Finland is the most predominantly rural country in Europe, with more than 90% of the country consisting of sparsely settled rural areas. However, farmland only covers about 9% of the entire country. Forests make up more than 70%, and Finland has a vast network of inland waters, including as many as 187,888 lakes.

Nearly one third of the population live in rural areas. An increasing number of Finns are living in the countryside but commuting to work in urban centres.

On the other hand, people living in urban areas spend a great deal of their free time in the country, making the most of the many opportunities it offers for recreation and exercise, or just enjoying some rural peace and quiet.

Finnish people have more than 400,000 holiday houses, most of which are located on lakeshores in rural areas.

Development programmes boost rural regions

Rural development programmes support the development of rural industries and also aim to enhance the sense of community in rural areas. They have a significant impact on the vitality of the Finnish countryside. Read more

Plenty of scope for enterprise in rural areas

About 40% of Finnish businesses operate in rural areas. Many farmers also work in other complementary activities. Surveys show that 34% of farms also engage in other business activities besides agriculture. Read more

Finnish farms are small

In Finland, farmers still mainly operate on family farms. The total number of farms is decreasing by about 3% every year, while the remaining farms are growing larger both in terms of total field size area and livestock numbers. Read more

Agri-environmental subsidies reduce nutrient loads

Agri-environmental subsidies, which play an essential role in the Rural Development Programme for Mainland Finland, are a significant instrument for water protection in agriculture. More than 90% of Finnish farmers are committed to the basic measures of the agri-environmental subsidy scheme. Read more