Citizenship celebration held in Espoo
On 31 August 2025, the City of Espoo organised a celebration for Espoo residents aged 18 or older who have newly received Finnish citizenship.
At the event held at Dipoli, over 300 guests celebrated in a joyful atmosphere.
“In recent years, Espoo has attracted more international talent than any other city in Finland relative to its population. We’re proud that many of them have taken the step – not only to become Espoo residents, but also Finnish citizens – and committed to building their future here,” Mayor Kai Mykkänen said in his speech.
The citizenship celebration was part of Espoo Day, the largest annual city event in Espoo. This year, Espoo residents aged 18 or older who were granted Finnish citizenship in 2024 were invited, together with their families.
In total, 1,682 Espoo residents received Finnish citizenship in 2024, 546 of whom were under 18.
One in five Espoo residents is a foreign-language speaker
We are committed to being a leading city for integration in Finland. At the end of 2024, the number of foreign-language residents in Espoo was 80,166, which accounts for 25 per cent of the city’s population.
Espoo’s foreign-language population is growing more rapidly than the Finnish-speaking population. In 2024, Espoo gained 5,962 new foreign-language residents, which accounted for 86,3% of the population growth. If the city continues to grow at the same rate, foreign-language speakers will account for one third of Espoo’s population by 2030.
Espoo’s foreign-language population consists mainly of working-age people, young people and children. The most common foreign languages spoken in Espoo are Russian, Arabic, English, Estonian and Chinese.
“In Finland and Espoo, employment growth relies heavily on those who move to our country from all over the world. We must do all we can to ensure that those who come to Espoo – adults, children and youth alike – can truly become part of our society. This means easy access to education, employment and entrepreneurship, as well as the opportunity to build a meaningful life – one where you belong and feel at home. For many, getting their citizenship is an important milestone on this journey and well worth celebrating,” says Sanna Lindholm, Director of Immigration Affairs.
Espoo is currently preparing a new immigration and integration programme for the recently launched council term. The programme will highlight the city’s goals related to immigration and integration – areas where it is especially important for us to succeed.
Additional information
HelloEspoo.fi offers tips for moving and integration.
Integration programme of the City of Espoo 2022–2025(external link, opens in a new window) (in Finnish)
