The profile of housing benefit recipients in Finland changed in 2025 after students moved to a separate support system, leaving unemployed and low-income households as the main beneficiaries.
Data from Kela shows that 240,400 households received general housing benefit in December 2025, a drop of 141,600 or 37 per cent from the previous year. The decline followed a reform in August that moved most students from general housing benefit to a student housing supplement.
The number of student housing supplement recipients rose to 147,500 by December, compared with 7,300 a year earlier.
Kela said the shift altered both the age structure and life situations of those receiving general housing benefit. The share of recipients aged under 25 fell, while the overall distribution became more even across age groups.
“After students moved to the housing supplement, recipients are mainly unemployed and low-income workers,” said research manager Signe Jauhiainen in the release.
Unemployment now accounts for the majority of recipients. In December 2025, 62 per cent of households receiving general housing benefit were unemployed, compared with 37 per cent a year earlier. The share of working households stood at 18 per cent.
Students had previously formed a large share of recipients. In December 2024, they accounted for 35 per cent of households receiving the benefit.
Household composition also shifted. The share of single-person households fell from 72 per cent to 65 per cent between 2024 and 2025, while the proportion of families with children rose from 21 per cent to 28 per cent. Student households without children moved to the separate scheme, while families with children remained eligible for general housing benefit.
Younger adults still form a large group among recipients, though their share has declined. Those aged 20 to 24 made up just under 10 per cent of recipients in December 2025, down from more than 20 per cent a year earlier.
Regional differences persisted. The share of residents under 65 receiving general housing benefit reached 14.2 per cent in Vantaa and Outokumpu, and 13.6 per cent in Lahti. In Helsinki, Jyväskylä, Turku and Tampere, the figure stood at about 13 per cent.
“Previously, housing benefit was common in university cities. Now the shares have decreased, but receipt remains more common in larger cities and reflects differences in unemployment,” Jauhiainen said.
Total housing support spending also declined. Kela paid €2.07 billion in housing benefits in 2025, down 13.7 per cent from the previous year. General housing benefit accounted for €1.23 billion, a fall of 26.8 per cent.
Spending on the student housing supplement rose sharply to €165 million, up from €14.9 million in 2024, reflecting the transfer of students into the new system.
HT
