Outcomes: Future prospect
As in the 2022 study, this round of research also found it necessary to explore respondents' future perspectives regarding which country they would like to live in. The question from the previous research round regarding the respondent's wish for their child or grandchild's future country of residence was decided to be omitted from this year's study.
72 per cent of respondents expressed a desire to live in Finland in 10 years (graph 23). Next most frequently, respondents expressed a desire to live in another country (21%). Five per cent of respondents expressed a desire to live in Russia. The proportion of respondents who want to live in Finland has decreased slightly since 2022, while the proportion wishing to live in another country has increased. On the other hand, the willingness to move to Russia has not increased; in fact, it has decreased slightly.
Graph 23. In which country would you like to live in 10 years’ time?
Those wishing for a future outside of Finland or Russia were proportionally more numerous in the younger age groups, which can be considered a logical result and likely comparable to the broader population: younger people often dream of moving abroad. Among the youngest respondent group (20–24 years old), just over half expressed a desire to live in Finland in ten years. Over half of this age group had arrived in Finland as children or adolescents with their parents. Thus, the result may indicate, on one hand, the international outlook of a young generation of Russian speakers who have partly grown up in Finland, or on the other hand, difficulties in integrating and finding their place in Finnish society.
Further analysis was conducted on respondents aged 35–39 who indicated that they do not wish to live in Finland in the future. There were 45 respondents in this group, and just over half of them lived in Helsinki or Uusimaa. The gender distribution in this group was balanced, and 92 per cent were born in the Soviet Union. Additionally, 73 per cent had lived in Finland for at least 9 years. The majority had moved to Finland for study (31%), work (27%), or with their parents (18%).
This group raises concerns precisely because, although the respondents are well‑educated and integrated into the labor market—58 per cent have a higher education degree and 62 per cent are employed, of which 18 per cent are entrepreneurs—they do not see their future in Finland. The economic activity and self-sufficiency of the group make it a significant part of Finland's expert workforce, highlighting the seriousness of the willingness to emigrate.
Future prospects:
- The majority of Russian speakers want to live in Finland in the future, even though the proportion of those who think this way has decreased slightly compared to two years ago. The result is still positive and indicates the well-being and attachment of the population group to Finland.