kouvola.
 
The number of foreign-language speakers stood at 289,068 at the end of 2013, representing 5.3% of the population. A total of 4,869,362 or 89.3% spoke Finnish, 290,910 or 5.3% Swedish and 1,930 or 0.04% Sami. 
 
The number of foreign-language speakers is expected to exceed the number of Swedish speakers from February to March 2014.
 
The largest group of foreign-language speakers comprise Russians – 66,379. 
 
The number of people with no religious affiliation went past the one million mark in 2010. At the end of 2013, they totalled 1.2 million.
 
Thus, every fifth person in Finland is not a member of a religious community registered in Finland. In 1990, nine out of ten people in Finland belonged to a religious community.
 
At the end of 2013, there were 1,203,687 people with no religious affiliation. 
 
 
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