Morbidity and work disability are still most prevalent in Eastern and Northern Finland
The morbidity index is highest for both men and women in North Savo. North Ostrobothnia, North Karelia and Kymenlaakso are also high-morbidity areas.
Regional differences are largest in alcohol-related morbidity compared with other disease groups. Regional differences are also substantial in morbidity due to cerebrovascular diseases, lung diseases, memory disorders and coronary heart disease, including when examined by sex.
Areas with the lowest morbidity are Ostrobothnia, the wellbeing services counties in Uusimaa and the City of Helsinki across all disease groups, except for cancers and injuries.
The work disability index is highest for men in Kainuu and for women in North Savo. In matters of working disability, regional differences are greater in decisions granting vocational rehabilitation than in disability pensions and sickness allowances. Vocational rehabilitation is most granted in North Karelia.
Regional differences in morbidity are similar among women and men
For both men and women, the morbidity index is highest in North Savo, which also has the country’s highest indices for musculoskeletal diseases and mental health.
In addition to North Savo, North Ostrobothnia and North Karelia rank among the three highest-morbidity areas when women and men are considered together. Among men, Kainuu is a high-morbidity area, and among women, North Ostrobothnia is. For both women and men, alcohol-related morbidity is most common in South Karelia.
Diabetes, chronic lung diseases and memory disorders are becoming more common
Among the disease groups included in the statistics, chronic lung diseases and diabetes have increased the most. The lung disease index reflects the number of people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or sleep apnea, and the rise in the index is driven particularly by the increasing number of sleep apnea diagnoses in the population.
The increasing prevalence of diabetes is visible in both age-standardised and non-standardised indices. The prevalence of memory disorders rises slightly when looking at the non-standardised index data. However, in the age-standardised index, which takes account of changes in the population’s age structure, the trend is downward.
About the data in more detail
Background information
Statistical quality report
Source
National Health Index 2021–2023. Statistical report 26/2025.
Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), Kela, Finnish Centre for Pensions, Statistics Finland.
Description of the statistics
The statistics on regional health differences describe regional differences in morbidity and disability among adults living in Finland.
The statistics are produced based on the National Health Index of THL and Kela, which contains data on the prevalence of key national diseases and work disability in the population of welfare areas and municipalities. The National Health Index is available from 2017 to 2023 for welfare areas, municipalities and cooperation areas.
The indicators included in the statistics are presented as index figures that describe the morbidity and work disability of the population of welfare areas and municipalities relative to the level of the whole country (whole country = 100). The value of the index is higher the more common the morbidity or disability among the population of the area. Both age-standardized and non-standardized versions of the indices are published.
In addition to the age structure, regional differences in morbidity and disability are due to many factors, such as lifestyle, unemployment, economic situation, education, cultural and genetic factors, and the functioning of social and health services. In addition, there may be regional differences in data coverage and transfer to registers.
Update schedule
The National Health Index is updated annually in the spring to THL's Sotkanet and Kela's Information tray. The next update will take place in the spring of 2026.
