Chinese people in Finland (; ) are the ethnic Chinese in Finland. The majority of people have a background in the country of China. People can be born in China, have Chinese ancestry and/or be citizens of China. , there were 19,023 people born in China living in Finland. Similarly, the number of people with Chinese citizenship was 16,680. The number of people who spoke Chinese as their mother tongue was 20,320.
Between 1987 and 2023, 1,036 Chinese children were adopted in Finland, making China one of the most common countries of origin for international adoptions there. From 1990 to 2023, a total number of 2,640 Chinese citizens had been granted Finnish citizenship.
History
Chinese migrant workers (1916–1917) In 1916, while Finland was still an autonomous state ruled by the Russian Empire, a large number of Chinese migrant workers were brought by the Russians to the Helsinki metropolitan area for fortification work and the supporting task of logging. The workers were apparently Honghuzi () prisoners from Manchuria. In the Russian Far East, the Honghuzi were notorious for being fierce train robbers and highway bandits. A total of around 3,000 Chinese workers were brought to Finland. The decision to resort to Chinese labor is believed to have been because Finnish migrant workers had proven to be unsuitable for the construction work on Peter the Great's Naval Fortress.
Chinese labor was deployed in places such as Espoo, Kauniainen, Vantaa, Korso, and Söderkulla in Sipoo, primarily for logging work. They were also used in Kustavi for paving the artillery roads of the naval fortress, as well as for miscellaneous tasks in various parts of the country. The Chinese workers were often housed in cold barns or shacks without proper fireplaces. Although the workers were men, many Finns mistakenly thought they were women because they had long braids at the nape of their necks.
Alongside the fortification work, the Chinese soon began committing thefts, robberies, assaults, and robberies involving murder in Finland. They would also sometimes intimidate local residents to make them leave their homes, allowing the houses to be looted. Many of them also suffered from diseases such as syphilis and scabies. The criminal activities provoked both fear and anger among the Finnish population. For example, painter Akseli Gallen-Kallela was no longer able to work in the restless conditions at Tarvaspää in Espoo, and he decided to flee with his spouse to Ruovesi.
It is reported that there were up to 1,200 Chinese individuals residing in the Espoo area. Starting from the turn of 1917, Chinese workers began to be sent back to Manchuria. After the Russian Revolution in the spring of 1917, the fortification work was halted, and most of the remaining Chinese left Finland. According to contemporaries, there also remained a Chinese-Finnish heritage in Finland as a result of relationships between Finnish women and Chinese men.
Population by municipalities
