Immigration to Finland drops in 2017

A total of 31,797 persons immigrated to Finland in 2017, which was nine per cent or 3,108 persons less than in 2016, shows the database of Statistics Finland.

Emigration, too, declined in 2017 from that in the previous year. A total of 16,973 persons moved abroad, posting a six per cent hike compared to the emigration figure in 2016.

The annual migration gain for Finland declined to 14,824 persons from the previous year’s 16,823.

Seventy-five per cent or 23,735 of the immigrants were foreign citizens in 2017, while 60 per cent or 10,167 of the emigrants were Finnish citizens. Finland’s migration gain from foreign citizens amounted to 16,929 persons, but Finnish citizens generated a migration loss of 2,105 persons.

Finland’s migration gain consisted almost completely of immigrants from outside the EU in 2017. However, immigration from countries outside the EU decreased from that in the previous year. Emigration to countries outside the EU was also lower. The net immigration from non-EU countries declined to 14,249 in 2017 from the previous year’s 15,716.

Immigration gain was the largest from Iraq from where 2,369 immigrants came. The second largest source of immigration was Syria accounting for 1,422 immigrants, and the third largest segment of 1,420 immigrants came from Russia.

In 2017, immigration from EU countries to Finland went down by 721 persons from the previous year’s 12,192 immigrants. Emigration to EU countries has now become steadier. Last year, 11,617 persons emigrated from Finland to other EU countries, registering a 189-person drop year on year. As a result of the developments described above, Finland’s migration gain from EU countries was nearly half of what it was the year before, 575 persons.