Land
Size, shape and altitude
How big is it, really?
Finland fits inside the United States 29 times.
Finland: 338,480 km² (2023) · United States: 9,831,510 km² (2023)
How much coast is there?
The United States’ coastline is 16 times as long as Finland’s.
Finland: 1,250 km (2026 edition) · United States: 19,924 km (2026 edition)
How high can you climb?
The United States’ highest peak towers 4,862 m above Finland’s.
Finland: 1,328 m (2026 edition) · United States: 6,190 m (2026 edition)
People
Who lives there, and how closely
How many people live there?
The United States has 61 times as many people as Finland.
Finland: 5.65 million (2025) · United States: 342 million (2025)
How crowded is it?
The United States is 2 times as densely populated as Finland.
Finland: 19 per km² (2025) · United States: 37 per km² (2025)
How tall are the men?
Men in Finland are 3.6 cm taller than in the United States.
Finland: 180.6 cm (2019) · United States: 176.9 cm (2019)
How tall are the women?
Women in Finland are 3.2 cm taller than in the United States.
Finland: 166.5 cm (2019) · United States: 163.3 cm (2019)
How old is the typical person?
The typical person in Finland is 4.8 years older than in the United States.
Finland: 42.8 years (2023) · United States: 38 years (2023)
How many children per woman?
Women in the United States have 0.4 more children on average than in Finland.
Finland: 1.25 children per woman (2024) · United States: 1.63 children per woman (2024)
How many people are 65 or older?
24% of people in Finland are 65 or older, versus 18% in the United States.
Finland: 24.2% (2025) · United States: 18.4% (2025)
How many Nobel laureates were born there?
Finland has produced 8.9 Nobel laureates per 10 million people, the United States 8.7.
Finland: 8.9 (2025) · United States: 8.7 (2025)
How many official languages?
Finland has 2 official languages, the United States 1.
Finland: 2 (2026) · United States: 1 (2026)
Money
What an economy looks like per person
How big is the economy?
The United States’ economy is 97 times the size of Finland’s.
Finland: $317 billion (2025) · United States: $30.8 trillion (2025)
How much is produced per person?
The United States produces 37% more per person than Finland.
Finland: Int$65,885 (2025) · United States: Int$90,027 (2025)
How evenly is income shared?
Income is more unequally shared in the United States than in Finland (Gini 14.4 points higher).
Finland: 27.4 (2023) · United States: 41.8 (2024)
How many people are looking for work?
Unemployment is 9.5% in Finland, versus 4.2% in the United States.
Finland: 9.5% (2025) · United States: 4.2% (2025)
How much goes to the military?
The United States spends 3.4% of its GDP on the military, Finland 2.3%.
Finland: 2.3% (2024) · United States: 3.4% (2024)
How expensive is it?
The United States’ price level (US = 100) is 1.2× Finland’s.
Finland: 85% (2025) · United States: 100% (2025)
Health
Long lives, small beginnings
How much is spent on health?
The United States spends 2.4 times as much on health per person as Finland.
Finland: $5,515 (2023) · United States: $13,473 (2023)
How long do people live?
People in Finland live 3.4 years longer than in the United States.
Finland: 82.3 years (2024) · United States: 78.9 years (2024)
How many babies don’t reach their first birthday?
A baby in the United States is 2.9 times as likely to die before turning one as in Finland.
Finland: 1.9 per 1,000 (2024) · United States: 5.5 per 1,000 (2024)
How many doctors are there?
The United States has 2% more doctors per person than Finland.
Finland: 3.6 per 1,000 (2021) · United States: 3.7 per 1,000 (2022)
How common is obesity?
42% of adults in the United States are obese, versus 26% in Finland.
Finland: 26.2% (2024) · United States: 41.8% (2024)
How many adults smoke?
21% of adults in Finland smoke, versus 16% in the United States.
Finland: 21.4% (2024) · United States: 15.8% (2024)
Everyday life
Plates, glasses and happiness
How do people rate their lives?
