Photo: Pedro Szekel
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Finland continues to be recognised internationally for education, good governance, nature, equality, and happiness, according to Finland Promotion Board’s publication “How the World Views Finland”. In 2024, the country’s NATO membership and security policy received significant global media attention. Despite a challenging geopolitical landscape, Finland’s brand remains largely positive, though international attitudes are becoming more polarised.
Foreign media mentioned Finland in approximately 300,000 headlines in 2024. While this is lower than in the previous two years, it remains well above the pre-2022 average of 200,000 annual mentions. Finland’s reputation has remained stable despite global shifts, but studies show that perceptions of many countries, including Finland, have become more divided. Finland enjoys stronger recognition in the United States, Germany, and Japan, while attitudes in Russia and China have worsened. This presents a challenge, as Finland remains relatively unknown globally. Without direct knowledge, assumptions based on geography and political alliances become more influential, making it critical for Finland to be recognised for its strengths.
In the 2020s, Finland has gained more global visibility and improved its reputation. The country ranked 16th in the 2024 Anholt Nation Brands Index, which evaluates perceptions of 50 to 60 nations. In 2023, Finland placed 15th, while in the 2010s, its ranking fluctuated between 17th and 18th.
Finland is widely valued for its commitment to equality, environmental protection, and natural beauty. However, global perceptions of Finnish exports, including science, technology, and creative industries, have weakened. Although governance remains one of Finland’s strongest attributes, its ranking in this category has slightly declined.
Innovation is not a defining characteristic of Finland’s global image, but the country’s solutions to societal challenges continue to attract interest. Sustainability has emerged as a key theme alongside governance and education. Finland’s recycling systems, climate solutions, clean energy initiatives, waste management, sustainable construction, and eco-friendly tourism have all gained media attention.
Security policy remains one of the most discussed aspects of Finland’s global image. International reports have highlighted Finland’s strong national defence, military expertise, NATO integration, and increased Nordic security cooperation. NATO’s extended eastern border and Finland’s preparedness for hybrid threats and infrastructure attacks have been key topics. The undersea cable damage in the Baltic Sea also drew worldwide media coverage.
While international coverage of Finland remains mostly positive, violent incidents such as a school shooting in Vantaa and stabbings in Oulu presented a darker narrative. Some media outlets contrasted the Vantaa shooting with Finland’s repeated ranking as the world’s happiest country.
Happiness remains a defining feature of Finland’s global reputation. In 2024, Finns were ranked as the world’s happiest people for the seventh consecutive year in the World Happiness Report. Nearly 60 Finnish diplomatic missions reported that happiness was frequently mentioned in international news about Finland. This theme is now firmly established alongside education, governance, and environmental leadership as part of Finland’s country brand.
Finnish politicians and athletes were widely featured in global media in 2024. President Alexander Stubb received significant international attention, as did F1 driver Valtteri Bottas. Finnish cultural figures gained less mainstream visibility, but Eurovision contestant Windows95man was the most recognised Finnish cultural personality of the year. Finnish conductors also had an exceptional year, with Sakari Oramo, Klaus Mäkelä, Esa-Pekka Salonen, and Tarmo Peltokoski frequently covered in international media.
Finland’s tourism image remains dominated by nature, Lapland’s winter landscapes, and the northern lights. However, the country’s global tourism profile has started to diversify, particularly with a growing focus on sustainability. The ranking of Helsinki as the world’s most sustainable travel destination gained international attention in 2024.
Finnish cuisine is not widely recognised abroad but has begun to gain visibility. One of the most unusual international media highlights of the year was a Spanish newspaper El País article about Tampere’s local speciality, black sausage.
HT
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Source: www.helsinkitimes.fi
