A fresh forecast from the city of Helsinki shows how the capital city region is set to become even more international over the next twenty years. Russian, Estonian and Asian languages are the most common mother tongues among foreign-born residents.

The city of Helsinki attracts mostly Russian-speaking foreign residents, with a sprinkling of others from Africa and the middle east. Vantaa and the commuter belt host Estonians, while people speaking Asian languages are becoming more common in Espoo and Kauniainen.

The region is expecting internationalisation to continue over the next two decades, and spread to outlying municipalities that have remained relatively homogenous so far. The largest group of foreign language speakers in Helsinki is, at present, composed of those who speak Russian as a mother tongue. Western European languages are the next largest group, with Estonian-speakers the fastest-growing community. More >>