Life expectancy in Finland

Finland: Life expectancy was 81.91 years in 2023. ▲ Rising

Latest (2023)
81.91 years
Change on year
up 0.8%
World rank
40th
of 236 countries
All-time high
81.91 years
in 2023
All-time low
31.8 years
in 1805
Years of data
159
1755–2023

Life expectancy in Finland, 1755–2023

020406080175518892023

Source: Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Measured in years.

Analysis

The most recent figure for life expectancy in Finland is 81.91 years, measured in 2023. That is the highest value across all 159 years on record.

Compared with earlier readings it is up 0.8% on the previous year and up 1.3% over ten years.

Over the whole period, life expectancy in Finland peaked at 81.91 years in 2023 and was at its lowest, 31.8 years, in 1805.

Finland ranks 40th of 236 countries on this measure, in the top quarter.

The long-run direction has been consistently rising across the 159 years of available data.

Life expectancy in Finland, year by year

Annual values for Life expectancy in Finland, 1755 to 2023.
Year years Change
1755 37.25 years
1765 34.85 years -6.4%
1775 39.35 years +12.9%
1785 33.8 years -14.1%
1795 37.05 years +9.6%
1805 31.8 years -14.2%
1815 35.8 years +12.6%
1825 38.4 years +7.3%
1835 34.65 years -9.8%
1845 40.45 years +16.7%
1855 35.1 years -13.2%
1865 32.1 years -8.5%
1875 41.57 years +29.5%
1878 39.34 years -5.4%
1879 44.91 years +14.2%
1880 39.7 years -11.6%
1881 37.7 years -5.0%
1882 40.31 years +6.9%
1883 42.75 years +6.1%
1884 42.88 years +0.3%
1885 41.28 years -3.7%
1886 40.87 years -1.0%
1887 45.54 years +11.4%
1888 45.19 years -0.8%
1889 44.92 years -0.6%
1890 44.61 years -0.7%
1891 42.61 years -4.5%
1892 39.77 years -6.7%
1893 43.35 years +9.0%
1894 45.18 years +4.2%
1895 47.61 years +5.4%
1896 46.52 years -2.3%
1897 48.11 years +3.4%
1898 48.07 years -0.1%
1899 44.35 years -7.7%
1900 41.81 years -5.7%
1901 42.84 years +2.5%
1902 46.21 years +7.9%
1903 46.56 years +0.8%
1904 47.19 years +1.4%
1905 46.05 years -2.4%
1906 47.03 years +2.1%
1907 46.96 years -0.1%
1908 46.09 years -1.9%
1909 48.69 years +5.6%
1910 48.49 years -0.4%
1911 48.72 years +0.5%
1912 49.12 years +0.8%
1913 49.04 years -0.2%
1914 49.73 years +1.4%
1915 49.56 years -0.3%
1916 47.98 years -3.2%
1917 46.54 years -3.0%
1918 32.85 years -29.4%
1919 42.81 years +30.3%
1920 47.68 years +11.4%
1921 52.4 years +9.9%
1922 51.93 years -0.9%
1923 52.48 years +1.1%
1924 50.26 years -4.2%
1925 53.36 years +6.2%
1926 53.79 years +0.8%
1927 51.83 years -3.6%
1928 53.69 years +3.6%
1929 51.32 years -4.4%
1930 54.45 years +6.1%
1931 54.86 years +0.8%
1932 55.75 years +1.6%
1933 55.39 years -0.6%
1934 56 years +1.1%
1935 57.36 years +2.4%
1936 56.17 years -2.1%
1937 57.04 years +1.5%
1938 57.2 years +0.3%
1939 54.62 years -4.5%
1940 46.8 years -14.3%
1941 46.42 years -0.8%
1942 53.93 years +16.2%
1943 56.28 years +4.4%
1944 48.06 years -14.6%
1945 56.81 years +18.2%
1946 60.45 years +6.4%
1947 60.51 years +0.1%
1948 61.96 years +2.4%
1949 61.89 years -0.1%
1950 64.2 years +3.7%
1951 65.63 years +2.2%
1952 66.52 years +1.4%
1953 66.6 years +0.1%
1954 67.55 years +1.4%
1955 67.34 years -0.3%
1956 67.99 years +1.0%
1957 67.45 years -0.8%
1958 68.61 years +1.7%
1959 68.79 years +0.3%
1960 68.99 years +0.3%
1961 69.01 years +0.0%
1962 68.74 years -0.4%
1963 69.18 years +0.6%
1964 69.38 years +0.3%
1965 69.13 years -0.4%
1966 69.64 years +0.7%
1967 69.82 years +0.2%
1968 69.78 years -0.0%
1969 69.65 years -0.2%
1970 70.32 years +1.0%
1971 70.15 years -0.3%
1972 70.87 years +1.0%
1973 71.37 years +0.7%
1974 71.29 years -0.1%
1975 71.84 years +0.8%
1976 71.99 years +0.2%
1977 72.51 years +0.7%
1978 73.08 years +0.8%
1979 73.36 years +0.4%
1980 73.65 years +0.4%
1981 73.96 years +0.4%
1982 74.53 years +0.8%
1983 74.44 years -0.1%
1984 74.74 years +0.4%
1985 74.42 years -0.4%
1986 74.77 years +0.5%
1987 74.8 years +0.0%
1988 74.76 years -0.0%
1989 74.97 years +0.3%
1990 74.99 years +0.0%
1991 75.41 years +0.6%
1992 75.65 years +0.3%
1993 75.88 years +0.3%
1994 76.57 years +0.9%
1995 76.6 years +0.0%
1996 76.87 years +0.3%
1997 77.06 years +0.3%
1998 77.26 years +0.3%
1999 77.45 years +0.2%
2000 77.67 years +0.3%
2001 78.14 years +0.6%
2002 78.27 years +0.2%
2003 78.53 years +0.3%
2004 78.85 years +0.4%
2005 78.97 years +0.2%
2006 79.37 years +0.5%
2007 79.39 years +0.0%
2008 79.69 years +0.4%
2009 79.83 years +0.2%
2010 80.01 years +0.2%
2011 80.39 years +0.5%
2012 80.51 years +0.1%
2013 80.87 years +0.4%
2014 81.05 years +0.2%
2015 81.38 years +0.4%
2016 81.3 years -0.1%
2017 81.5 years +0.2%
2018 81.63 years +0.2%
2019 81.86 years +0.3%
2020 81.82 years -0.1%
2021 81.81 years -0.0%
2022 81.24 years -0.7%
2023 81.91 years +0.8%

