Practical nurses were the largest group holding professional licences in 2025
The number of valid professional licences for practical nurses totalled nearly 395,500, and for approximately 166,000 people, the practical nurse licence was the highest professional licence held. The highest professional licence refers to the licence based on the highest level of qualification. Where qualifications are at the same level, the most recent qualification is selected. In addition, a licensed professional licence is considered higher than a protected occupational title.
In 2025, approximately 17,100 new professional licences for practical nurses in health care and social welfare were granted, which is 7.9 per cent more than in 2024. The same individual often holds both practical nurse professional licences.
For registered nurses, public health nurses and midwives, 11.9 per cent more new professional licences were granted in 2025 than in 2024. A total of 6,170 professional licences were granted, the majority of which were licences for registered nurses. For approximately 118,000 people, the registered nurse licence was the most recent and highest professional licence.
For Bachelor of Social Services (sosionomi (AMK)), 8.6 per cent more new professional licences were granted in 2025 than in 2024. The Bachelor of Social Services professional licence was the most recent and highest professional licence for approximately 42,500 people in 2025.
Professional licences as part of monitoring personnel resources
Information on professional licences provides a key perspective on the potential personnel resources in social welfare and health care.
Register data from Valvira (The Finnish Supervisory Agency as of 1 January 2026) are linked at THL with Statistics Finland’s Employment Statistics, making it possible, for example, to monitor what proportion of those who have been granted a professional licence are working in health and social services.
About the data in more detail
Background information
- Statistical quality report
- Privacy notice (in Finnish)
Source
The database report Professional licences in social and health care and holders of professional licences in Finland
Description of the statistics
The Health Care and Social Welfare Personnel statistics describe persons who mainly work in social welfare and health care and in social welfare and health care occupational titles in the private sector, organisations and the public sector, persons trained in the field, as well as persons holding professional licences in social welfare and health care. The statistics include persons who were permanently resident in Finland on the last day of the year. As an exception, among those holding professional licences, persons who had an address in Finland on the last day of the year are included.
The data are produced from Statistics Finland’s Employment Statistics and have been refined by linking them with data from the professional registers of Valvira (The Finnish Supervisory Agency). The professional register data provide information on professional licences in social and health care and holders of professional licences in Finland, the qualifications associated with the licences, and registered holders of professional licences.
These statistics form part of THL reporting on health care and social welfare personnel. In addition, supplementary information on personnel in social welfare and health care services provided by wellbeing services counties and federations, as well as by municipalities and joint municipal authorities, is produced in the Personnel in local government health and social services statistics.
Update schedule
Information on professional licences is published in the database report Professional licences in social and health care and holders of professional licences in Finland once a year, approximately 3–4 months after the end of the statistical year.
The data are also reported in the Health Care and Social Welfare Personnel statistical report approximately 11 months after the end of the statistical year.
The more exact publication time can be found in the publication calendar.
Publication calendar for statistics
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