The number of foreign speakers in Riihimäki increased by 373 residents in 2023

According to the 2023 confirmed population statistics published by Statistics Finland, Riihimäki's official population at the end of 2023 was 28 people. ⁠The population increased by 349 inhabitants during 2023.

The number of speakers other than Finnish as their mother tongue increased significantly more in proportion. At the end of 2022, there were 1 foreign-speaking people living in Riihimäki, and at the end of 568, the number was 2023. The share of foreign-speaking residents of Riihimäki is currently 1 percent, and it grew by 941 percentage points during the year.

Riihimäki is already an international city and the targeted population development is heavily dependent on immigration in the future as well. Häme University of Applied Sciences HAMK's Riihimäki campus will start two new international degree programs in autumn 2024.

During the first quarter of 2024, net immigration in Riihimäki was +73 people.

"The rickshaw is now international and it seems that it will continue in the future as well. We have done long-term and planned work in, for example, the integration of Ukrainian war refugees, and this work is now bearing fruit," says Juha Hiltunen, the city's integration manager.

The birth rate in Riihimäki is still declining, but immigration has been able to balance this decline.

In Riihimäki, 35 different mother tongues are spoken in addition to Finnish and Swedish.

"We will not survive without immigration, and immigrants need effective integration services, especially in the initial stages, so that we can also get them to stay here. The integration pipeline is a little different for everyone, and the services in the pipeline are individually tailored based on the initial survey. This is how we get the best end result," Hiltunen says.