A century-long study begins: tracking an entire birth cohort and their families
The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) is launching a study which is unique in scope on a global level and involves tracking the entire age group born in Finland between 2026 and 2029, together with their families. The Future Finland study begins in March in the Uusimaa region and will later be expanded nationwide. The study is funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.
Finland has comprehensive national registers, a strong research infrastructure and a long tradition of population-based research. These strengths make it possible to conduct long-term and reliable follow-up of an entire birth cohort and their families, which is essential for understanding the root causes of well-being in a rapidly changing world.
“Long-term research like this is part of the responsibility of an educated and forward-looking society. A century-long perspective can provide answers to questions we do not yet even know how to ask. The knowledge created through this research can benefit future generations in Finland and, potentially, around the world,” says President Sauli Niinistö, patron of the project.
Improving well-being begins with research-based knowledge
The Future Finland study examines the critical turning points in people’s lives that influence well-being. Its aim is to understand how living conditions, early life events—such as family stress or lifestyle factors—and societal and global changes affect human health.
A large, long-term dataset will help identify causal relationships between these factors. It will also reveal at which stages of life support is most effective and which measures are best suited to preventing problems.
“We believe that the trajectory of human well-being can be changed within a single generation. But we cannot solve problems whose roots we do not understand. Long-term research helps identify the causes of well-being, as well as the most effective ways to strengthen it,” says Mika Salminen, Director General of THL.
The study seeks answers to some of the most significant challenges of our time: the mental health crisis, growing inequality, lifestyle-related diseases, and the ways in which global changes influence children’s sense of optimism about the future. It could reveal which factors predict mental health challenges and which protect against social exclusion.
Participation and practical implementation
Families with children born in Finland between 2026 and 2029 will be invited to participate. The study will begin in March 2026 in Uusimaa, within the HUS district, and will later be rolled out across the country. The goal is to gather information from the earliest possible stages of life.
“Participation by a single family can produce knowledge of broad societal importance. We hope that as many families as possible will join right from the early stages of pregnancy, so that we can better understand how well-being starts to develop even before birth,” says Annamari Lundqvist, Project Director of Future Finland at THL.
Participation requires giving consent through secure authentication. The study combines register data, surveys, and samples and measurements taken during pregnancy monitoring and childbirth. The surveys are short and quick to complete. Strict data protection measures are in place. No individual child or family can be identified from the study results.
The Future Finland project is carried out by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation (SKR).
Further information
Annamari Lundqvist
Project Director, Future Finland
THL
Tel. +358 29 524 7283
[email protected]
