Every fifth worker in the Helsinki metropolitan area lives elsewhere

Commuting to the Helsinki metropolitan area for work has resumed growth after the economic recession, and every fifth person – 120,000 people in all – working in the area lived outside the area in 2010. This number shows about 5 percent growth over 2009, with most of the growth coming from municipalities surrounding the area. The population of the Helsinki metropolitan area, comprising Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen, is 1.1 million. 

The number of commuters to the area has become 1.7 fold over the past 15 years, while growth in jobs and population has been markedly slower. The longest commutes have increased the fastest. The commutes to the area of those living outside the Helsinki region (13 municipalities) have doubled in 15 years. The commuting distances now extend to about 200 kilometres from the Helsinki city centre.

The Helsinki metropolitan area offers the biggest and most diversified labour market in Finland, but housing in the area is expensive.

Inside the metropolitan area, 46,700 people commuted to Helsinki (population 583,000) from Espoo (population 244,000) and 41,100 from Vantaa (population 198,000). The number of people commuting from Helsinki was 24,700 to Espoo and 25,200 to Vantaa.

The study on commuting was conducted by HSY Helsinki Region Environmental Services Authority, which regularly monitors the numbers and patterns of commuting.