Foreign-language population to double in Helsinki Region within a couple decades

The foreign-language population of the Helsinki Region is predicted to increase by 144 300 residents by the year 2030 so that the increase is 32 800 in Espoo, 72 400 in Helsinki, 27 200 in Vantaa and 11 700 in the commuter towns.The number of foreign-language residents in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area will increase by a total of 132 600 residents by the year 2030.

During the first decade of the 21st century, foreign immigrants have added to the 1.33 million residents in the Helsinki Region significantly more than net migration within Finland. One third of internal migrants have also been individuals with a foreign background. The number of people in the region who speak something other than Finnish or Swedish as their mother tongue has doubled during the first decade of the 21st century and passed the 100 000 mark last year. The proportion of foreign-language speakers is now approximately 8 percent of the region’s overall population.

During the first decade of the 21st century, the foreign-language population has been numerically accumulated mainly by immigrants from the neighbouring areas of Finland, that is, from Russia and the Baltic Countries, but also from Asia. The number of Estonian speakers has increased most rapidly. Growth has accelerated during the second half of the decade.

By the year 2030, the number of people in the Helsinki region who speak Russian will increase to almost 50 000 residents, Baltic languages to 36 000 residents and other European languages to 54 000 residents. The combined number of people speaking African and Middle Eastern languages will increase to almost 60 000 residents, while those speaking other Asian languages will add up to more than 40 000 residents.

Publication: Predicted foreign-language population in the Helsinki Region 2010–2030 (in Finnish).

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