Language

Most of the Finnish people (92%) speak Finnish as their mother tongue.

The largest minority language is Swedish, which is the second official language in Finland, spoken by 5.6% of the population. Other minority languages are Russian (0.8%) and Estonian (0.3%). To the north, in Lapland, are also the Sami, numbering less than 7,000, who like the Finns speak a Finno-Ugric language. There are three Sami languages that are spoken in Finland: Northern Sami, Inari Sami and Skolt Sami. The rights of minority groups (in particular Sami and Finland-Swedes) to cherish their culture and language is protected by the constitution.

The majority of Finns learn proficient English in school and from media. Other common secondary languages spoken by Finns are Swedish, German and French.