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.

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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