Finland has transformed its economy in a matter of decades to become one of the richest countries and most stable societies in the world. In the 1950s the Finnish economy was still largely based on primary production and an agrarian workforce. Today Finland is leading or near the top of most international comparisons in terms of growth and development in the economic, technological and social spheres. According to The Research Institute of the Finnish Economy, the system has combined economic efficiency and growth with a peaceful labour market, an egalitarian distribution of income and social cohesion, backed up by a generous social security system.
The largest sector of the Finnish economy is services at 65.7%, followed by manufacturing and refining at 31.4%. Primary production is at 2.9%. Finland’s main industrial products are paper and board, electronics and metal products. The engineering and high technology industries, led by Nokia, have long been the leading branches of manufacturing.