People born in China and living in Finland, according to Statistics Finland. Country of birth China by municipality (2024) Municipality Population Whole country 17,992 Helsinki 4,635 Espoo 3,964 Vantaa 1,327 Tampere 1,097 Turku 802 Oulu 771 Lahti 470 Jyväskylä 454 Lappeenranta 419 Vaasa 290 Kuopio 235 Rovaniemi 215 Joensuu 207 Pori 196 Porvoo 159 Rauma 149 Hämeenlinna 130 Kokkola 126 Kouvola 122 Kauniainen 96 Hyvinkää 94 Salo 91 Kirkkonummi 78 Kaarina 77 Lohja 75 Kajaani 72 Kotka 71 Seinäjoki 63 Järvenpää 60 Kerava 59 Riihimäki 58 Raisio 51 Kangasala 45 Nurmijärvi 45 Mikkeli 44 Valkeakoski 42 Nokia 40 Vihti 32 Forssa 30 Imatra 30 Karkkila 30 Pirkkala 29 Ylöjärvi 28 Tuusula 27 Laukaa 26 Lempäälä 24 Raseborg 24 Naantali 22 Kemi 20 Korsholm 20 Varkaus 20 Mänttä-Vilppula 18 Pargas 18 Savonlinna 18 Sipoo 18 Ylivieska 18 Kempele 17 Mariehamn 17 Uusikaupunki 17 Raahe 16 Kalajoki 15 Lieto 15 Mäntsälä 14 Heinola 13 Janakkala 13 Hollola 12 Masku 11 Muurame 11 Tornio 11 Akaa 10 Oulainen 10 Nykarleby 10
People with Chinese citizenship living in Finland according to Statistics Finland. Citizens of China by municipality (2024) Municipality Population Whole country 15,687 Helsinki 3,885 Espoo 3,696 Vantaa 1,201 Tampere 933 Oulu 720 Turku 686 Jyväskylä 418 Lahti 412 Lappeenranta 385 Vaasa 244 Kuopio 227 Rovaniemi 213 Pori 183 Joensuu 173 Porvoo 137 Rauma 135 Hämeenlinna 119 Kokkola 117 Kouvola 104 Salo 82 Kirkkonummi 68 Hyvinkää 67 Kajaani 67 Lohja 64 Kauniainen 62 Kaarina 56 Kerava 51 Riihimäki 50 Kotka 48 Seinäjoki 46 Järvenpää 45 Mikkeli 40 Valkeakoski 38 Kangasala 37 Karkkila 33 Raisio 33 Nokia 31 Nurmijärvi 31 Imatra 30 Forssa 27 Laukaa 24 Mänttä-Vilppula 24 Vihti 24 Ylöjärvi 21 Varkaus 20 Raseborg 19 Kemi 18 Pirkkala 17 Korsholm 16 Naantali 16 Savonlinna 16 Uusikaupunki 16 Kempele 15 Lempäälä 15 Raahe 15 Pargas 14 Heinola 13 Tuusula 13 Ylivieska 13 Kalajoki 12 Tornio 12 Janakkala 10 Lieto 10 Loimaa 10 Oulainen 10
People with Chinese as mother tongue living in Finland according to Statistics Finland. Chinese speakers by municipality (2024) Municipality Population Whole country 19,264 Helsinki 5,004 Espoo 4,548 Vantaa 1,620 Tampere 1,129 Oulu 821 Turku 807 Lahti 450 Jyväskylä 445 Lappeenranta 399 Vaasa 266 Kuopio 245 Rovaniemi 232 Joensuu 194 Pori 183 Rauma 155 Porvoo 154 Hyvinkää 135 Kokkola 135 Hämeenlinna 129 Kouvola 118 Kirkkonummi 95 Salo 91 Kauniainen 88 Kaarina 78 Kerava 73 Kotka 70 Kajaani 68 Lohja 67 Riihimäki 61 Järvenpää 60 Seinäjoki 52 Nurmijärvi 49 Raisio 49 Mikkeli 48 Nokia 47 Valkeakoski 41 Kangasala 38 Vihti 37 Karkkila 36 Imatra 34 Lempäälä 32 Tuusula 31 Laukaa 29 Forssa 27 Pirkkala 26 Ylöjärvi 26 Mänttä-Vilppula 25 Naantali 21 Raseborg 21 Savonlinna 21 Lieto 20 Varkaus 20 Mariehamn 19 Korsholm 19 Pargas 19 Mäntsälä 17 Raahe 17 Uusikaupunki 17 Ylivieska 17 Heinola 16 Kalajoki 16 Kemi 16 Kempele 15 Tornio 15 Janakkala 13 Hämeenkyrö 11 Loimaa 10 Muurame 10 Oulainen 10
Notable people
Shirly Karvinen (born 1992), model and beauty pageant titleholder Saara Keskitalo (born 2000), athlete Ding Ma (born 1988), civil servant and the mayor of Savonlinna (born 1992), writer and YouTuber Tao Stark (born 2004), footballer Jenny Tian (born 1995), Finnish born Australian comedian Kristina Tonteri-Young (born 1998), actress and former ballerina (born 1998), politician (1922–2006), military officer Nemo Zhou (born 2000), chess player and live streamer
See also China–Finland relations Chinese people in Sweden
References