Population By Citizenship, Native Language
And Country Of Birth
TOTAL POPULATION IN 2009 5,351,427
CITIZENSHIP
Finnish citizens
Foreign nationals
LARGEST GROUPS BY CITIZENSHIP
Russian
Estonian
28,210
25,510
Swedish
Somali
Chinese
Thai
Iraqi
Turk
German
8,506
5,570
5,180
4,497
3,978
3,809
3,628
UK
Indian
Iranian
US
3,333
3,168
2,495
2,378
5,195,722
155,705
NATIVE LANGUAGE
Finnish
Swedish
Sámi
4,852,209
290,392
1,789
LARGEST GROUPS BY FOREIGN
LANGUAGE
Russian
Estonian
51,683
25,096
English
Somali
Arabic
Kurdish
Chinese
Albanian
Other languages
12,063
11,681
9,682
7,135
7,078
6,736
207,037
Source: Statistics Finland

 Fostering good relation between different ethnic groups
- two-way integration, measures targeted towards the original population
 Taking into account the needs of immigrants within the functioning of regular services and systems
- special targeted measures (special treatment, allocations) only as secondary options
 Promoting the right of immigrants to their own language and culture
 Equal treatment of immigrants regardless of the reasons for immigration
 Efficient coordination of measures
 Taking into account experiences of other countries

 Sufficient availability of Finnish/Swedish language teaching in all levels of education
 Studies concerning multicultural issues for all teachers. More study places for teachers with immigrant background
 Further development of recognition of knowledge
 Efficient guidance and counselling services  immediate availability, focus on periods of transition (from one education level to the next)
 Strengthening of education on internationalism and tolerance
 Promotion of mobility (students, teachers, researchers)

 Vocational basic or supplementary education
 Upper secondary education
 Liberal education (folk high schools, summer universities)
 General language examination system  a prerequisite for citizenship (64 providers of which 23 are folk high schools)
 Education of illiterate adults  cooperation between the
Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Employment and the
Economy
 Training of teachers: an ESF-funded common model shared by
5 universities and 2 polytechnics

 To strengthen language teaching of immigrants
 To develop the language examination system
 To integrate language teaching into vocational, higher adult education and on-the-job training
 To strengthen guidance and counselling services, and increase targeted services for immigrants having a higher education background

 To increase training for teachers with immigrant background or teachers working with immigrants
 Transfers of administrative resources from the Min. of
Employment and the Economy to the Min. of Education which concern teaching of illiterate adults
 More resources for upper secondary education institutes
 Changes in the legislation and funding of liberal adult education