Statistics Planner Joonas Hautamäki of the Finnish Centre for Pensions produces the annually released statistics on Earnings-related pension recipients in Finland. We asked Hautamäki seven questions on the development of earnings-related pension recipients.

According to the most recent statistical publication, 2 per cent of the recipients of Finnish earnings-related pensions reside abroad. To which countries are most pensions paid and why?

In 2023, a total of 51,000 persons residing abroad were paid a pension from Finland. 35,000 of them received an earnings-related pension. Sweden continues to be at the top of the list, mainly due to migration to Sweden in previous decades. Some of those moving to Sweden began their working lives in Finland and accrued earnings-related pension here. They are retired and have claimed their pension from Finland. In 2023, around 15,000 persons residing in Sweden were paid an earnings-related pension from Finland, but the number is decreasing every year. Ten years ago, a total of 19,000 persons residing in Sweden received an earnings-related pension from Finland.

The labour mobility between Finland and Estonia has been lively for a long time. In addition, thousands of Finns now live permanently in Estonia. Presumably an increasing number of people in Estonia receive a Finnish earnings-related pension?

The number of pensions paid to Estonia is increasing rapidly. Ten years ago, just over 900 persons residing in Estonia received an earnings-related pension from Finland. Today, the recipients number nearly 4,500. Most of them are Estonians who have accrued earnings-related pension in Finland. Some of them are Finns who have moved to Estonia.

How many recipients of an earnings-related pension spend their days under the southern sun?

Spain is the most popular Mediterranean country. Nearly 2,000 persons residing in Spain receive an earnings-related pension from Finland. Around 700 pension recipients reside in France and 300 in Italy.

How many of the new retirees in 2023 reside abroad?

We’re talking about very small numbers. In 2023, slightly more than 3 per cent (or 2,000 persons) of the new retirees resided abroad.

So most earnings-related pension recipients reside in Finland. How many are they?

In 2023, about 1.5 million earnings-related pension recipients resided in Finland. In other words, about one third of the adult population is retired. About 90 per cent of all earnings-related pension recipients received an old-age pension.

Around 10 per cent of all earnings-related pension recipients receive some other pension benefit than the old-age pension, for example, a disability pension. How are disability pensions developing?

As a rule, the changes in disability pensions have been considerably since the turn of the century. The number of disability pension recipients has halved in twenty years. In 2003, more than 200,000 persons received a disability pension. In 2023, they numbered slightly more than 100,000. At the same time, the number of disability pensions granted due to mental disorders has clearly increased. Of all recipients of a disability pension, slightly less than half are disabled due to mental and behavioural disorders.

For some of us, pensions may relate to changes in family situation. The survivors’ pension helps with the income when the spouse or guardian dies. In your statistical publication, you also examine survivors’ pensions. How many receive a survivors’ pension?

Most survivors’ pensions are paid to the surviving spouse. Most of them are women. In 2023, 186,000 women and 26,000 men received a surviving spouse’s pension. The number of surviving spouse’s pension recipients is falling, by around 20 per cent over the past decade.

Read more in our latest statistical release

Earnings-related pension recipients in Finland 2023 (Julkari.fi)