Varsinais-Suomi: population, economy and official figures
Varsinais-Suomi is a region (maakunta) in Etelä-Suomi, Finland. Varsinais-Suomi had 494,819 residents on 1 January 2025, 43.0% of Etelä-Suomi and 8.78% of Finland; 3rd largest of 19 regions in Finland.
In depth
- Economy, jobs and prices in Varsinais-Suomi: GDP per person was 38,500 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 96% of the EU average (102% for Finland); 5th highest of 19 regions in Finland.
- Health in Varsinais-Suomi: THL's age-standardised morbidity index, which combines seven major disease groups, stood at 102.3 in Southwest Finland in 2024 against 100 for the whole country; that is 8th lowest among Finland's 19 regions.
- Education in Varsinais-Suomi: 10.7% of residents aged 15 or over in Varsinais-Suomi (Southwest Finland) held a master's degree in 2024, below the national figure of 11.5%; that is 3rd highest among Finland's 19 regions, up from 9.2% in 2019.
- Poverty and living standards in Varsinais-Suomi: 14.7% of the dwelling population of Southwest Finland lived below the at-risk-of-poverty line (60% of the national median income) in 2024, above the national figure of 14.2%; that is 10th highest among Finland's 19 regions, up from 13.9% in 2019.
- Government budget and revenue in Varsinais-Suomi: Net spending on elderly care, including home care and 24-hour service housing, came to €960 per resident in the Southwest Finland wellbeing services county in 2025 (5th lowest of the 18 with data; Finland €927).
- Government and politics in Varsinais-Suomi: Health, social and rescue services in Varsinais-Suomi (Southwest Finland) have been run since 2023 by the Southwest Finland wellbeing services county (hyvinvointialue), governed by a 79-seat county council (aluevaltuusto) elected in the 2025 county elections.
Is the population of Varsinais-Suomi growing?
That is 4.7% more people than in 2015 (472,725).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow densely populated is Varsinais-Suomi?
There were 46.2 people per square kilometre in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the median age in Varsinais-Suomi?
The median age was 44 years in 2025, against 43.6 for Finland; 14th highest of 19 regions in Finland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow old is the population of Varsinais-Suomi?
24.3% of residents were 65 or older and 13.8% were under 15 in 2025.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many births and deaths are there in Varsinais-Suomi?
In 2024 there were 3,730 live births and 5,293 deaths, a natural decrease of 1,563.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow big is Varsinais-Suomi?
It covers 10,910 km².
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the population of Southwest Finland?
Varsinais-Suomi (Southwest Finland) had 497,800 residents at the end of 2025, up 4.9% from 474,323 ten years earlier.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyHow many Swedish speakers live in Southwest Finland?
Swedish speakers made up 5.5% and foreign citizens 7.9% of the population of Southwest Finland in 2025; the average resident was 44.5 years old (Finland: 44.1).
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyAre people moving to Varsinais-Suomi?
Net migration added 11.4 people per 1,000 residents in 2024, while births minus deaths gave a natural change of -3.2 per 1,000.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyFigures come from Finland's own official statistics and from Eurostat's regional statistics for NUTS 3 areas. Comparisons with the EU average use purchasing power standards (PPS), which adjust for price differences.
Other regions in Etelä-Suomi
- Päijät-Häme 204,635
- Kanta-Häme 169,455
- Kymenlaakso 157,442
- Etelä-Karjala 125,083
Up a level: Etelä-Suomi · all regions of Finland · how local power works in Finland
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjangrp3: Population on 1 January (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4c748d3cba3a…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_d3dens: Population density, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 f4b59fe9d121…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Median age of the population (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7bf6ade55a0d…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_pjanind3: Share of people aged 65 or over (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 17aa0d08ab9c…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_fagec3: Live births (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 cfda9b5f4ebd…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset reg_area3: Area, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 75302b0aafe9…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment (thousand persons) by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 222a97c302d3…)
- Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus), from the election results of the Ministry of Justice: Numbers and proportions of elected councillors by party, sex and wellbeing services county in County elections, 2022-2025 (table 153i, PxWeb API POST query, json-stat2), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 36eb52231311…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus): Regional time series 1987-2025 (table 142h, Municipal key figures database): population, housing, education, employment and jobs by NUTS region, region and municipality (PxWeb API POST query, json-stat2, years 2015-2025), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 18a97e220312…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset demo_r_gind3: Population change: demographic balance and crude rates by NUTS 3 region, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 7548e948e15c…)
- Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Sotkanet: Sotkanet indicator bank, REST API 1.1: 32 indicators (one exact JSON response per indicator, e.g. indicator=5761, plus the region list) on morbidity, primary care, lifestyle, social assistance, homelessness, county election turnout and the net operating costs of wellbeing services counties, 2015-2025, bundled in one zip, read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 e5b01db4f1e9…)
- Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus): Offences recorded by year of reporting, figures relative to the population in the area of the offence (table 13h4, Statistics on offences and coercive measures), 2015-2025 (PxWeb API POST query, json-stat2), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 491eb3d6cd9b…)
- Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus): Income level, income inequality, population at risk of poverty or dependent on basic social security by region (table 14ww, Income distribution statistics), 2015-2024 (PxWeb API POST query, json-stat2), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4dd1f64e4da5…)
Each saved copy is the file exactly as downloaded, kept so the figures can be checked even if the source changes. Report an error.