Overall, the Annual Report compiles the key events, financial figures and achievements of the City, providing a comprehensive view of Helsinki’s development and future directions.
In 2025, Helsinki held municipal elections to elect new city councillors. The Helsinki City Council convened for the first time in January 1875, which means that 2025 marked the Council’s 150th anniversary. During the anniversary year, the Council unveiled its history, held a commemorative meeting and discussed the future.
The population of Helsinki grew by around 11,500 people, which is the largest ever annual increase in the capital city’s population. The population grew not only through migration gain from within the country and abroad, but also through natural population growth. Net domestic migration was particularly strong, accounting for more than half of the population growth.
In 2025, Helsinki continued its active international engagement and cooperation in various European and global networks. To advance common goals and rise to joint challenges, the City worked closely with the other largest cities in Finland, the other municipalities in the Helsinki Metropolitan Area, and the Government.
The first budget of the new council term focused on providing allocations for children, youth and basic public services provided by the City, in line with the City Strategy.
A smooth everyday life and functional services is one of the five priorities of our City Strategy
The City Strategy states that good urban life for Helsinki residents is based on a smooth everyday life and functional services. The life situations of Helsinki residents vary. Different things and services are more important at different stages of life. Each of the City divisions has an important role to play in ensuring that everyday life in Helsinki runs smoothly and residents can enjoy a good quality of life.
The City is divided into four divisions and the City Executive Office, which serves as the central administration. The divisions in question are the Education Division, Urban Environment Division, Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division, and Culture and Leisure Division.
The City Executive Office is the planning, preparation and implementation body of the City Council and the City Board. The City Executive Office is responsible for the development and central administration of Helsinki. It operates under the City Board.
The City divisions provide services for Helsinki residents
The Education Division oversees the City of Helsinki’s early childhood education in playgrounds and daycare centres, as well as pre-primary education, basic education, and general upper secondary education. It is also responsible for vocational education and training provided in Finnish in the largest vocational institution in Finland, and liberal adult education in Finnish and Swedish-language adult education centres.
The year 2025 saw moderate increases in all age groups of children and young people in Helsinki, with the exception of those in primary education. At the upper secondary level, the number of general upper secondary school students remained unchanged and the number of participants in vocational education and training increased. The demand for courses offered by adult education centres remained high.
The Urban Environment Division serves Helsinki’s residents and companies by managing the planning, construction and maintenance of a functional and pleasant environment, in addition to providing building control and other urban environment services.
In 2025, as part of its local detailed planning work, the division zoned over 500,000 square metres of floor area for residential housing construction, clearly exceeding the targets.
The Culture and Leisure Division maintains and improves the opportunities for Helsinki residents of all ages to foster their mental and physical wellbeing, learning and active citizenship, while also supporting Helsinki’s vitality. The division is responsible for library materials, museum and art museum collections and maintaining cultural heritage. It also carries out the official duties related to preserving the cultural environment.
In 2025, particular attention was devoted to facilitating events and activities in Helsinki’s suburban regeneration areas, which attracted almost 350,000 visits.
The Social Services, Health Care and Rescue Services Division provides Helsinki residents with timely, equal, functional and high-quality social services, health care and rescue services that increase wellbeing, health and safety. Appointments, visits and the use of e-services increased across many of the services.
In 2025, the division had millions of different encounters with clients. For example, the division recorded 3.6 million home care visits and 2.86 million health station visits. Prehospital emergency care services were dispatched every 10 minutes.