DEMOGRAPHY-programme

Demographic Changes – Causes, Consequences and Solutions

The projects in the DEMOGRAPHY-programme study demographic changes and produce concrete solutions to influence and adapt to the challenges they bring. The best experts in the country will produce high quality research to support policymaking connected to demographic changes. The Strategic Research Council (SRC) funds the program’s research consortia with 17.7 million euros in the years 2021–2027. SRC is an independent body established within the Academy of Finland. 

The demographic change challenges the sustainability of the Finnish society

Finland’s population structure is going through a remarkable shift and requires close attention from decision makers. This demographic shift pertains to fundamental changes that impact individual lives, the economy, as well as the society as a whole.

Finland’s population is ageing, that is, the share of the older age groups is increasing quickly. Our population is one of the oldest: the proportion of 65 and older of the adult population is larger only in Japan and Italy. The low fertility of recent years further accelerates the rapid ageing of the population and the decrease of the working age population. Simultaneously the population diversifies ethnically and culturally, and the population is currently growing only due to immigration.

The development in Finland is in many ways different than in the other Nordic countries: our old-age dependency ratio weakens more quickly. A decrease in the population has been forecasted. By 2100, the Finnish population is estimated to shrink by one million, while Sweden’s population would grow by three million.

The briefing package of the DEMOGRAPHY-programme contains essential facts about demographic change and of items that should be paid attention to.

The projects in the DEMOGRAPHY-programme study demographic changes and produce concrete solutions to influence and adapt to the challenges they bring

This strategic research programme seeks research-based solutions for adapting to changes in the population’s age structure and maintaining the functional and renewal capacity of society.

The DEMOGRAPHY program includes five consortia:

• Family Formation in Flux – Causes, Consequences, and Possible Futures (FLUX). The consortium: University of Turku, University of Helsink, Åbo Akademi, Finnish Unstitute for Health and Welfare, Finnish Centre for Pensions.
• Life course and economic implications of demographic change (LIFECON). The consortium: Finnish Institute of Occupational Health, Etla Economic Research, University of Helsinki
• Mobile Futures: Diversity, Trust, and Two-Way Integration (Mobile Futures). The consortium: Åbo Akademi University, University of Oulu, Migration Institute, University of Turku
• Social networks, fertility and wellbeing in ageing populations: Building demographics resilience in Finland (NetResilience). The consortium: University of Turku, Family Federation of Finland (Väestöliitto), University of Helsinki, Aalto University
• Economic and social sustainability across time and space in an ageing society (SustAgeable). The consortium: Finnish Institute for health and welfare (THL), Labore, VATT Institute for Economic Research, Finnish Centre for Pensions (ETK), University of Eastern Finland (UEF), University of Helsinki, MDI