Authors

• Finnish Business and Policy Forum (EVA))

Keywords

European integration, administrative areas, attitudes, economic growth, economic systems, health services, ideologies, international relations, national security, political ideologies, public finance, public services, taxation

Abstract

The study charted Finnish people's values and attitudes. The themes of the Spring 2025 survey included security and preparedness for various threats, wellbeing services counties, healthcare, the economy, ideological perspectives, and freedom.

First, the respondents were presented with a variety of attitudinal statements concerning, among other topics, the roles of the EU and the United States, Finland's security policy, the education system, social and healthcare services, municipal service provision, and individual responsibility and freedom. In addition, questions were asked about NATO membership, the Russian invasion of Ukraine and possible peace terms related to it, future threats and preparations for them, and the desirability of various future developments was assessed.

The survey also explored the respondents' perceived influence through elections, familiarity with wellbeing services counties, and assessments of healthcare performance. Attitudes towards proposals for promoting economic growth, different economic systems and ideologies, and respondents' positions on political and value dimensions (left-right, conservative-liberal) were charted. Furthermore, the respondents evaluated the extent of freedoms in different areas of life and whether certain values and practices represented liberalism, conservatism, both, or neither.

Background variables included the respondent's gender, age group, number of inhabitants in the municipality of residence, region (NUTS3), type of employer, working hours, type of employment contract, education, economic activity and occupational status, employment sector, trade union membership, what political party R would vote for in parliamentary elections, self-perceived social class, mother tongue, minority status and annual gross income of the R's household.