Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, is a vibrant small metropolis with short daylight hours in winter and long summer days due to its latitude. Besides Finnish being the main language, Swedish is also widely spoken, together with other languages, such as Russian and Estonian.
How does Helsinki perform in terms of economic competitiveness, sustainability, city brand strength, and appeal to talent from abroad?
Overview of Helsinki’s Performance & Potential
The following table offers an overview of Helsinki’s overall performance across various international rankings. For a deeper analysis, our custom reports provide tailored insights for specific contexts, such as cities, regions, or countries.
|
Ranking |
2019 |
2020 |
2021 |
2022 |
2023 |
2024 |
2025 |
|
Brand Finance Global City Index |
– |
– |
– |
– |
50 |
55 |
– |
|
Resonance World’s Best Cities |
– |
84 |
68 |
48 |
53 |
30 |
30 |
|
Global Financial Centres Index |
– |
65 |
43 |
44 |
50 |
71 |
61 |
|
2Thinknow Innovation Cities Index |
58 |
– |
41 |
– |
39 |
– |
– |
|
Kearney Global Cities Index |
– |
60 |
61 |
54 |
68 |
63 |
– |
|
Mercer Quality of Living Ranking |
31 |
– |
34 |
– |
26 |
– |
– |
|
Mercer Cost of Living Ranking |
65 |
74 |
56 |
43 |
34 |
40 |
– |
|
Numbeo Cost of Living Index |
– |
90 |
71 |
81 |
133 |
82 |
58 |
|
Numbeo Quality of Life Index |
– |
25 |
30 |
37 |
8 |
6 |
16 |
|
IESE Cities in Motion Index |
22 |
22 |
– |
20 |
– |
26 |
28 |
|
Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index |
– |
– |
– |
– |
– |
58 |
– |
City Brand Strength
Helsinki’s international brand is gaining recognition as a progressive, sustainable, and liveable capital. According to Brand Finance’s Global City Index 2024, it ranks 55th and in Resonance Consultancy‘s World’s Best Cities 2025 report, it ranks 30th.
Appeal to Investors and Business
Helsinki’s reputation as a smart and efficient business hub continues to strengthen. With one of the fastest-growing innovation profiles in Europe, Helsinki’s ranking of 39th in the 2Thinknow Innovation Cities Index 2023 suggests sustained investment in creative and tech-driven sectors. The city’s seamless digital services, sustainability credentials, and world-class infrastructure make it attractive for international firms and investors.
Appeal to Talent
Helsinki’s greatest asset is its livability. According to Numbeo’s Quality of Life Index 2025, Helsinki ranks 16th globally, offering exceptional safety, education, healthcare, and mobility.
Urban Sustainability
While Helsinki scores 58th in the Arcadis Sustainable Cities Index 2024, it ranks 1st in the Global Destination Sustainability Index 2024, demonstrating leadership in tourism sustainability and local green policies.
Our Key Takeaways
Helsinki is a rising Nordic city brand known for its smart infrastructure, exceptional livability, and good governance. It excels in talent attraction, sustainability innovation, and digital governance, but needs to improve global visibility and environmental metrics across broader datasets.
- Strengths: Quality of life, digital innovation, strong governance..
- Weaknesses: Low traditional finance standing, high cost of living.
- Opportunities: Leadership in climate tech, further develop the Fintech sector.
- Threats: Limited cultural visibility, environmental perception gap.
Last updated in May 2025. Explore more city profiles here.
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Disclaimer: The information in this article is intended to provide a general overview of Helsinki’s economic and cultural landscape and facilitate comparison over time. While we strive for accuracy and completeness, the data is provided “as is” without warranty of any kind. Please verify any information before relying on it for decision-making purposes.
