Finland’s future depends on young people’s wellbeing
The OECD’s message is striking: wellbeing is becoming increasingly uneven between generations in Finland. While older age groups rank among the top internationally on many indicators, the situation for young people is clearly weaker. If this is not addressed in time, it is not only about the future of young people but about the direction of Finland as a whole.
Young people’s wellbeing was discussed in June in the cooperation group on the wellbeing economy, established by THL in December 2025. A key insight emerged: the wellbeing of young adults is not merely an issue for one age group, it is a question that will shape the future of society.
When confidence in the future, a sense of belonging, or attachment to education and work weakens in a young adult’s everyday life, the effects are quickly felt more broadly. This concerns functional capacity, trust in society, and ultimately how the Finnish welfare state is perceived by those who are expected to sustain and renew it next.
A recent OECD study makes the situation visible: Finland is facing a growing generational gap in wellbeing. Among those aged 65 and over, 13 out of 25 wellbeing indicators rank in the top third of OECD countries; for middle-aged people the figure is 10, and for young people only 5. At the same time, young people in Finland more often fall into the lowest third in comparisons.
This is not about isolated problems but about a divergence in wellbeing that challenges the entire Finnish welfare model.
Opportunities and responsibilities must be shared fairly
The situation calls for a comprehensive approach rather than isolated solutions.
Intergenerational wellbeing cannot be built through a single service or within a single sector. It is about how we set goals, build functional structures, strengthen people’s capabilities, and create opportunities for participation.
The key building blocks of intergenerational fairness are above all fair structures that distribute opportunities and responsibilities in a balanced way between generations.
We also need decision-making that extends beyond electoral cycles and the ability to assess impacts from the perspective of future generations.
Equally important is participation: the experience that one’s voice is heard and that one can feel connected to society.
We also need foresight so that wellbeing is built by identifying changes early that affect the opportunities of young people and future generations to live good lives.
The impacts of policy decisions must be assessed in advance
The current context makes the issue particularly demanding. The need to adjust public finances is real, and solutions cannot rely on additional funding. We need shared goals, new actors and new ways of working - courage, willingness, and the ability to innovate and do things differently.
New thinking is also needed in impact assessment and in how research-based knowledge, experiential knowledge, and foresight can be brought together before decisions are made, not only afterwards.
Policy alone is not enough; we must also invest in our societal culture. We must discuss values and how we encounter each other in everyday life, at home, in schools, workplaces, services, and public discourse.
This is particularly important as loneliness and social isolation have increased across all age groups since 2018, according to the OECD.
To reduce intergenerational disparities in wellbeing, attention should be given to:
- Shifting from short-term to long-term decision-making
- Actively involving citizens in decision-making about the future
- Strengthening young people’s wellbeing and participation
- Bringing intergenerational equity more strongly into the core of decision-making
- Viewing ecological, social and economic sustainability as one whole
- Reinforcing young people’s confidence in the future and trust in society
- Updating the promise of the welfare model and the fairness of the generational contract
(Source: Sitra)
The cooperation group on the wellbeing economy promotes this perspective in decision-making
The cooperation group on the wellbeing economy operates during 2026–2027 and is chaired by THL Director General Mika Salminen.
Its aim is to build shared understanding and promote wellbeing economy perspectives in national, regional and local decision-making, as well as internationally.
The concept of the wellbeing economy is a way to develop decision-making by recognising the interdependencies between a sustainable economy and the wellbeing of people and the environment, and by balancing social, economic and ecological objectives to secure sustainable wellbeing for current and future generations.
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Sitra’s statement on strengthening intergenerational justice in decision-making (in Finnish)