Finnish pension provision according to the Finnish model

In Finland pension provision consists mainly of the employment-based earnings-related pension and the residence-based national pension, which provides a minimum income. The schemes secure an income in the event of old age, incapacity for work, death of the family breadwinner and ageing persons’ unemployment.

Almost all gainful employment is covered by pension provision. There are separate pension acts for private-sector employees, self-employed persons, farmers, seamen and public-sector employees.

Earnings-related pension provision is financed jointly by the employers and the employees. The national pensions are financed through employer contributions and tax revenues.

In this section you find basic information on the Finnish pension system: its history, benefits, financing, administration and supervision as well as future prospects. There is also information on supplementary pension provision and the taxation of pensions. In addition there are links to further information in each section.

In autumn 2007 the book The Finnish Pension System was also published on the topic. The book is published in Finnish and in English. The previous edition of the book was published in 2003.

The Finnish pension system in brief (pdf)

The Finnish Pension System 2007 (pdf)

Principles of pension provision (pdf)

Social Security in Finland 2006 by Heikki Niemelä and Kari Salminen

Statistics on Finland and the pension system (pdf)

Brief description of the Finnish pension reform in 2005: "How to market an indispensable reform"
Presentation by Mr Kari Puro, Chairman of the Board of the Finnish Centre for Pensions, at the OECD 5 November 2008