People in Finland rate their lives 0.95 points higher than in the United States.
Finland: 7.76 (2025) · United States: 6.82 (2025)
How much do people drink?
Adults in the United States drink 2% more alcohol than in Finland.
Finland: 9.4 litres (2023) · United States: 9.6 litres (2023)
How much meat is on the menu?
The United States has 76% more meat per person than Finland.
Finland: 69.4 kg (2023) · United States: 122.1 kg (2023)
How much food is there per day?
The United States has 602 kcal more food per person per day than Finland.
Finland: 3,346 kcal (2023) · United States: 3,947 kcal (2023)
How long do people work?
Workers in the United States put in 292 more hours a year than in Finland.
Finland: 1,497 hours (2023) · United States: 1,789 hours (2023)
How long do people go to school?
Adults in the United States went to school 0.93 years longer than in Finland.
Finland: 13 years (2023) · United States: 13.9 years (2023)
How many tourists visit?
Finland welcomed 3.7 times as many tourists per resident as the United States (2019).
Finland: 0.8 (2024) · United States: 0.21 (2024)
Connected
Online, electrified, urban
How many people are online?
95% of people in the United States are online, versus 94% in Finland.
Finland: 94% (2024) · United States: 95% (2024)
Who has electricity at home?
Finland and the United States are practically level.
Finland: 100% (2024) · United States: 100% (2024)
How many live in cities?
80% of people in the United States live in cities, versus 75% in Finland.
Finland: 75% (2025) · United States: 80% (2025)
How many phones per person?
Finland has 126 mobile subscriptions per 100 people, the United States 113.
Finland: 126 (2024) · United States: 113 (2024)
How much railway is there?
The United States’ railway network is 25 times as long as Finland’s.
Finland: 5,918 km (2021) · United States: 148,553 km (2021)
How much do they fly?
Airlines from the United States fly 44% more passengers per resident than those from Finland.
Finland: 1.91 (2023) · United States: 2.75 (2023)
Planet
Air, forests and energy
How much of the land is forest?
Forest covers 74% of Finland, but only 34% of the United States.
Finland: 73.7% (2023) · United States: 33.9% (2023)
How much CO₂ does each person emit?
The average person in the United States emits 2.7 times as much CO₂ as someone in Finland.
Finland: 5.3 t (2024) · United States: 14.2 t (2024)
How green is the power grid?
56% of Finland’s electricity is renewable, versus 26% in the United States.
Finland: 56.5% (2025) · United States: 25.6% (2025)
How clean is the air?
The air in the United States carries 39% more fine dust than in Finland.
Finland: 5.4 µg/m³ (2024) · United States: 7.5 µg/m³ (2024)
Safety
Measured risk, not vibes
How common is murder?
You are 5.9 times as likely to be murdered in the United States as in Finland.
Finland: 1 per 100k (2023) · United States: 5.8 per 100k (2023)
How dangerous are the roads?
Roads in the United States are 3.4 times as deadly as in Finland.
Finland: 4.2 per 100k (2021) · United States: 14.2 per 100k (2021)
Climate
What the year feels like
How warm is it?
The United States is on average 6.7 °C warmer than Finland.
Finland: 3.6°C (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 10.3°C (2016–2025 avg)
How much rain falls?
The United States gets 12% more rain than Finland.
Finland: 758 mm (2016–2025 avg) · United States: 849 mm (2016–2025 avg)
Quick answers
Is Finland bigger than the United States?
The United States is larger. Finland fits inside the United States 29 times.
Which has more people, Finland or the United States?
The United States has 61 times as many people as Finland (2025 estimates).
Where do people live longer, Finland or the United States?
People in Finland live 3.4 years longer than in the United States. Life expectancy at birth is 82.3 years in Finland and 78.9 in the United States.
Are people taller in Finland or the United States?
Men in Finland are 3.6 cm taller than in the United States (NCD-RisC, cohort born 2019).
