Finland

With a per capita income of $31,000, Finland is the 22nd richest nation in the world. The government provides a strong safety net; and according to the United Nations Development Programme's (UNDP) Human Development Report, Finland has the 11th highest standard of living. Income is relatively well distributed, and Finland is ranked 26.9 percent on the Gini index of inequality. The richest 10 percent of the population holds 21.6 percent of the country's wealth while the poorest 10 percent share 4.2 percent. Poverty is virtually nonexistent in Finland, but the government has been forced to deal with persistent unemployment (currently 8.4 percent).

Municipalities are responsible for providing health insurance in Finland, and local governments may choose to provide coverage themselves or to join municipal boards or turn to outside agents. As the aging population expands, government resources have become strained. Consequently, families and communities have taken on a greater share of the responsibility for caring for the elderly. While most Finns enjoy easy access to healthcare, people who live in remote areas are sometimes cut off from health services. The government addressed this need in a 2003 report, which introduced a plan in which central and municipal governments work with nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) to make healthcare affordable and accessible to all Finns. Targeted areas included restructuring the healthcare system and strengthening financing methods. Long-term health goals were laid out in Health 2015, which encouraged healthier lifestyles across the population. Goals for different age groups were established such as improving women's and children's health, curtailing alcohol and drug abuse among adolescents, slashing the rate of accidental and violent deaths among adult males, and meeting the needs of the aging population.

Finland spends an average of 3 percent of the total budget on health care. At present, 7.4 percent of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) is designated for health-related programs, with $2,108 (international dollars) allotted per capita. The government provides 76.5 percent of all healthcare expenditures, and 21.5 percent of that amount is earmarked for social security. Social security in Finland covers the elderly, the disabled, and survivors. The system is financed by workers (4.4 percent of earnings), the self-employed (21.1 percent of earnings), and employers (from 1.3 to 4.45 percent of payroll) and supplemented by the government. The private sector furnishes 23.5 percent of total healthcare expenditures, and 81.20 percent of private funding is derived from out-of-pocket expenses. There are 3.16 physicians, 14.33 nurses, 0.76 midwives, 1.28 dentists, and 1.12 pharmacists per 1,000 population in Finland.

Finland is the 22nd richest nation in the world with a per capita income of $31,000.

The population of 5,231,372 enjoys a life expectancy of 78.5 years, the 39th highest in the world. Women outlive men an average of seven years. Literacy is universal in Finland, and all of the relevant population attends primary and secondary school. All Finns have sustained access to safe drinking water and improved sanitation. The use of birth control is widespread (77 percent), and Finnish women give birth at a rate of 1.73 children each. All births are attended by trained personnel, and all new mothers receive antenatal care. The adjusted maternal mortality rate of six deaths per 100,000 live births is among the lowest in the world.

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