Indians in Finland are people who have ancestry from the country of India and live in Finland. People can be born in India, have Indian descent and/or be citizens of India. , there were 18,090 people born in India who live in Finland. Similarly, the number of people holding Indian citizenship was 16,842.
Overview At the beginning of the 21st century there were about 450 Indians in the Helsinki region.HELSINGIN SANOMAT - INTERNATIONAL EDITION - METRO - South Asian population grows sharply in Helsinki region In 2022, Finland was home to 11,634 Indians.Statistics Finland The majority of the Indians live in and around the capital Helsinki. Most of them are engaged in businesses such as restaurants and stores selling garments, textiles, artificial jewellery, groceries and gift items. A number of young Indians, mainly computer and telecom experts, have in recent years joined Finnish high-tech companies such as Nokia.
There are hundreds of Indian engineers working in Finland. Many of them came to work there to get a quality life and also their salary would be double than what they would get in India even though taxes erode the difference.Nordic Labour Journal - Finland's welfare system appeals to Indian IT engineers At Nokia's research facility alone there are nearly 100 Indians working there. Wipro employed some 300 people in Finland while their competitor Tata Consultancy Services employed 600 individuals. Many of the engineers came with their spouses and children and have settled permanently in Finland.
There is also a sizable population of Indian postgraduate students, both Master's and PhD level students, in Finland and especially in Helsinki region. They are most prominent in technology related fields.Helsinki in on top in Technology and Research - Finland and India
Religious life The Indian diaspora in Finland is religiously diverse, with Sikhism and Hinduism representing two of the most prominent faiths. Sikhism has a deep-rooted history in Finland, with the first permanent places of worship established to support the growing Punjabi community. Gurdwara Sarab Sangat Sahib in Helsinki and Gurudwara Vantaa serve as the primary religious institutions. Beyond religious services, these Gurdwaras act as vital socio-cultural hubs for the broader Indian diaspora. They frequently serve as the first point of contact for newly arriving Indian expatriates and international students, providing social support, meals, and informal guidance on integrating into Finnish society.
A significant portion of the community practices Hinduism. While official state registries record a small number of formally affiliated members—around 367 individuals spread across four registered Hindu communities—the actual number of Hindus living in Finland is estimated to be approximately 6,000. Interest in Hindu philosophies first arrived in Finland via theosophy in the early 20th century, followed by devotional movements like ISKCON in the 1980s. As the Indian student and expatriate population has surged in recent years, there have been increasing calls for institutional accommodations. For example, Hindu organizations have petitioned major Finnish educational institutions to establish designated Hindu prayer rooms on campus to support the spiritual needs of international students.
Family migration and spousal integration Because a large percentage of Indian immigrants move to Finland as highly skilled specialists in the IT and engineering sectors, family-tie immigration is common. However, trailing expatriate spouses—often highly educated women—frequently face significant integration challenges. Academic studies indicate that these spouses often experience language barriers, social isolation, and "deskilling" (inability to find work matching their qualifications) within the Finnish labor market.
To mitigate these issues, prevent family-driven repatriation, and utilize this hidden talent pool, the Finnish government and local municipalities have launched targeted support initiatives. Programs such as the Helsinki Spouse Program and Tampere's "Hidden Gems" offer career coaching, networking events, and peer mentoring specifically designed to help international spouses integrate into Finnish society and the local workforce.
Culture and sports The diaspora is supported by several long-standing cultural institutions. The Finnish-Indian Society (''Suomi-Intia-Seura ry''), founded in 1949 initially by Finns interested in Indian philosophy, celebrated its 75th anniversary in 2024. Today, it serves as a primary bridge between the two cultures.
To preserve their heritage and foster intercultural exchange with the Finnish public, the community actively organizes large-scale festivals. The most prominent is India Day (''Intia-päivä''), an annual summer festival held in central Helsinki. Co-organized by the Finnish-Indian Society, the Embassy of India, and various regional diaspora associations, the event showcases Indian classical and Bollywood-style dance, music, regional cuisines, and yoga, attracting thousands of visitors.
