Citizens’ Pulse: Three out of four report stronger sense of security since Finland joined NATO

Three out of four respondents say their sense of security has strengthened since Finland joined NATO, according to the most recent Citizens’ Pulse survey conducted by the Prime Minister’s Office.

A stronger feeling of security was reported most by the oldest age groups and by somewhat more men than women.

Only five per cent say their sense of security has diminished since Finland joined NATO.

Around four out of five say they have at least a fairly high level of trust in NATO, while two thirds have at least fairly strong trust in the European Union.

This is the first time the Citizens’ Pulse survey asked respondents about their trust in NATO and the EU.

Trust in democracy has remained strong since the parliamentary elections

Respondents’ trust in democracy has remained consistently strong since the parliamentary elections in the spring. More than four out of five are at least fairly satisfied with how democracy functions in Finland.

Trust in healthcare has been declining for the past two years and is now at its lowest level since the start of the survey. In this round, 68 per cent of respondents said they had fairly strong or complete trust in the healthcare system.

Respondents’ concerns about household income have remained relatively high. Nearly a third of respondents were now at least somewhat concerned about their ability to get by. This number has remained fairly stable during the early part of the year.

Over half say they have had to change their consumption habits or refrain from purchases in the past month due to the increase in prices.

The 45th round of the Citizens’ Pulse survey was conducted between 26 April and 2 May 2023. The Citizens’ Pulse survey examines citizens’ opinions on current topics and the actions of the authorities and asks about their mood and expectations for the future. Statistics Finland is responsible for collecting the survey data.

Inquiries: Juho Jyrkiäinen, Senior Specialist, Prime Minister’s Office, tel. +358 295 160 181