The Politics of Poverty in Finland

The article reviews the politics of poverty in Finland. In comparison to many other Western countries, poverty rates in Finland are low and the country has been able to perform relatively well as measured by social and economic indicators. First, this article will give a short description of the Finnish welfare state and outlines how poverty and inequality are placed on the public policy agenda. Second, the article presents the Finnish authorities and research institutions that measure and monitor poverty rates. The latest key figures on poverty in Finland are provided from a national perspective as well as from a comparative perspective by summarising statistics provided by the OECD and UNICEF. In addition, key figures on the subjective financial well-being and the demographics of social assistance recipients are presented to broaden the understanding on economic disadvantage. In the end, some of the challenges and future prospects of poverty reduction in Finland are outlined.