Helsinki City Performance, Brand Strength and Reputation

Helsinki, the capital city of Finland, is the European Union’s northernmost capital city. It is a vibrant small metropolis with little daylight in winter and long summer days due to its latitude. Apart from Finnish as 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 reputation and appeal to talent from abroad? Let’s explore deeper how Helsinki positions itself on the world stage, drawing insights from data provided by TPBO partners and other reputable institutions.

Let’s take a closer look at:

• Helsinki’s competitiveness and financial performance
• Helsinki’s brand strength and global attractiveness
• Livability: Helsinki’s appeal for digital nomads and locals

Helsinki’s competitiveness and financial performance

How attractive is Helsinki as a place to work and do business?

The Global Financial Centres Index 34 ranks Helsinki 50^th, dropping nine positions from the previous ranking. It is currently sitting between Hamburg (49^th) and Glasgow (51^st).

According to 2thinknow’s Innovation Cities Index 2022-2023 Helsinki ranks 39^th, a jump of two positions from the previous ranking. The city now sits in between Brisbane (38^th) and Tel Aviv (40^th).

Helsinki’s brand strength and global attractiveness 

Which subfactors hurt and help the brand of Helsinki?

Resonance’s 2023 World’s Best Cities Report ranks Helsinki 53^rd, scoring the following in Place Power Highlights: 14^th in Labour Force Participation and 36^th Educational Attainment. It currently sits just behind Orlando (52^nd), and above Miami (44^th).

Kearney’s 2023 Global Cities Report ranks Helsinki 68^th, a drop of 14 positions from the previous ranking, sitting right behind New York City (17^th), and above Phoenix (19^th). Also, the city ranks 7^th in the Global Cities Outlook, a jump of ten positions since the previous ranking.

The comprehensive ranking of the Global Power City Index ranks Helsinki 31^st. In terms of function-specific rankings, the city ranks 25^th in terms of Economy, 31^st in R&D, 48^th in Cultural Interaction, 14^th in Livability, 4^th in Environment, and 25^th in Accessibility. Helsinki ranks 3^rd for Urban Greenery. Lastly, Helsinki positioned 29^th in the Highly-skilled Workers, 23^rd in the Corporate Executive, 14^th in the Resident, and 42^nd in the Tourism categories.

According to Brand Finance’s City Index 2023, Helsinki ranks 50^th in the global ranking with a score of 65.1/100, sitting in between Prague (49^th) and Budapest (51^st).

Livability: Helsinki’s appeal for digital nomads and locals

Which aspects of Helsinki’s urban living make it an attractive place to live, work and study?

The Mercer Quality of Living City Ranking places Helsinki 34^th, tying with Brisbane. The Mercer Cost of Living Ranking ranks Helsinki 34^th sitting just behind Prague (33^rd), and above Paris (35^th). The cost living survey reports that factors such as currency fluctuations, cost inflation for goods and services, and instability of accommodation prices are key to determine the cost of expat packages for employees on international assignment.

According to the Best Urban Cities for Digital Nomads ranking by Spot a Home, Helsinki ranks 34^th out of 56 global cities. It currently sits between Stockholm (33^rd) and Bratislava (35^th).

Last updated in January 2024. More city benchmarking insights, profiles and reports in our City Observatory.

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