Baby's birth brings Helsinki's population to 700k
The Lehtola family welcomed their first child in the very early hours of Friday.
Helsinki's population has reached the remarkable milestone of 700,000 residents, with the newest addition being a baby born on Friday morning, August 14th. The city will honor this newborn by granting the Lehtola family €700. Born at Helsinki's Women's Hospital, the infant weighed 4.084kg and measured 54.5cm, marking the family's first child.
Mayor Daniel Sazonov visited the hospital to congratulate the family on this momentous occasion, stating that Helsinki's growth into a city of 700,000 residents is a testament to the city's appeal, opportunities, and vibrant urban life. Over the past few years, Helsinki has experienced record-breaking population growth, with the previous milestone of 600,000 reached in August 2012.
Approximately 80% of the city's annual population increase comes from people moving to the capital from abroad or elsewhere in Finland. The city's Urban Research and Statistics Unit notes that people born abroad have more than tripled in number over the century, accounting for 19% of Helsinki's population. The majority of new residents are working-age individuals, and projections suggest Helsinki could reach one million residents by the 2060s.
To celebrate this significant milestone, the city will launch a multi-channel ad campaign next week, showcasing the diversity and life stages behind the population growth in eight languages.
Written by urgent.news from Yle News Finland's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
