Title page 1

Contents 6

Acknowledgements 3

Abstract 4

Résumé 5

1. Introduction and key findings 8

Finland's well-being in a challenging fiscal context 8

Key findings: Well-being at different life stages in Finland 11

2. Well-being along the life course 13

Assessing Finland's overall state of well-being 13

Well-being outcomes by age 15

Well-being of older adults in Finland (50+ years) 18

Material conditions: Work and job quality, and knowledge and skills 18

Quality of life: Subjective well-being and health 22

Community relations: Social connections 26

Well-being of middle-aged people in Finland (25-54/25-64 years) 31

Material conditions: Work and job quality, and knowledge and skills 31

Quality of life: Subjective well-being and health 37

Community relations: Social connections 39

Well-being of young people in Finland (15-30 years) 42

Material conditions: Work and job quality, and knowledge and skills 43

Quality of life: Subjective well-being and health 48

Community relations: Social connections 53

References 60

Table 1. Overview of age bands for OECD well-being indicators 17

Figure 1. The already high life expectancy of Finns is expected to increase further over time 9

Figure 2. Finland's old age dependency ratio is among the highest in the OECD 10

Figure 3. The OECD Well-being Framework 13

Figure 4. Current well-being in Finland is overall comparatively strong, with a few exceptions 14

Figure 5. Well-being performance is strongest for older Finns, and looks much more mixed for younger generations 16

Figure 6. Older adults in Finland are among the most satisfied with their jobs for their age group 19

Figure 7. Hiring for older workers slows down with age both in Finland and across the OECD 20

Figure 8. Investment in workplace training is generally high in Finland, including for older people 21

Figure 9. Older adults in Finland report often using digital devices to facilitate everyday tasks 22

Figure 10. Older Finns, including those in advanced age, experience stronger subjective well-being outcomes than younger cohorts 24

Figure 11. Age-related illnesses are comparatively high and rising in Finland 25

Figure 12. Finland has fewer long-term care workers than other OECD countries 26

Figure 13. Loneliness among Finns aged 50-74 has increased since 2018 27

Figure 14. Over the past decade, older Finns have become more socially isolated 28

Figure 15. Finns aged 75+ are the most socially isolated and lonely age group 29

Figure 16. Older Finnish women are lonelier than men, and since 2018, loneliness has increased for both genders 30

Figure 17. Comparatively few middle-aged Finns say they are overqualified for their job 32

Figure 18. The employment rate for the middle-aged in Finland has been worsening since 2019 33

Figure 19. Finnish men have driven the recent drop in middle-aged employment 34

Figure 20. Finland's gender wage gap is narrowing but still larger than in OECD peers 35

Figure 21. Although the gender gap in unpaid work is one of the smallest across OECD countries, Finnish women still spend 1.4 times more time... 36

Figure 22. Men make up less than one fifth of total care workers in Finland 37

Figure 23. Middle-aged Finns report higher life satisfaction as well as satisfaction with jobs, time use and personal relationships than adults of... 38

Figure 24. A comparatively large share of middle-aged Finns report health problems that prevent them from functioning in daily life 39

Figure 25. Finnish middle-aged adults report comparatively average but recently increasing levels of loneliness 40

Figure 26. Loneliness prevalence among middle-aged Finns is similar for both genders, though men in several other OECD countries have started to... 41

Figure 27. Middle-aged Finns got together less with friends and family in 2022 despite remaining in contact with them 42

Figure 28. Finnish students score above the OECD average, but performance has steadily declined and socio-economic gaps in performance remain stark 44

Figure 29. There are signs of labour market insecurity for Finnish youth 46

Figure 30. Current gender parity in young Finns' employment reflects a decline in men's outcomes 47

Figure 31. The number of young Finns experiencing more negative than positive emotions in a typical day has increased sharply between... 50

Figure 32. Relative to 2018, more young Finns are dissatisfied with different aspects of their lives 51

Figure 33. Contrary to other OECD countries, younger Finns are experiencing lower subjective well-being outcomes than older adults 52

Figure 34. Youth suicides in Finland have decreased over time, but remain comparatively high 53

Figure 35. Finnish (like other Scandinavian) youth report comparatively high levels of loneliness 54

Figure 36. Social isolation among young Finns increased markedly during the pandemic period 55

Figure 37. Young Finnish women are 1.2 times more likely to say they are lonely than young men 56

Figure 38. Problematic digital behaviours are comparatively common among Finnish students 58

Boxes 17

Box 1. Data and methodology for analysing well-being outcomes in Finland by age 17

Box 2. Artificial intelligence (AI) and the labour market 48

Box 3. Evidence on how digital technologies impact youth well-being remains mixed 58