Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Israel fits inside Finland 15 times.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · Israel: 22,070 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
Finland’s coastline is 4.6 times as long as Israel’s.
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · Israel: 273 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
Israel’s highest peak towers 908 m above Finland’s.
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · Israel: 2,236 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
Israel has 79% more people than Finland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · Israel: 10.1 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
Israel is 25 times as densely populated as Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · Israel: 468 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 4.6 cm taller than in Israel.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · Israel: 176 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 4.3 cm taller than in Israel.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · Israel: 162.2 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 14 years older than in Israel.
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · Israel: 29.2 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in Israel have 1.6 more children on average than in Finland.
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · Israel: 2.87 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 13% in Israel.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · Israel: 12.7% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Israel 5.9.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · Israel: 5.9 (2025)
How many official languages?
Finland and Israel are practically level.
Finland: 2 (2026) · Israel: 2 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
Israel’s economy is 93% larger than Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · Israel: $611 billion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Finland produces 10% more per person than Israel.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · Israel: Int$59,717 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in Israel than in Finland (Gini 10.9 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · Israel: 38.3 (2022)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 3.5% in Israel.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · Israel: 3.5% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Israel spends 8.8% of its GDP on the military, Finland 2.3%.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · Israel: 8.8% (2024)
How expensive is it?
Israel’s price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Finland’s.
Finland: 85% (2025) · Israel: 101% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
Finland spends 40% more on health per person than Israel.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · Israel: $3,928 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Israel live 0.86 years longer than in Finland.
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · Israel: 83.2 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in Israel is 42% more likely to die before turning one than in Finland.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · Israel: 2.7 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Israel has 5% more doctors per person than Finland.
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · Israel: 3.8 per 1,000 (2023)
How common is obesity?
26% of adults in Finland are obese, versus 23% in Israel.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · Israel: 23.3% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
Finland and Israel are practically level.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · Israel: 21.2% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 0.58 points higher than in Israel.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · Israel: 7.19 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in Finland drink 2.2 times as much alcohol as in Israel.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · Israel: 4.2 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
Israel has 57% more meat per person than Finland.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · Israel: 108.7 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
Israel has 408 kcal more food per person per day than Finland.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · Israel: 3,754 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in Israel put in 393 more hours a year than in Finland.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · Israel: 1,890 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in Israel went to school 0.55 years longer than in Finland.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · Israel: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland welcomed 8.3 times as many tourists per resident as Israel (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · Israel: 0.1 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
94% of people in Finland are online, versus 88% in Israel.
Finland: 94% (2024) · Israel: 88% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and Israel are practically level.
Finland: 100% (2024) · Israel: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
92% of people in Israel live in cities, versus 75% in Finland.
Finland: 75% (2025) · Israel: 92% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Israel has 177 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, Finland 126.
Finland: 126 (2024) · Israel: 177 (2024)
How much railway is there?
Finland’s railway network is 3.4 times as long as Israel’s.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · Israel: 1,720 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 2.6 times as many passengers per resident as those from Israel.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · Israel: 0.73 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 6.5% of Israel.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · Israel: 6.5% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Israel emits 6% more CO₂ than someone in Finland.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · Israel: 5.6 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 17% in Israel.
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · Israel: 16.9% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in Israel carries 3.8 times as much fine dust as in Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · Israel: 20.4 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 66% more likely to be murdered in Israel than in Finland.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · Israel: 1.6 per 100k (2022)
How dangerous are the roads?
Finland and Israel are nearly identical here.
Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021) · Israel: 4.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
Israel is on average 17.6 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 21.1°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
Finland gets 3.7 times as much rain as Israel.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · Israel: 205 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than Israel?
Finland is larger. Israel fits inside Finland 15 times.
Which has more people, Finland or Israel?
Israel has 79% more people than Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or Israel?
People in Israel live 0.86 years longer than in Finland. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 83.2 in Israel.
Are people taller in Finland or Israel?
Men in Finland are 4.6 cm taller than in Israel (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
