53.5 Overall Score (down 7.6 since Aug 1st.)

Finland

  • 27.5 Public Health
    Directives
  • 52.5 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication
  • 27.5 Public Health
    Directives
  • 52.5 Financial
    Response
  • 100 Fact-Based
    Communication

Clear, fact-based communications, a generous stimulus package, and substantial improvements in public health policy in the past few months have been instrumental factors in Finland's strong and much-improved COVID-19 response.

Pre-COVID Conditions

Finland has the lowest level of inequality in the Index and widely accessible healthcare, which support its ability to respond to coronavirus, although it also has a low number of hospital beds.

  • Debt/GDP ratio 59.3%
  • GDP/capita $49,548
  • Gini coefficient (out of 100) 27.4
  • Infant mortality rate (out of 1,000 live births) 1
  • Healthcare access score (out of 100) 89.6
  • Hospital beds/1,000 People 31.4

Government Response

Select a data point for more information
(Data points represent policy level as of Jan 1.)
27.5

Public Health Directives

Finland has mobilized few emergency health funds, which, coupled with a relatively relaxed lockdown and minimal testing, give it a relatively weak public health policy score.

  • Stay at home order 1
  • Public gathering restrictions 4
  • School closings 2
  • Public event cancellations 2
  • Testing policy 2
  • Emergency healthcare investments/capita $20.39
  • Travel restrictions 3
  • Tests/1,000 people 450.2
  • Contact tracing 1
52.5

Financial Response

Finland’s financial response is around the median, driven by a generous stimulus package and income support.

  • Financial stimulus as share of GDP 20.8%
  • Income support 2
  • Debt forebearance 1
100

Fact-Based Communication

Finland scores high in this category, as its prime minister conducts regular press briefings, and press freedom is high.

  • Reliance on science/fact based information 0
  • Press freedom 0

COVID-19 Status as of Jan 1

Finland performs strongly in this category, with very low death and case rates and a low positivity score.

  • Total deaths 561
  • Death rate per 100K 101.3
  • Total cases 36,403
  • Cases per 100K 6,570
  • Percent of positive tests 3.1
  • Change in positivity rates +2.2
Case Trend Line
Daily cases Level 1 Lockdown
Date Status New Cases/1M
1 May 14 Primary and secondary schools reopen 12.17
2 Jun 01 Restaurants and public facilities reopen; gatherings up to 50 people are allowed (increased from 10) 7.37
3 Jul 31 Public events with more than 500 people allowed 1.34
4 Oct 08 New restrictions on the opening and licensing hours of food and beverage service businesses 32.02
5 Nov 19 Extend entry restrictions into Finland until 12/13 44.97

Differentiating Factors

Compared with Neighboring Countries
  • 53.9
    Norway 49,803
    Cases     9,187
    Per 1M     436
    Deaths

    Norway scores just below the median, pulled down by its weak public health and financial response scores, despite a strong reliance on facts and a free press.

  • 30.8
    Sweden 437,379
    Cases     43,308
    Per 1M     8,727
    Deaths

    Despite being known for a relatively strong public healthcare system, Sweden has been hit hard with cases; the country’s lack of stay-at-home orders and school closures, limited testing, and few gathering restrictions overshadowed its financial support, reliance on facts, and accountability with an open press.

  • 57.1
    Denmark 166,567
    Cases     28,757
    Per 1M     1,322
    Deaths

    Denmark's score is very strong, due to a robust healthcare system and to generous fiscal responses that safeguarded employment. Public health directives have improved substantially in recent months.

Further Reading From Foreign Policy

Be the source of actionable insight.

Select one of the subscription options below to read the full Covid-19 Global Response Index. Unlock even more global intelligence with a subscription to FP Insider.

Already an FP Insider?

Best Value

One-Year All Access
FP Insider

$450

1-year of full access to FP Insider exclusive content and subscription benefits

See benefits  ▾

  • All FP Analytics Special Reports, including the COVID-19 Global Response Index
  • FP Analytics Power Maps
  • Editorial conference calls
  • Unlimited articles on ForeignPolicy.com
  • Digital and print editions of FP’s award-winning magazine
  • Print archive, containing 50 years of FP journalism
  • Subscriber-only newsletters
  • Security and defense news alerts
  • Bonus episodes of FP podcasts
  • FP mobile app

❌ Hide benefits

 

One-Month
COVID-19 Report Bundle

$150

30-day Access to the COVID-19 Global Response Index and Global Race to Vaccinate report

Looking for group access? Contact us directly

New Zealand

Statistics and government response factors available on each country profile include:

Pre-COVID Conditions:

  • Debt to GDP ratio
  • Infant mortality rates
  • Hospital beds per 1,000 people
  • Gini coefficients measuring inequality
  • Health access and quality

COVID-19 Public Health Directives:

  • Stay-at home orders
  • School-closing policy
  • Public-gathering restrictions
  • Cancellation of public events
  • Testing policy and rates per 1,000 people
  • Emergency healthcare spending per capita
  • Travel restrictions
  • Contact tracing

COVID-19 Financial Response:

  • Stimulus package as a share of GDP
  • Income support
  • Debt-forbearance

Public Communications:

  • Instances of misinformation by leadership
  • Limitations on press freedom, censorship

Current/Historic In-Country COVID-19 Status:

  • Death rates per 1 million
  • Case rates per 1 million