Compensation of employees (% of expense) in Finland
Finland: Compensation of employees (% of expense) was 7.1% in 2023. ▼ Falling
Compensation of employees in Finland, 1972–2023
Source: Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF). Measured in % of expense.
Analysis
The most recent figure for compensation of employees in Finland is 7.1%, measured in 2023.
Compared with earlier readings it is down 11.5% on the previous year and down 13.7% over ten years.
Over the whole period, compensation of employees in Finland peaked at 15.0% in 1972 and was at its lowest, 7.1%, in 1994.
Finland ranks 149th of 155 countries on this measure, in the bottom quarter.
The long-run direction has been consistently falling across the 52 years of available data.
Compensation of employees (% of expense) in Finland, year by year
| Year | % of expense | Change |
|---|---|---|
| 1972 | 15.0% | — |
| 1973 | 14.7% | -2.3% |
| 1974 | 13.7% | -6.7% |
| 1975 | 12.9% | -5.5% |
| 1976 | 12.9% | +0.1% |
| 1977 | 12.3% | -4.9% |
| 1978 | 12.1% | -1.8% |
| 1979 | 11.8% | -2.2% |
| 1980 | 11.9% | +0.5% |
| 1981 | 12.0% | +0.6% |
| 1982 | 11.8% | -1.6% |
| 1983 | 10.9% | -7.6% |
| 1984 | 11.0% | +1.5% |
| 1985 | 10.7% | -2.9% |
| 1986 | 10.4% | -3.3% |
| 1987 | 10.6% | +2.2% |
| 1988 | 11.0% | +3.9% |
| 1989 | 10.8% | -1.7% |
| 1990 | 10.2% | -5.6% |
| 1991 | 9.3% | -8.6% |
| 1992 | 8.4% | -10.1% |
| 1993 | 7.4% | -11.2% |
| 1994 | 7.1% | -4.5% |
| 1995 | 8.1% | +14.5% |
| 1996 | 8.5% | +4.3% |
| 1997 | 8.7% | +2.1% |
| 1998 | 9.1% | +5.3% |
| 1999 | 9.2% | +0.4% |
| 2000 | 9.5% | +3.6% |
| 2001 | 9.3% | -1.5% |
| 2002 | 9.2% | -1.4% |
| 2003 | 9.3% | +1.3% |
| 2004 | 9.3% | -0.9% |
| 2005 | 9.2% | -0.3% |
| 2006 | 9.1% | -1.8% |
| 2007 | 9.0% | -0.2% |
| 2008 | 9.0% | +0.1% |
| 2009 | 8.8% | -2.6% |
| 2010 | 8.6% | -2.5% |
| 2011 | 8.4% | -2.1% |
| 2012 | 8.3% | -1.5% |
| 2013 | 8.3% | -0.1% |
| 2014 | 8.1% | -2.0% |
| 2015 | 7.9% | -2.3% |
| 2016 | 7.6% | -4.0% |
| 2017 | 7.5% | -1.6% |
| 2018 | 7.8% | +4.4% |
| 2019 | 8.1% | +3.1% |
| 2020 | 7.6% | -6.0% |
| 2021 | 7.9% | +3.7% |
| 2022 | 8.1% | +2.7% |
| 2023 | 7.1% | -11.5% |
Finland compared with similar countries
- Finland's 7.1% is below the median for high income countries, which is 18.9%, 38% of the median. (56 countries reporting)
- Finland's 7.1% is below the median for Europe & Central Asia, which is 16.4%, 43% of the median. (47 countries reporting)
Averages by decade
| Decade | Average | Lowest | Highest | Years |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1970s | 13.2% | 11.8% | 15.0% | 8 |
| 1980s | 11.1% | 10.4% | 12.0% | 10 |
| 1990s | 8.6% | 7.1% | 10.2% | 10 |
| 2000s | 9.2% | 8.8% | 9.5% | 10 |
| 2010s | 8.1% | 7.5% | 8.6% | 10 |
| 2020s | 7.7% | 7.1% | 8.1% | 4 |
Countries ranked near Finland
- 146 South Korea 8.8% compare
- 147 United States 8.1% compare
- 148 Netherlands 7.8% compare
- 150 Switzerland 7.0% compare
- 151 Brazil 6.6% compare
- 152 Spain 5.9% compare
More public sector data for Finland
- Democracy, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Chief executive of the government is elected, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Elected parliament, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Men's universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Universal right to vote in practice, annual growth rate 0 % change on previous year (2025)
- Arms imports 51.00 million SIPRI trend indicator values (2025)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per capita 11.39 SIPRI trend indicator values per person (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), per unit of GDP 0.0002 SIPRI trend indicator values per US$ of GDP (2024)
- Arms imports (SIPRI trend indicator values), annual growth rate 72.97 % change on previous year (2024)
Frequently asked questions
- What is compensation of employees in Finland?
- Compensation of employees in Finland was 7.1% in 2023, according to Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF).
- What is the highest compensation of employees recorded in Finland?
- The highest recorded value was 15.0% in 1972.
- What is the lowest compensation of employees recorded in Finland?
- The lowest recorded value was 7.1% in 1994.
- How does Finland rank for compensation of employees?
- Finland ranks 149th out of 155 countries with data for 2023.
- Is compensation of employees rising or falling in Finland?
- Over the last ten years it is down 13.7%. The long-run trend across the full record is falling.
- Where does this Finland data come from?
- The figures come from Government Finance Statistics Yearbook and data files, International Monetary Fund (IMF), published as part of Compensation of employees (% of expense). Statizoid updates them automatically from the source API.
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About this data
Compensation of employees is defined as the total remuneration, in cash or in kind, payable by an enterprise to an employee in return for work done by the latter during the accounting period. This indicator is expressed as percentage of total expenses which is any decrease in net worth resulting from a transaction.