Other regional and demographic-specific groups also play a key role in community life. Organizations such as O-India in Oulu serve populations outside the capital region, while Indian Women in Finland (IWF) organizes educational seminars to help expatriate families navigate the Finnish school system.
Furthermore, the Punjab Cultural Society (PCS) organizes major traditional festivals such as Vaisakhi and Diwali, helping the younger, Finnish-born generation maintain a structured connection to their South Asian roots
The Indian diaspora has played a notable role in reviving field hockey in Finland, creating a modern parallel to the 1952 Helsinki Olympics where the Indian national team won gold. In 2014, immigrant Vicky Moga founded the Helsinki-based Warriors Hockey Club. The club has since won consecutive Finnish National Championships and successfully developed a new generation of Finnish-Indian players who currently represent the Finnish National Team in both youth and adult brackets.
Population by municipalities
People born in India who now live in Finland, according to Statistics Finland. Country of birth India by municipality (2024) Municipality Population Whole country 16,404 Espoo 5,016 Helsinki 3,321 Vantaa 1,824 Tampere 1,186 Turku 918 Oulu 637 Jyväskylä 346 Vaasa 344 Lappeenranta 256 Joensuu 199 Kuopio 164 Rauma 147 Hyvinkää 145 Pori 107 Seinäjoki 104 Lahti 103 Kirkkonummi 83 Rovaniemi 75 Kotka 63 Järvenpää 53 Jakobstad 53 Porvoo 44 Kerava 43 Kokkola 43 Hämeenlinna 40 Riihimäki 40 Tornio 37 Salo 36 Kouvola 29 Valkeakoski 28 Vihti 28 Kajaani 27 Uusikaupunki 27 Kangasala 26 Mikkeli 26 Pirkkala 26 Heinola 25 Mäntyharju 23 Varkaus 23 Nurmijärvi 22 Raisio 22 Tuusula 19 Ylöjärvi 19 Keuruu 18 Mariehamn 18 Nokia 18 Kauniainen 17 Lohja 17 Pieksämäki 16 Pedersöre 15 Eura 14 Joroinen 14 Lempäälä 14 Sipoo 14 Kauhava 12 Laitila 12 Iitti 11 Savonlinna 11 Mänttä-Vilppula 10 Siilinjärvi 10 Sodankylä 10
People with Indian citizenship now living in Finland according to Statistics Finland. Citizens of India by municipality (2024) Municipality Population Whole country 15,115 Espoo 4,787 Helsinki 2,973 Vantaa 1,537 Tampere 1,131 Turku 877 Oulu 630 Jyväskylä 337 Vaasa 307 Lappeenranta 258 Joensuu 192 Kuopio 171 Rauma 153 Hyvinkää 138 Pori 103 Seinäjoki 99 Lahti 85 Kirkkonummi 74 Rovaniemi 72 Kotka 59 Järvenpää 48 Kokkola 45 Jakobstad 34 Porvoo 34 Salo 34 Riihimäki 33 Kerava 32 Valkeakoski 32 Pirkkala 28 Uusikaupunki 28 Hämeenlinna 27 Heinola 26 Vihti 25 Kajaani 24 Tornio 24 Kangasala 23 Kouvola 23 Varkaus 23 Mikkeli 21 Mäntyharju 20 Keuruu 19 Raisio 19 Pieksämäki 16 Eura 14 Pedersöre 14 Joroinen 13 Kauniainen 13 Lempäälä 13 Tuusula 13 Laitila 12 Lohja 12 Loppi 12 Mariehamn 12 Nokia 12 Sodankylä 12 Iitti 11 Kauhava 11 Nurmijärvi 11 Ylöjärvi 11 Iisalmi 10 Sastamala 10
Notable people
Jenni Banerjee - Finnish actress Anya Lahiri - British actress, model and singer Jasmin Mäntylä - Finnish model and singer Sanal Edamaruku - a Malayali Indian Rationalist from Kerala
See also Finland–India relations Hinduism in Finland Indian diaspora Immigration to Finland Indians in Sweden
References