Finns
Finns or Finnish people (Finnish: suomalaiset, IPA: [ˈsuo̯mɑlɑi̯set]) are a Baltic Finnic ethnic group native to Finland.
| Total population | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| c. 6–7 million[a] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Regions with significant populations | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finland c. 4.7–5.1 million[b] Other significant population centers: | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United States | 653,222 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sweden | 156,045[c]–712,000[d] (including Tornedalians) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Canada | 143,645 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Russia | 127,600 (with all Karelians) 34,300 (with Ingrian Finns) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Australia | 7,939 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Norway | 15,000–60,000 (including Forest Finns and Kvens) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Germany | 33,000 (2022) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| United Kingdom | 15,000–30,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Spain | 17,433 (in 2022) (up to 40,000 part-year residents) | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Estonia | 8,260 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| France | 7,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Netherlands | 5,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Italy | 4,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Switzerland | 3,800 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Brazil | 3,100 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Denmark | 3,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Belgium | 3,000 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Languages | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Finnish and its dialects | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Religion | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Predominantly Lutheranism or irreligious, Eastern Orthodox minority | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Related ethnic groups | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Sámi, Balts, and other Baltic Finns Especially Karelians, Izhorians, Vepsians, Kvens, and Tornedalians | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
a The total figure is merely a sum of all the referenced populations listed. b No official statistics are kept on ethnicity. However, statistics of the Finnish population according to first language and citizenship are documented and available. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Part of a series on the |
| Culture of Finland |
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| People |
| Languages |
| Mythology and Folklore |
| Cuisine |
| Festivals |
| Religion |
| Literature |
| Music |
| Sport |
Finns are traditionally divided into smaller regional groups that span several countries adjacent to Finland, both those who are native to these countries as well as those who have resettled. Some of these may be classified as separate ethnic groups, rather than subgroups of Finns. These include the Kvens and Forest Finns in Norway, the Tornedalians in Sweden, and the Ingrian Finns in Russia.
Finnish, the language spoken by Finns, is closely related to other Balto-Finnic languages, e.g. Estonian and Karelian. The Finnic languages are a subgroup of the larger Uralic family of languages, which also includes Hungarian. These languages are markedly different from most other languages spoken in Europe, which belong to the Indo-European family of languages. Native Finns can also be divided according to dialect into subgroups sometimes called heimo (lit. 'tribe'), although such divisions have become less important due to internal migration.
Today, there are approximately 6–7 million ethnic Finns and their descendants worldwide, with the majority of them living in their native Finland and the surrounding countries, namely Sweden, Russia and Norway. An overseas Finnish diaspora has long been established in the countries of the Americas and Oceania, with the population of primarily immigrant background, namely Australia, Canada, New Zealand, Brazil, and the United States.