The People of Helsinki

This map shows the rank-size relationship among Finnish urban areas.

Helsinki's economic boom is being driven by a young, intelligent and vibrant community. The city itself has a

population of about half a million people, and the including the metro area it is slightly more than a million. This is

one fifth the total population of Finland. As the second fastest growing urban area in Europe, it has a high birth rate

compared to its death rate. Only ten percent of the population are retirees, compared to twice that in many

continental cities. Twenty percent of Helsinki residents posses a college degree. All these factors combine to show

that far from being a stagnant city, Helsinki's growth will continue for years if current trends can be maintained.

The city's massive park system and cultural opportunities make the standard of living that much higher, and help

to keep residents from moving. Helsinki also possesses an excellent public transit system, reducing or eliminating

the need for cars. This is another factor that makes the city more habitable to young people. It is also more affluent

than Finland at large, giving it overall a very high quality of life. Perhaps Helsinki's biggest weakness in this regard

is that it has a fairly poor climate, yet the Finns have long since dealt with this problem.

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