A total of 1,624 Russians were granted Finnish citizenship in 2024, representing the largest nationality group to obtain citizenship last year. However, despite being the number one beneficiaries of Finnish citizenship, there was a decrease of six per cent, or 282 fewer people were granted citizenship compared to the previous year.
According to data published by Statistics Finland, Iraqi citizens were the second-largest group to obtain citizenship last year, a total of 1,352, followed by citizens of Afghanistan (739) and Syria (707), Schengen.News reports.
The total number of foreign citizens becoming Finnish citizens reached 11,512. That is down by 712 or six per cent compared to the data from the previous year.
Over Half of New Finnish Citizens Were Women
Women dominated the other gender, with 6,198 new citizens, representing 53.8 per cent of the total, compared to 5,314 men. The average age of those who gained Finnish citizenship was 29; 30 for women and 28.1 for men, respectively.
The largest number of those granted citizenship was aged 30–34, a total of 1,624, which was 14 per cent of all those granted Finnish citizenship.
The data also revealed that 94 per cent of those who obtained citizenship kept their previous citizenship. The total number of people who became Finnish citizens and who held another citizenship while also being permanent residents in the country was 184,838 in 2024.
The largest dual citizenship groups were Russian citizens with a total of 41,037 dual citizens in Finland as of 2024, followed by Swedish citizens (11,120), Iraqi citizens (10,607), Somali citizens (9,835), and Estonian citizens (8,852).
Finland to Make Procedures for Citizenship More Difficult for Applicants
The Finnish Interior Ministry is considering a citizenship test for applicants who want to obtain a Finnish passport.
According to a press release by the Interior Ministry, the citizenship test would be introduced to serve as evidence that the candidates have successfully integrated into Finnish society.
The cross-administrative working group examined how a citizenship test could be implemented in Finland, and also assessed the relationship between the citizenship test and the language skills requirement.
Language exams are likely to be included in the citizenship test, with applicants being asked to prove their language proficiency, be it in Finnish or Swedish. Denmark and Norway, other members of the region, have citizenship tests in place.