Finland compared with similar countries

  • Finland's 81.91 years is above the median for high income countries, which is 81 years, 1.0× the median. (85 countries reporting)
  • Finland's 81.91 years is above the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 79.72 years, 1.0× the median. (56 countries reporting)

Biggest year-on-year movements

Years where Life expectancy in Finland changed far more than this series normally does. A large move can be a real event or a change in how the figure was measured — the source note below says who published it.

YearChange FromTo
1919 +30.3% 32.85 years 42.81 years
1918 -29.4% 46.54 years 32.85 years
1875 +29.5% 32.1 years 41.57 years

Averages by decade

DecadeAverage LowestHighest Years
1750s 37.25 years 37.25 years 37.25 years 1
1760s 34.85 years 34.85 years 34.85 years 1
1770s 39.35 years 39.35 years 39.35 years 1
1780s 33.8 years 33.8 years 33.8 years 1
1790s 37.05 years 37.05 years 37.05 years 1
1800s 31.8 years 31.8 years 31.8 years 1
1810s 35.8 years 35.8 years 35.8 years 1
1820s 38.4 years 38.4 years 38.4 years 1
1830s 34.65 years 34.65 years 34.65 years 1
1840s 40.45 years 40.45 years 40.45 years 1
1850s 35.1 years 35.1 years 35.1 years 1
1860s 32.1 years 32.1 years 32.1 years 1
1870s 41.94 years 39.34 years 44.91 years 3
1880s 42.11 years 37.7 years 45.54 years 10
1890s 45.02 years 39.77 years 48.11 years 10
1900s 45.94 years 41.81 years 48.69 years 10
1910s 46.48 years 32.85 years 49.73 years 10
1920s 51.87 years 47.68 years 53.79 years 10
1930s 55.88 years 54.45 years 57.36 years 10
1940s 55.31 years 46.42 years 61.96 years 10
1950s 67.07 years 64.2 years 68.79 years 10
1960s 69.33 years 68.74 years 69.82 years 10
1970s 71.68 years 70.15 years 73.36 years 10
1980s 74.5 years 73.65 years 74.97 years 10
1990s 76.37 years 74.99 years 77.45 years 10
2000s 78.87 years 77.67 years 79.83 years 10
2010s 81.05 years 80.01 years 81.86 years 10
2020s 81.7 years 81.24 years 81.91 years 4

Countries ranked near Finland

  1. 37 Guadeloupe 82.05 years compare
  2. 38 Austria 81.96 years compare
  3. 39 Denmark 81.93 years compare
  4. 41 Greece 81.86 years compare
  5. 42 Puerto Rico 81.69 years compare
  6. 43 Cyprus 81.65 years compare

See the full ranking of 236 places →

More health data for Finland

All data for Finland →

Frequently asked questions

What is life expectancy in Finland?
Life expectancy in Finland was 81.91 years in 2023, according to Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data.
What is the highest life expectancy recorded in Finland?
The highest recorded value was 81.91 years in 2023.
What is the lowest life expectancy recorded in Finland?
The lowest recorded value was 31.8 years in 1805.
How does Finland rank for life expectancy?
Finland ranks 40th out of 236 countries with data for 2023.
Is life expectancy rising or falling in Finland?
Over the last ten years it is up 1.3%. The long-run trend across the full record is rising.
Where does this Finland data come from?
The figures come from Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data, published as part of Life expectancy. Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.

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Life expectancy in Finland. Statizoid, drawing on Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data. Retrieved 22 September 2026, from https://health.statizoid.com/stat/life-expectancy/finland/

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About this data

Indicator
Life expectancy
Unit
years
Source
Riley (2005); Zijdeman et al. (2015); HMD (2025); UN WPP (2024) – with major processing by Our World in Data
Licence
CC BY 4.0 (Our World in Data)
Coverage
236 places, 19,452 data points, 1543–2023
Last refreshed

Period life expectancy is the number of years the average person born in a certain year would live if they experienced the same chances of dying at each age as people did that year.