Authors

• Statistics Finland
• Prime Minister's Office

Keywords

climate change, dissemination of information, emotional states, government policy, income, international conflict, political attitudes, sustainability, trust, war, well-being (health)

Abstract

The Citizens' Pulse surveys examine Finnish attitudes and opinions on current issues. Main themes in the surveys include the activity of authorities, future expectations, trust, and the respondents' own state of mind. This collection round also included questions on the Russian invasion of Ukraine, sustainability, climate change and issues that the Finnish government should address.

The sixth collection round of 2024 surveyed the respondents' trust in other people and various institutions (e.g. the Finnish Government, the health care system, the media, and the Finnish Defence Forces). The respondents were asked to evaluate how fair or unfair they thought Finnish society was at present, and their state of mind was examined with questions on various matters relating to health, well-being, and their situation in life. The questions covered, for example, the respondents' own mental well-being, whether they were worried about the adequacy of their income, their confidence in their future, and experiences of stress. Additionally, the respondents were asked to evaluate whether an atmosphere of crisis prevailed amongst Finns, whether they were worried about the state of general government finances (state and municipalities) and whether Finland's NATO membership had impacted their sense of safety.

The respondents' views were investigated on which societal issues (e.g. promotion of climate action, national defence, poverty reduction, effective healthcare, operating conditions of businesses and investment opportunities) the Finnish government should focus on in the near future. Opinions on whether Finland's national debt should be reduced regardless of the resulting cuts in benefits and welfare it would entail for Finnish citizens and whether social security cuts can be considered acceptable if they provide an incentive to take up work and increase employment were surveyed. The respondents' views on the right to seek asylum in Finland were also charted.

The next set of questions focused on the Russian invasion of Ukraine and national security in Finland. The respondents were asked how concerned they were about the crisis in Ukraine and its effects, and whether they were concerned that the war might expand beyond Ukraine. The respondents were also asked whether they were concerned that Russia might take military action against Finland or try to interfere with the functioning of Finnish society. Opinions on the economic sanctions imposed on Russia by the EU and whether Finland should be ready to receive significant numbers of refugees from Ukraine if necessary were charted. The respondents were asked whether Finland's actions on the border with Russia had reinforced their sense security, whether Finland's response to Russian interference has been adequate and timely, and whether the respondents were concerned about Russia's recent actions. The respondents were also asked whether they had noticed any cyber security issues or instances where purposefully misleading claims based on misinformation were spread on social media or online over the previous month.

The sustainability theme examined whether sufficient measures have been taken in Finland to promote the well-being of nature, people and the economy. Finally, questions were asked about climate change, biodiversity loss, everyday environmental actions and influencing Finland's climate and nature policy.

Background variables included the language responded in, the respondent's gender, age group, NUTS3 region of residence, highest level of education, household composition, and perceived financial situation of household.