Key characteristics of Finnish society

Societies are always diverse, and so is Finnish society. However, it can be described with some key characteristics. They help to understand why things work in Finland the way they work and how Finland differs from many other countries.

Finland is a liberal democracy in which the Constitution protects the rights of all people. Finland is also a Nordic welfare state that guarantees the basic living conditions for all its residents. Finland is an individualistic and equal society where things work according to the rules and where people trust institutions and each other.

Today’s Finland, like all societies, is diverse. All kinds of descriptions of Finland are generalizations. However, societies also differ from each other. Talking about these differences can help you understand why things work the way they work in a country. Laws and social structures also vary in different countries and have an impact on what it is like to live in a country.

Finland is a liberal democracy

Democracy is a form of government in which people have the power. In Finland, the highest power is exercised by the freely elected Parliament. However, Parliament’s decisions are limited by the Constitution and the fundamental and human rights guaranteed by it. The purpose of these is to protect the rights of all people. Fundamental rights include, for example, freedom of expression and religion as well as freedom of assembly and association.

Finnish society has been built democratically. This means that different population groups have had an influence on how Finland has been developed before and now. That is why people in Finland generally think that Finland, the authorities and services operate fairly and reliably. This allows people in Finland to feel that the country is their own.

Finland is a Nordic welfare state

The Nordic welfare state means that the state guarantees the conditions for a decent life for all its inhabitants. Important services that promote people’s well-being, such as health care, education, early childhood education, libraries and many sport and exercise services, are paid for with tax money. They are affordable or even free of charge for their users. In addition, the state provides financial support for people who would otherwise not be able to cope due to illness, unemployment or a difficult life situation.

The state needs money to provide services and to pay for subsidies and benefits. Taxes may therefore be higher in welfare states than in other countries. Taxes are paid by individuals and companies. In Finland, most people are happy to pay taxes because they feel that the well-being gained through taxes is valuable.

In Finnish society, there is a constant debate about what services the state should provide for people and what is the appropriate level of taxation. The question is how much money people want to be paid to maintain the welfare state. For example, different political parties have different opinions on this. Free political debate about what a good society is like is part of democracy.
 
The video below describes what the welfare society means in people’s everyday lives and how it is paid for with tax money.

Video: KotonaSuomessa Taxation and how the welfare society operates (youtube.com) (Finnish, Swedish, English, Chinese, Tigrinya, French, Sorani, Estonian, Thai, Dari, Kurmanji, Somali, Russian, Arabic)

Finnish society is individualistic

Finnish society, like most Western European countries, is very individualistic. This means that people are seen as independent individuals rather than as representatives of their families or communities. People are encouraged to make decisions about their lives based on their own abilities and dreams. Finnish society also expects a lot of self-help from people. People are often expected to know their own rights and obligations. Each person is responsible for their own actions and choices

Restricting the individual rights of another person is illegal. For example, another person should not be prevented from moving freely or working. Everyone has the right to study what they want, to spend time with whom they want, and to decide, for example, whether they want to marry or have children.

The welfare state and an individualistic society are interconnected because the financial security provided by the state to people makes people less dependent on their family and community.However, being individualistic does not mean that people do not care about each other. Many choose to maintain warm and close relationships with their family and friends, and to build communities.

Then again, studies show that many people in Finland experience loneliness. Loneliness has increased in Finland in recent years. Loneliness is most experienced by people who live alone.

Finland is an equal society in many ways

Equality means that all people are equal and have the same rights. In Finnish law, equality usually refers to gender equality in particular. This is central to Finnish society. In Finland, for example, all women were granted full political rights, that is, the right not only to vote, but also to stand for election, first in the world. Nowadays, everyone in Finland, regardless of gender and background, has the opportunity to study the field of their choice, for example.

Equality is not fully achieved. Many women in Finland experience; for example, gender-based violence and harassment. In particular, women experience serious and recurrent violence in intimate relationships more often than men. Gender-based violence is a major problem for equality.

However, equality is also visible in Finland in the fact that income differences between persons working in different fields are small in Finland compared to almost all other countries in the world. This means that poverty is less common in Finland than in many other countries, but there are also fewer rich people, and the richest people are not as rich as in some other countries.

Finnish society has not been very competitive, and many consider having meaningful work is more important than achieving financial success. Today, especially young people experience an increased pressure to succeed in studies and work, according to research. Social hierarchies in Finland are low. In school pupils call the teacher by their first name, and a minister can travel by underground like anyone else.

Finnish society is based on rules

Many who have recently moved to Finland feel that there is a huge number of rules in Finland. It is often said jokingly that people in Finland love to follow the rules. One example of this is pedestrians standing at traffic lights, conscientiously waiting for the light to turn green, even if there is not a single car anywhere to be seen.

It is true that in Finnish society many things are based on rules and compliance with them is considered important. For example, the authorities make decisions strictly according to laws and guidelines, in accordance with certain processes. Often there must be a paper trail. This process and document-based activity is called bureaucracy.

Bureaucracy is often referred to as a negative issue, but its objective is equal treatment of people. This means that the decision does not depend on whether the official likes the client, whether the official knows the client personally or whether the client's relative is an influential person. Finns generally trust that the authorities treat them fairly and that the decisions of the authorities are made in a correct manner. In Finland, giving or accepting bribes is a criminal offence, and even attempting to bribe authorities is punishable.

Finland has strong confidence in institutions and other people

Research shows that people in Finland trust their neighbours, the police, the government, the legal system, science, the media and other people more than almost anywhere else in the world. This is probably at least to some extent a consequence of other key characteristics of Finnish society. According to studies, smaller income gaps, well-functioning administration, adequate social services and education increase trust in society.