About the Project
The Finnish population has been rapidly ageing since the 2010s, with notable effects on economic growth and public finances. The country is currently characterised by old baby boomers, ultra-low fertility, a modest recent history of immigration, and concentration of immigrants to the capital region. Finland also is a politically stable and democratic country with high wellbeing, increasingly attractive to international talent.
MigScene explores the development of human capital and productivity in Finland under various educational, migration, and integration scenarios and presents a set of multidimensional population projections up to 2070.
MigScene studies integration processes and human capital prerequisites, employs methodological innovations, and enhances the capacity to use projection tools in education, policy, and research. The project brings together an internationally renowned PI with leading Finnish expertise in data science, economics, demography, and the social sciences, and an international network of population projection experts.
Scenario building
Explore how human capital and productivity may evolve in Finland under various educational, migration, and integration scenarios, and represent a set of multidimensional population projections for Finland up to 2070.
Studying integration processes and human capital prerequisites
Investigate integration patterns of immigrants, with a particular emphasis on regional effects and family networks, and identifying general predictors of human capabilities
Strengthening migration and population policy tools
Enhance long-term use of population projections and sustainable migration policies, aiming for national capacity and infrastructure that persists after the project.
The most important economic asset of a population is its human capital: the skills, educational level, and wellbeing of citizens. Educational expansion and international immigration can increase human capital and mitigate the negative consequences of population ageing. Attracting skilled migrants is key for increasing productivity, and their integration in a way that promotes social cohesion involves new demands to the educational system, social services, and society at large.
MigScene promotes sustainable population development, which is measured through economic sustainability, citizen wellbeing and social cohesion, and as resilience to outside shocks. MigScene will present population scenarios and policy recommendations on national and regional levels, and for immigrants’ skill development and sustainable integration in different regions of Finland, with a focus on younger generations.
MigScene is funded by the Strategic Research Council (STN), established within the Research Council of Finland and it is part of the Skills, Labour Supply and Migration in Future Finland (SKILLS) program.
National Steering Group
Minna Hulkkonen
Ministry of the Interior
Aleksi Kalenius
Ministry of Education and Culture
Niku Määttänen
University of Helsinki
Kalle Nieminen
Sitra
Seppo Orjasniemi
Ministry of Finance
Elina Pylkkänen
Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment
Liisa Siika-aho
Ministry of Social Affairs and Health
Markus Sovala
Statistics Finland
Scientific Advisory Board
Anne Goujon
The International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis
Fabrizio Natale
European Comission
Thomas Niedomysl
Nordregio
François Pelletier
Statistics Canada
Helga de Valk
Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute
Pieter Vanhuysse
Univeristy of Southern Denmark
