The Helsinki-Uusimaa Region is at the heart of Northern Europe, more precisely in the very south of Finland and it has some 230 km of Baltic Sea coastline. Although only covering three percent (9,440 km2) of our national land area, our Region is home to around 1.8 million inhabitants, which is about a third of the country’s total population.
Helsinki-Uusimaa Region in Figures
1.8
inhabitants, 31 % of the Finnish population
26
municipalities
39%
of the Finnish GDP
51%
of R&D expenses in Finland
56%
of those speaking another language in Finland live in Helsinki-Uusimaa
16.3
million travellers at Helsinki-Vantaa airport in year
Due to migration, our Helsinki-Uusimaa is one of the fastest growing regions in Europe. According to forecasts, there will be more than two million of us by 2040. With its 26 municipalities, including the capital city, our Region is undoubtedly the driver of Finland’s international competitiveness, research and development.
Our overall competitiveness in Helsinki-Uusimaa is based on our skills, networks and international partnerships, high technology and solutions that support green growth, wellbeing services, and both natural and urban environments that are second to none by global standards.
Our well-being is also based on our strong historical, social and cultural identity, making our Region an attractive area for international tourism. Nearly half of all travellers to Finland come to Helsinki-Uusimaa. Apart from the only metropolitan area in our nation, we have small towns, villages, sparsely settled rural areas and islands.
Helsinki-Uusimaa is ranked first in wellbeing in the EU
Regional social progress index 2024
Helsinki-Uusimaa is a Region of Knowledge and Innovations
Over the past two decades, our Region has developed into a dynamic knowledge hub and innovation centre; it has been especially commended for its creativity, due to investments in research and development, patents and the number of people employed in both the private and the public sector. Qualified people move here for work and young people for a high-standard education.
We bring together the actors from both the cities and the countryside for impactful research and innovation activities. Our capital region hosts the headquarters of several major international companies, research centres as well as the University of Helsinki and the Aalto University.
Have a look at our Innovation Ecosystem Map, where you can find information about key players driving innovation in the Helsinki-Uusimaa Region, including universities, research institutions, facilitators and startup hubs.
You can view the actors also as a list by clicking the “LIST” button and sort them based on a specific development theme, such as circular economy or food ecosystem.
Helsinki-Uusimaa will be Well Ahead in 2030
Our regional vision 2030 is to be Well Ahead in the areas of climate change mitigation, economic competitiveness and well-being. We aim to develop our integrated Region for the good of Finland as a whole, by improving well-being regionally, nationally and internationally. Therefore, we also act as a globally influential pathfinder and a builder of opportunities on a global scale.
To reach this strategic objective, our Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council is creating conditions for wellbeing that includes less inequality, for economic development that makes us the most innovative region in the EU and an excellent environment for foreign investment, as well as for a safe and an attractive physical environment for our inhabitants.
Consequently, we take responsibility for mitigating the climate change with our aim to be a climate neutral region by 2030, as we are currently producing about one fifth of our total national greenhouse emissions. We aim to increase our research and development expenditure to 5 per cent of our regional gross domestic product, and our aim is also to achieve an employment rate of 80 per cent in our region by the end of 2030.
The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Programme sets out our region’s vision for 2030 and outlines the development priorities, objectives and measures for 2022–2025. The vision is “Well Ahead”, and the Programme includes the key development guidelines and strategies from the global level to the municipal level.
Well ahead means we take responsibility for mitigating climate change and promoting wellbeing that includes less inequality, also enabling economic development that makes us the most innovative region in the EU.
We aim to be a climate neutral region by 2030.
Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Facts
Our 26 member municipalities are Askola(You are transferring to another service), Espoo(You are transferring to another service), Hanko(You are transferring to another service), Helsinki(You are transferring to another service), Hyvinkää(You are transferring to another service), Ingå(You are transferring to another service), Järvenpää(You are transferring to another service), Karkkila(You are transferring to another service), Kauniainen(You are transferring to another service), Kerava(You are transferring to another service), Kirkkonummi(You are transferring to another service), Lapinjärvi(You are transferring to another service), Lohja(You are transferring to another service), Loviisa(You are transferring to another service), Myrskylä(You are transferring to another service), Mäntsälä(You are transferring to another service), Nurmijärvi(You are transferring to another service), Pornainen(You are transferring to another service), Porvoo(You are transferring to another service), Pukkila(You are transferring to another service), Raasepori(You are transferring to another service), Sipoo(You are transferring to another service), Siuntio(You are transferring to another service), Tuusula(You are transferring to another service), Vantaa(You are transferring to another service) and Vihti(You are transferring to another service).
(Will be opened in a new window)Are you interested in our Region and its possibilities? The following links leading to national and European sources help you learn more from various statistics and maps covering both Helsinki-Uusimaa and Finland.
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Regional Council
The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council is a joint authority for Helsinki-Uusimaa with 26 member municipalities. We are one of the 18 regional councils in Finland that are mandated in law, receiving our funding mainly from our member municipalities.
For more information about regional facts, please contact:
Johannes Herala
Senior Adviser
johannes.herala@uudenmaanliitto.fi
Regional development of Helsinki-Uusimaa, municipal and regional economy, operational environment analyses, stand-alone reports
Current
News
19.11.2025
Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council helps boost the region’s food innovation ecosystem
The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Programme and the roadmap for a carbon neutral Helsinki-Uusimaa 2030 identify a need to transform the region’s food system to become more sustainable. Helsinki-Uusimaa aims to reach carbon neutrality by 2030, and making the region’s food system more sustainable and low-carbon plays a key role in achieving this climate target.
News
4.11.2025
International Peer Review: Draft Regional Programme aligns with EU goals
The Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Council organised an international peer review at the beginning of October together with the Interreg Europe Policy Learning Platform. European regional development experts analysed the draft Helsinki-Uusimaa Regional Programme for 2026–2029 and provided recommendations for its development and implementation.
This page was last updated: 2.12.2025