Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Finland is 39% bigger than the United Kingdom
Finland: 338,485 km² (2024) · United Kingdom: 243,610 km² (2024)
How much coast is there?
The United Kingdom’s coastline is 9.9 times as long as Finland’s
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 12,429 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United Kingdom’s highest peak towers 17 m above Finland’s
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,345 m (2026 edition)
How much of the land is farmed?
Farmland covers 69% of the United Kingdom, versus 7.4% of Finland
Finland: 7.4% (2024) · United Kingdom: 69.2% (2024)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United Kingdom has 12 times as many people as Finland
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · United Kingdom: 69.5 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United Kingdom is 15 times as densely populated as Finland
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · United Kingdom: 287 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 2.4 cm taller than in the United Kingdom
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 178.2 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 2.5 cm taller than in the United Kingdom
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · United Kingdom: 163.9 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 3 years older than in the United Kingdom
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 39.8 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United Kingdom have 0.3 more children on average than in Finland
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · United Kingdom: 1.55 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 20% in the United Kingdom
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · United Kingdom: 19.7% (2025)
How many refugees does it host?
Finland hosts 2.2 times as many refugees per resident as the United Kingdom
Finland: 18.2 per 1,000 (2025) · United Kingdom: 8.4 per 1,000 (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
The United Kingdom has produced 15.8 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, Finland 8.9
Finland: 8.9 (2026) · United Kingdom: 15.8 (2026)
How many official languages?
Finland has 2 official languages, the United Kingdom 1
Finland: 2 (2026) · United Kingdom: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United Kingdom’s economy is 13 times the size of Finland’s
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · United Kingdom: $4 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
Finland produces 2% more per person than the United Kingdom
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · United Kingdom: Int$64,607 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United Kingdom than in Finland (Gini 5 points higher)
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · United Kingdom: 32.4 (2021)
How many live on less than $3 a day?
The United Kingdom and Finland are practically level
Finland: 0.2% (2023) · United Kingdom: 0.4% (2021)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 4.7% in the United Kingdom
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · United Kingdom: 4.7% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
Finland and the United Kingdom are practically level
Finland: 2.6% (2025) · United Kingdom: 2.4% (2025)
How much does the central government collect in tax?
The United Kingdom’s central government collects 27% of GDP in tax, Finland’s 25%
Finland: 25.3% (2024) · United Kingdom: 26.9% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United Kingdom’s price level (US = 100) is 1× Finland’s
Finland: 85% (2025) · United Kingdom: 89% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United Kingdom spends 6% more on health per person than Finland
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · United Kingdom: $5,860 (2024)
How long do people live?
People in Finland live 0.95 years longer than in the United Kingdom
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · United Kingdom: 81.4 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United Kingdom is 2.2 times as likely to die before turning one as in Finland
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.1 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
Finland has 9% more doctors per person than the United Kingdom
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · United Kingdom: 3.3 per 1,000 (2023)
How many hospital beds are there?
Finland has 8% more hospital beds per person than the United Kingdom
Finland: 2.6 per 1,000 (2022) · United Kingdom: 2.4 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is suicide?
The suicide rate in Finland is 36% higher than in the United Kingdom
Finland: 13.1 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 9.6 per 100k (2023)
How common is obesity?
29% of adults in the United Kingdom are obese, versus 26% in Finland
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · United Kingdom: 29.2% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Finland smoke, versus 13% in the United Kingdom
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · United Kingdom: 12.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 1.07 points higher than in the United Kingdom
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · United Kingdom: 6.69 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United Kingdom drink 11% more alcohol than in Finland
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · United Kingdom: 10.4 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United Kingdom has 22% more meat per person than Finland
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · United Kingdom: 84.4 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United Kingdom has 89 kcal more food per person per day than Finland
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · United Kingdom: 3,435 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United Kingdom put in 26 more hours a year than in Finland
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · United Kingdom: 1,523 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United Kingdom went to school 0.51 years longer than in Finland
Finland: 13 years (2023) · United Kingdom: 13.5 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland welcomed 44% more tourists per resident than the United Kingdom (2019)
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · United Kingdom: 0.55 (2024)
How many World Heritage sites?
The United Kingdom has 27 more World Heritage sites than Finland (35 against 8)
Finland: 8 (2026) · United Kingdom: 35 (2026)
How many Olympic medals has it won?
The United Kingdom has won 1,025 Olympic medals, Finland 486
Finland: 486 (2026 edition) · United Kingdom: 1,025 (2026 edition)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United Kingdom are online, versus 94% in Finland
Finland: 94% (2024) · United Kingdom: 95% (2024)
How fast is home internet?
Home internet in the United Kingdom is 23% faster than in Finland
Finland: 247 Mbps (2026) · United Kingdom: 303 Mbps (2026)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and the United Kingdom are practically level
Finland: 100% (2024) · United Kingdom: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
83% of people in the United Kingdom live in cities, versus 75% in Finland
Finland: 75% (2025) · United Kingdom: 83% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Finland has 126 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United Kingdom 122
Finland: 126 (2024) · United Kingdom: 122 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United Kingdom’s railway network is 2.7 times as long as Finland’s
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · United Kingdom: 16,179 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from Finland fly 12% more passengers per resident than those from the United Kingdom
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.71 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 13% of the United Kingdom
Finland: 74.2% (2024) · United Kingdom: 13.5% (2024)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in Finland emits 17% more CO₂ than someone in the United Kingdom
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · United Kingdom: 4.5 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 52% in the United Kingdom
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · United Kingdom: 52% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the United Kingdom carries 63% more fine dust than in Finland
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · United Kingdom: 8.8 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 14% more likely to be murdered in the United Kingdom than in Finland
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 1.1 per 100k (2021)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in Finland are 36% deadlier than in the United Kingdom
Finland: 5.3 per 100k (2023) · United Kingdom: 3.9 per 100k (2023)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The United Kingdom is on average 6.4 °C warmer than Finland
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 9.9°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United Kingdom gets 41% more rain than Finland
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United Kingdom: 1,070 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Between them
People, goods and passports that cross from one to the other
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than the United Kingdom?
Finland is larger. Finland is 39% bigger than the United Kingdom.
Which has more people, Finland or the United Kingdom?
The United Kingdom has 12 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or the United Kingdom?
People in Finland live 0.95 years longer than in the United Kingdom. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 81.4 in the United Kingdom.
Are people taller in Finland or the United Kingdom?
Men in Finland are 2.4 cm taller than in the United Kingdom (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
