Every Seventh Child Lives in Poverty in the World's Happiest Country
In the modern world, the fairness of any society and state is reliably determined by its treatment of children and the elderly.
In the early 1990s, shortly after the collapse of the USSR, Finland’s most reliable and profitable trade and economic partner with its vast market, and on the eve of the country’s accession to the European Union in 1995, child poverty was less than 5 percent.
In 2019, child poverty in Finland, which has been ranked the “happiest country in the world” for several years in a row according to Gallup, doubled to 10 percent.
In 2026, child poverty in the “Land of a Thousand Lakes,” once again recognized as the happiest country in the world (maybe it’s time for Gallup to revise its methodology?) was 14 percent—the highest level in the entire period of measurement.
As a general rule, child poverty means a poor starting point for self-fulfillment throughout life, as discussed in the study by a Finnish sociologist below.
Finland went through its second demographic transition about ten years ago, when mortality exceeded birth rates for the first time in history, and slow population growth continues only due to the import of immigrants.
Finland’s children are becoming fewer, and they are also becoming poorer. In April 2026, for the first time since its independence in 1917, the number of children in Finland fell below one million out of a population of 5.6 million, or less than 18 percent.
Representatives of the Swedish People’s Party, who announced yesterday in the publication cited below that the number of poor children in Finland has increased to 140,000, bear their share of responsibility, which they declined to disclose because the party is part of the government coalition.
The right-wing government of Prime Minister Petteri Orpo is preoccupied with a thousand things, such as large-scale and expensive militarization, but lacks the desire or ability to improve the country’s economy and the material well-being of its citizens, including its most vulnerable citizens—children—the country’s future, among whom poverty has risen to a record 14 percent during the three years of this, Finland’s most disastrous government.
Finnish Sociologist: Poor Children Have Less Chance of Success in Life
The financial position of the parents put the children in a socially unequal position. Children are not independent and therefore depend on the family’s financial situation. Financial difficulties may cause a wide range of problems and be connected with the development and growth of the child.
Children experience poverty primarily through the lens of their own consumption opportunities. These opportunities were linked to many areas of life. Experiencing material poverty in childhood was a very serious problem from a child’s perspective.
Among children, poverty manifests itself as a subjective experience. The possessions of children from poor families often did not meet the standards prevailing among their peers. Children lacked fashionable clothing and basic electronics. From a child’s perspective, poverty was often perceived as a lack of possessions.
The inequality of children from poor families is most clearly manifested in their free time. Because of the inability to pay their expenses, the conditions of life of poor children are more limited. Paid hobbies, classes and free time with friends were few or completely excluded.
Children’s age plays a role in how they understand their poverty. As children grow, their consumer needs increase, and the importance of leisure activities increases.
As they mature, children from poor families begin to worry about family expenses and bills. Children try to take on responsibility by borrowing money or paying for family expenses that would normally be the responsibility of adults.
Children also give up their own consumer needs to ease the family’s financial burden. Such burdens are typically not part of childhood, and so many children take on too much responsibility for their age.
Material poverty puts children at risk of bullying. Children try to hide their dire financial situation in every possible way.
A child’s quality of life should be equal to the quality of life in society so that they can have an equal childhood compared to children of the same age.
It has been established that material well-being contributes to improved equality among children’s peers and allows a child to have a balanced childhood.
Research shows that countries where children are provided with equal opportunities to grow up are at the forefront of various aspects of well-being.
The risk of child poverty is linked to a country’s policies and resource allocation practices, which directly reduce the risk of child poverty.
There Are Fewer Children in Finland Than in 1917
The number of under-18s in Finland has fallen below a million for the first time since Finland became independent, Statistics Finland reports.
At the end of April, there were approximately 999,200 under-18s in Finland.
According to Statistics Finland, the decline in the number is due to a decrease in the birth rate.
Immigration has increased the number of under-18s, but has not replaced the decrease caused by the decrease in the birth rate.
The number of under-18s in Finland was at its highest in the early 1960s, when almost 1.6 million under-18s lived in Finland. In other words, approximately one in three citizens was under 18.
Even in the early 1980s, a quarter of the Finnish population was aged 0–17.
At the end of April 2026, minors accounted for just under 18 percent of the population.
140,000 Children Live in Poverty in Today’s Finland
Swedish People’s Party’s re-elected Vice-Chairwoman Sandra Bergqvist criticized the government’s impact assessments as too weak at the party conference on Sunday.
Child poverty has increased, at least partly as a result of government decisions. According to Sandra Bergqvist, 140,000 children live in poverty in today’s Finland.
“The impact assessments we have made have not necessarily been sufficient. We should also remember that when you have done a lot of small things, together the effects are quite big,” says Bergqvist.
She admits that there are shortcomings in the assessment, because there is no overall assessment of how the government’s actions have affected, for example, child poverty.
“I think it is honest to say that here we have done things that have affected children and young people.”
“This is why we need better impact assessments so that we can make the right decisions and see the whole picture. It is also important that we talk about things that have not necessarily gone smoothly,” reminds Bergqvist.
Swedish People’s Party’s chairman Anders Adlercreutz reminds us that the increase in child poverty is not solely due to government decisions. According to him, the challenging economic situation is also a big factor.
“Many small decisions can certainly be criticized, but it is perhaps also worth reading the analyses of the Economic Policy Review Council, which state that the government’s economic policy has been quite timely and correctly measured. In their view, the adjustments in particular have been necessary,” says Adlercreutz.
Adlercreutz believes that the opposition will also be grateful for the government’s employment measures in the future.
“I am absolutely certain that the parties in the opposition, even with a delay of a few years, will at least be extremely grateful, even for the employment measures that we have taken.”
Decisions Are Made in a Hurry
Bergqvist estimates that excessive haste has also contributed to the poor assessments.
“I would say that quite a few decisions today have to be made on a very busy schedule. That is one challenging thing, of course. But when we have seen that child family poverty and child poverty have increased, it is of course honest to admit that we have gone in the wrong direction here.”
According to Bergqvist, child benefits should be better targeted and club activities should be increased at the end of school days, so that everyone can afford hobbies.
“The best medicine here and now would be for the economy to grow. We have seen some encouragement and hopefully this will continue, because it is also the best medicine for eliminating child poverty in Finland,” says Bergqvist.
But you wouldn’t cancel any decisions?
“This is not about making a statement about cancellations. We see a challenge and a problem. We take it seriously. We understand the plight of many families and unemployment brings plight. That is why, of course, targeting employment is our central focus here,” summarizes Adlercreutz.
Source: MTV Uutiset (in Finnish), MTV Uutiset (in Finnish)
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