Market Research Companies in Finland

Key figures for researchers

Population

5.65 million (5,652,881 at the end of 2025)¹

Population by language

Finnish 84.1%, Swedish 5.1%, Sámi 2,077 speakers (end of 2024)²

Foreign-language speakers

610,148 people, 10.8% of the population (end of 2024)²

Foreign citizens

411,101, about 7.3% of the population (end of 2024)²

Aged 65 and over

23.6% of the population (2024)²

Uusimaa region

1,782,300 people (2024); about one in five residents has a foreign background (2025)²

Largest municipalities

Helsinki 684,018, Espoo 320,931, Tampere 260,180, Vantaa 251,269, Oulu 216,152, Turku 206,073 (end of 2024)²

Internet use

94% of people aged 16–89; 68% of those aged 75–89 (2025)³

Foreign language skills

92.1% of adults aged 25–64 know at least one foreign language (2022)⁵

Mobile subscriptions

126 per 100 people (2024)⁴

Research guide

Research landscape

Finland is a small but advanced research market: connectivity is high and online surveys are widely used for consumer and B2B studies. Full-service agencies work alongside specialist qualitative, B2B and healthcare firms, online panel providers and field suppliers. Helsinki and the Uusimaa region (1,782,300 people in 2024) are the main business centre; other large cities include Espoo, Tampere, Oulu and Turku.

A common quality reference is the ICC/ESOMAR International Code, revised in 2025 (fifth edition) and endorsed by over 60 associations in more than 50 countries. Its principles include honesty and transparency, care for participants, and clear information on how personal data will be collected and used.

Languages and fieldwork

Finland has two national languages. At the end of 2024, 84.1% of the population had Finnish as their registered language and 5.1% Swedish, and 2,077 people had Sámi: national studies usually offer a Swedish version of the questionnaire, and studies targeting Sámi speakers may need a Sámi version.Questionnaires should be translated and checked by native speakers. Foreign language skills are high: in 2022, 92.1% of adults aged 25 to 64 knew at least one foreign language, so English-language interviews can be considered for B2B and professional targets.

Foreign-language speakers are a growing group: 610,148 people (10.8% of the population) at the end of 2024, and about one in five residents of Uusimaa had a foreign background in 2025. Studies of migrant audiences may need translated questionnaires or bilingual interviewers. In 2025 the population grew in 77 municipalities and fell in 227, so regional quotas and weighting matter.

Which methods work

Connectivity is very high: in 2025, 94% of people aged 16 to 89 used the internet, and there are 126 mobile subscriptions per 100 people. Online surveys using access panels are widely used for consumer research, and mobile-friendly questionnaires are essential.

Older people are less well covered online: only 68% of those aged 75 to 89 used the internet in 2025, and 23.6% of the population was aged 65 and over in 2024. Telephone (CATI) or face-to-face interviews may be needed for older and offline audiences. In-person focus groups are usually held in the larger cities.

Timing

Summer is the main period to avoid for B2B and family targets. Under the Annual Holidays Act, 24 weekdays of annual holiday must be taken in the holiday season, from 2 May to 30 September, and July was the most popular month for domestic travel in summer 2017. Midsummer Eve (Friday 25 June in 2027) is traditionally a non-working day for most people, and many businesses are closed. Schools close in early June: in Helsinki, the spring term ends on 5 June 2027.

Avoid the Christmas period: in Helsinki, the school Christmas holiday runs from 21 December 2026 to 6 January 2027. The one-week winter holiday differs between municipalities: in 2027 it falls on 22–26 February in Helsinki and on 1–5 March in Vaasa. Helsinki schools also have an autumn break (12–16 October 2026). Check the dates of the municipalities in your sample.

Data protection

Personal data is governed by the GDPR and the Finnish Data Protection Act (1050/2018), in force since 1 January 2019. Among other things, it allows children to consent to online services from the age of 13, and personal identity codes may be processed only in specific cases, such as consent, a legal basis or research and statistics, and should not be added unnecessarily to printed documents.

The supervisory authority is the Data Protection Ombudsman, a national authority which supervises compliance with data protection legislation. For research, the Act allows some data subject rights to be restricted only when the processing follows an appropriate research plan and a person or group responsible for the research is designated. Ask your agency which lawful basis it uses, how respondents are informed, whether identity codes are collected and where the data is hosted.

Working with a local agency

• Share a clear brief: objectives, target, sample size, regions, method, languages (Finnish, Swedish, others) and deadline.
• Ask whether the agency follows the ICC/ESOMAR International Code, and which panels or fieldwork suppliers will be used.
• Ask how older, Swedish-speaking and foreign-language respondents will be reached, and how quotas and weighting are set.
• Check fieldwork dates against Midsummer, the July holiday period, Christmas and the winter holiday weeks of the municipalities in your sample.
• Agree in writing who is controller and who is processor of the personal data, and the retention period.
• Compare several proposals: you can send one request to up to 5 companies from this page.