UK vs Finland: inflation, energy prices and life expectancy compared
On IMF figures, the UK's inflation rate in 2025 was 3.4%; Finland's was 1.8%. In 2025 the OECD gives 1.6% for the UK's household energy price inflation and minus 3.1% for Finland. World Bank figures for 2024 put the UK's life expectancy at 81.4 years, lower than Finland's 82.3 years.
Inflation, average consumer prices
On IMF figures, the UK's inflation rate in 2025 was 3.4%; Finland's was 1.8%. The UK's figure was higher than Finland's in every year from 2015 to 2025.
| Year | UK | Finland |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 3.4% | 1.8% |
| 2024 | 2.5% | 1.0% |
| 2023 | 7.3% | 4.3% |
| 2022 | 9.1% | 7.2% |
| 2021 | 2.6% | 2.1% |
| 2020 | 0.9% | 0.4% |
| 2019 | 1.8% | 1.1% |
| 2018 | 2.5% | 1.2% |
| 2017 | 2.7% | 0.8% |
| 2016 | 0.7% | 0.4% |
| 2015 | 0.0% | minus 0.2% |
The IMF measures inflation as the percentage change in the average level of each country's consumer price index over a calendar year compared with the year before.
Inflation in household energy prices
In 2025 the OECD gives 1.6% for the UK's household energy price inflation and minus 3.1% for Finland. From 2015 to 2025 the UK's figure was the higher of the two in 5 of 11 years.
| Year | UK | Finland |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 1.6% | minus 3.1% |
| 2024 | minus 18.7% | minus 8.2% |
| 2023 | 15.0% | 4.0% |
| 2022 | 64.4% | 31.2% |
| 2021 | 5.0% | 3.6% |
| 2020 | minus 4.6% | minus 2.2% |
| 2019 | 3.6% | 6.1% |
| 2018 | 6.8% | 4.6% |
| 2017 | 3.9% | 5.3% |
| 2016 | minus 2.9% | minus 0.9% |
| 2015 | minus 3.5% | minus 2.5% |
The OECD republishes each country's consumer price index for electricity, gas and other fuels used in the home (COICOP group 04.5).
Life expectancy at birth
World Bank figures for 2024 put the UK's life expectancy at 81.4 years, lower than Finland's 82.3 years. From 2014 to 2024 the UK's figure was the higher of the two in 1 of 11 years.
| Year | UK | Finland |
|---|---|---|
| 2024 | 81.4 years | 82.3 years |
| 2023 | 81.2 years | 81.6 years |
| 2022 | 81.0 years | 81.2 years |
| 2021 | 80.6 years | 81.9 years |
| 2020 | 80.3 years | 81.9 years |
| 2019 | 81.4 years | 82.0 years |
| 2018 | 81.3 years | 81.7 years |
| 2017 | 81.3 years | 81.6 years |
| 2016 | 81.2 years | 81.4 years |
| 2015 | 81.0 years | 81.5 years |
| 2014 | 81.3 years | 81.2 years |
The World Bank's life expectancy at birth is the number of years a newborn baby would live if the death rates of the year it was born applied throughout its life.
More figures for the UK and Finland
| Figure | UK | Finland | Year | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Price-to-income ratio, standardised | 115.7 (100 = long-term average) | 78.5 (100 = long-term average) | 2025 | OECD |
| GDP per head, purchasing power parity | $65,758 | $67,097 | 2025 | IMF |
| Real GDP growth | 1.2% | 0.8% | 2025 | IMF |
| Unemployment rate | 4.9% | 9.7% | 2025 | IMF |
| General government gross debt | 102.1% of GDP | 88.4% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Total tax revenue | 34.4% of GDP | 42.2% of GDP | 2024 | OECD |
| Current health expenditure | 11.4% of GDP | 10.6% of GDP | 2025 | OECD |
| General government expenditure | 43.5% of GDP | 57.5% of GDP | 2025 | IMF |
| Employment rate, ages 15 to 64 | 75.1% | 71.9% | 2025 | OECD |
| Core defence expenditure | 2.56% of GDP | 2.65% of GDP | 2026 | NATO |
| Gross domestic spending on research and development | 2.8% of GDP | 3.1% of GDP | 2023 | OECD |
| GDP, current prices | $4.01 trillion | $318.2 billion | 2025 | IMF |
Each value is for the latest year both the UK and Finland have in that body's data. International bodies adjust national figures so that countries can be compared, so UK values can differ from the ONS's.
Ranked tables with the UK and Finland
- UK inflation compared with EU countries
- UK life expectancy compared with other countries
- UK household energy price inflation compared with Europe
More about Finland: Finland in figures. Compare any two countries with the country comparison tool.
Sources and receipts
- International Monetary Fund: World Economic Outlook database (IMF DataMapper)read 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
e36fb78dc58c5b50…· publisher's page - OECD: Consumer price indicesread 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
e65b928246b385b5…· publisher's page - OECD: Consumer price indicesread 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
53bd8a1de156c848…· publisher's page - OECD: Consumer price indicesread 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
7f602aa3372de03a…· publisher's page - OECD: Consumer price indicesread 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
ee244608acd0fa96…· publisher's page - World Bank: World Development Indicatorsread 2026-10-14 · SHA-256
c23c4fa421ef9984…· publisher's page
No view is given on whether a figure is high or low. Report an error.