Most foreign-language speakers in Finland prefer to live in capital region

There are about 500,000 foreign-language speakers (people whose native language is other than Finnish, Swedish or Sámi living in Finland and most of them would prefer to live in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area (Helsinki, Espoo, Vantaa and Kauniainen), according to a survey.

Of those foreign-language speakers currently living in Helsinki, 85% hoped to continue living in Helsinki or nearby in the future, said the survey commissioned by OP Financial Group and conducted by Taloustutkimus.

Of those foreign-language speakers living in Espoo or Kauniainen, 74% hoped to continue living in Espoo or nearby. In Tampere, the same was true for 74% of respondents, said OP in a press release on Friday referring to the survey.

In contrast, just 39% of foreign-language speakers living in Vantaa hope to live in Vantaa or nearby in the future.

Foreign-language speakers make up around 27% of the population in Vantaa. When asked for their preferred city or its surrounding area to live in, respondents listed Vantaa in 5th place after Helsinki, Espoo, Tampere and Turku.

"Helsinki is the favoured city for foreign-language speakers in Finland, with as many as 34% saying they would want to live there. Other preferred places to live in for foreign-language speakers are also large cities. Most foreign-language speakers would prefer to live in the suburbs, which may increase the attractiveness of commuter towns in the Uusimaa region in the future," said Riikka Kangas, Senior Vice-President, Financing for Personal Customers of OP Uusimaa.

Around half of foreign-language speakers say they would prefer to live in the suburbs of a city. City centres are the preferred place to live in for 34% of respondents.

When asked how satisfied they are with their current place of residence, the most satisfied respondents in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area were in Espoo and Kauniainen, but satisfaction with the place of residence was also at a good level among those living in Vantaa.