GDP grows by 2.7% in 2017

The volume of Finland’s Gross Domestic Product (GDP) grew by 2.7 per cent in 2017 from the year before, according to Statistics Finland.

Previously the growth was estimated to be 2.8 per cent.

In 2017, the output of the national economy increased particularly due to the volume of investments growing by 4.3 per cent and that of exports by 7.7 per cent. Private investments grew by 4.8 per cent and government investments by 2.4 per cent. The volume of imports went up by 3.8 per cent. The volume of households’ consumption expenditure grew by 1.5 per cent. The volume of public consumption expenditure diminished by 0.4 per cent.

In the January calculation round, the biggest revisions were made in transactions between Finland and the rest of the world and in general government data. New data were obtained on imports and exports of services and goods, as well as on international property income and expenditure. The current account became revised into a deficit of EUR - 0.7 billion, while in the summer round, the surplus was estimated to be EUR 1.4 billion. The current account fell as enterprise data concerning the rest of the world were revised. The biggest revision concerned property income and expenditure in the rest of the world.

Households’ disposable real income grew by 1.2 per cent in 2017. Households' adjusted real income describing their economic well-being increased by 0.9 per cent. Besides net income, it also includes welfare services, such as educational, health and social services that general government and organisations produce for households.

In 2017, households’ savings ratio was - 0.9 per cent and households’ indebtedness ratio rose to 128.9 per cent in 2017. The share of compensation of employees in national income was 57.2 per cent in 2017 and the share of property and entrepreneurial income was 27.1 per cent.

General government’s net lending, or financial position, showed a deficit of EUR - 1.8 billion, while the deficit was EUR - 3.7 billion in 2016. The deficit was 0.8 per cent relative to gross domestic product in 2017.

The financial position of central government (net borrowing) showed a deficit of EUR - 4.1 billion, while in the previous year it was EUR - 5.7 billion. The deficit or net borrowing of local government (municipalities and joint municipal authorities, etc.) was EUR - 0.4 billion. The surplus of employment pension schemes’ net lending diminished to EUR 2.0 billion from the previous year. The surplus does not include holding gains in assets. Other social security funds showed a surplus of EUR 0.7 billion.