Friday, June 27, 2025

Polaris of Enlightenment

Faith in God increases among Finnish 15-year-olds

Published 16 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
Between 2023 and 2024, the share of girls who believe in God increased by 13%.
2 minute read

Significantly more 15-year-olds in Finland say they have a personal belief in God than before. In just five years, the proportion of young people who believe has increased significantly – and the desire to belong to the church has also strengthened, according to a new comprehensive study involving over 100,000 participants.

The study, which was published in the Finnish journal Uskonto, katsomus ja kasvatus, analyzed changes in young people’s religious beliefs over time, with a particular focus on gender differences. The study was conducted by researchers at Diakonia University of Applied Sciences and the University of Eastern Finland. It is based on survey data collected from over 100,000 young people who participated in confirmation classes between 2019 and 2024. In Finland, young people usually attend confirmation classes in the year they turn 15, and according to the study, nearly three-quarters of all 15-year-olds participate in the classes. Among those belonging to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, participation is over 90 percent.

The surveys included questions about young people’s religious beliefs – such as belief in God, the resurrection of Jesus, prayer habits, and willingness to belong to the church – as well as how they themselves felt that their faith and relationship with the church had been affected by the instruction.

Belief in God is increasing

The results show that girls’ belief in God remained stable at around 35 to 37 percent between 2019 and 2023, but increased to as much as 50 percent in 2024, an increase of 13 percentage points in one year. At the same time, belief in the resurrection of Jesus increased from around 34 percent to 45 percent during the same period.

For boys, belief in God increased from 36 percent in 2019 to 62 percent in 2024. A similar increase was seen in boys’ belief in the resurrection of Jesus, which rose from 39 percent in 2019 to 60 percent in 2024.

Existential questions were relevant in 325 and still are in 2025, said Juha Pihkala, bishop emeritus of the Diocese of Tampere, commenting on the study to Finnish state broadcaster Yle.

Other surveys have also shown that more young Finnish adults are turning to the church.

More people want to belong to the church

The proportion of young people who want to belong to the church has also increased. Among boys, the figure rose from 52 percent in 2019 to 66 percent in 2024. For girls, the corresponding figure rose from 63 to 67 percent.

At the same time, the proportion of boys who said they were encouraged to pray during lessons rose from 43 to 59 percent. Among girls, the corresponding figure rose from 43 to 53 percent. The proportion of boys who felt that their faith had been strengthened through confirmation classes increased from 42 to 65 percent, while the proportion of girls rose from 42 to 55 percent.

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Finns ate more meat last year

Published 21 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
1 minute read

Last year, people in Finland ate more meat and chicken than the year before. At the same time, oat consumption set a new record in the Finnish diet, according to a new study.

Last year, Finns ate 78.2 kilograms of meat per person, including game and offal. Most of the meat, 76.2 kilograms, was beef, pork, lamb and chicken.

The consumption of beef in particular has decreased for several years in a row, but last year it increased, according to a survey by the Finnish Natural Resources Institute. The amount of chicken on the plate also increased in Finnish homes. At the same time, less pork and mutton was eaten. The consumption of fish remained seemingly unchanged, with each Finn eating an average of 13.7 kilograms last year.

Cereal consumption increased last year, reaching 87.3 kg per person. The main increase was in the amount of oats consumed, which reached record levels last year. Wheat and barley consumption also increased, while rye decreased.

– Here we see something of a trend. This is because the food industry has created a lot of new oat products. Part of this trend is also that Finns are drinking more oat milk, says statistics expert Erja Mikkola, to Finnish state broadcaster Yle.

Regular milk drinking decreased by about two percent, but people ate about the same amount of butter and cheese as in the previous year. Furthermore, each Finn ate an average of 48 kilograms of fruit and 64 kilograms of vegetables last year.

Rapid increase in antidepressants and ADHD medicines in Finland

Published 10 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
One fifth of Finnish women under 30 are currently taking antidepressants.
1 minute read

The use of antidepressants has increased sharply in Finland over the past decade, compared to the other Nordic countries. Prescription of ADHD medication for children has also increased significantly.

One fifth of women aged 18-29 use antidepressants, according to a survey by the Finnish Social Insurance Institution (Kela). Among men of the same age, the figure is eight percent. The figures are double those of 2014.

According to studies, mood and anxiety disorders have become more common, especially among young girls and women. The diagnoses of depression, anxiety disorders and sleep disorders are also increasingly visible in the health care records of young women, says Miika Vuori, Senior Researcher at Kela, in a press release.

Furthermore, adhd medication for children has also increased in the country. Last year, 11% of boys and 4% of girls aged 7-12 were prescribed medication for ADHD. When comparing Swedish and Finnish boys aged 5-9, 6% of Finnish boys used ADHD medication last year, while the corresponding proportion in Sweden was just over 2%. The use of antidepressants among young people has also increased faster in Finland than in the other Nordic countries over the past ten years.

The increase in the use of these two drugs has been strong in Finland, not only in comparison with Sweden but also with Norway and Denmark, says Vuori.

Finnish youth evicted at record pace

Published 3 June 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The number of evictions due to unpaid housing costs has increased fivefold in just three years.
1 minute read

A growing number of young Finns are being evicted from their rental properties due to unpaid rent. Lack of personal finance skills is cited as one of the main reasons.

Debt problems have increased significantly among Finns, with the number of payment reminders increasing tenfold since 2021. During the same period, the number of collections related to unpaid housing costs has increased twentyfold.

At the same time, the number of evictions is increasing – in 2024, 10% of collections for unpaid housing costs have led to eviction, compared to only 2% three years ago.

The problem exists across all age groups, but is particularly pronounced among young adults. It is highest among people under 25, and so far this year, as many young people have run into problems with rent arrears as in the whole of 2023.

“Everything has gone digital”

At Finnish debt collection company Intrum, the impression is that young people do not learn to manage their finances as they grow up and that an unpaid bill is often a matter of forgetfulness.

– They don’t necessarily understand the consequences of not paying a bill, said Reetta Lehessaari, Head of Debt Collection Services, to the Finnish state broadcaster Yle, and continued:

– Apparently, people no longer learn to pay bills at home in the same way as before. Everything has gone digital. Young people no longer see bills being paid in concrete terms.

Fines increased for killing protected species in Finland

Biodiversity

Published 30 May 2025
– By Editorial Staff
The fine for killing an Arctic fox in Finland is €17,656.
1 minute read

The Finnish Ministry of the Environment has significantly increased the fines for killing protected animals. For example, killing a freshwater pearl mussel is now three times more expensive than before.

Recently, it was decided to update the list of protected animals and the penalty for killing one of them. In Finland, the list was last updated in 2002, when a total of 286 animal species were included.

The new updated list now includes 320 animal species as well as 158 plant species that are protected and therefore illegal to kill or harm. Among others, the viper has been added.

The fines for killing a protected species have also been increased. For example, the fine for killing a Arctic fox has increased from €7,400 to €17,656. For the species black tern, it has increased from €185 to €9,865. The freshwater pearl mussel has increased from €589 to €1,496.

Some species on the list have received smaller fines, such as the white-tailed eagle, which has gone from €7,400 to just €407.

The value of a species is assessed on a number of criteria. These include the size of the population, how threatened the species is and how fast it is reproducing.

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