Hate crime reports in Finland reached a new record high for the third consecutive year in 2025, with police receiving 1,941 reports of suspected offences, according to the latest annual report by the Police University College.
The figure represents a seven percent increase from 2024, when 1,808 suspected hate crimes were reported. The number of reported incidents has more than doubled since 2020, highlighting a growing concern about prejudice, discrimination and hostility towards different groups in Finnish society.
The report, which examines the motives behind suspected hate crimes, found that approximately 70 percent of reported cases were connected to a person’s ethnic or national background. This makes racism and prejudice based on nationality or ethnicity the most common motives recorded by Finnish police.
Jenita Rauta, a researcher at the Police University College, said several factors could explain the continued increase in reported cases. These include a possible rise in actual hate crimes, more victims coming forward to report incidents, and improvements in how authorities identify offences motivated by prejudice.
However, Rauta cautioned that the report does not establish which of these factors has contributed most to the increase. The higher figures therefore do not necessarily mean that hate crimes themselves have risen at the same rate as police reports.
Religion or belief was the second most common motive identified in the report, followed closely by sexual orientation. Both categories accounted for just under 10 percent of suspected hate crime reports. Disability-related prejudice was identified in slightly more than eight percent of cases.
Suspected hate crimes linked to ethnic or national background increased by nine percent in 2025 compared with the previous year.
The report also identified a recurring pattern in the incidents. The most typical case involved a Finnish-born or native Finnish perpetrator, a racist motive and an incident taking place in a public area, such as a street.
Men accounted for 60 percent of victims, while women represented 40 percent. The nature of the suspected offences also differed between the groups. Men were more frequently targeted in suspected assaults, whereas women were more commonly victims of suspected defamation.
Beyond individual incidents, the Police University College report points to wider international and domestic developments that may influence attitudes and tensions between population groups.
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Russia’s war against Ukraine and the conflict in the Middle East were among the international developments highlighted. The report noted that international conflicts, growing political and social divisions, online hate speech and the spread of disinformation can influence the atmosphere within societies.
It also warned that tensions connected to international conflicts have contributed to concerns about increasing antisemitism, anti-Muslim sentiment and other forms of prejudice, harassment and discrimination in several European countries.
Rauta said divisions and prejudices within society can also become visible through criminal behaviour. She stressed that addressing hate crime requires sustained efforts to promote equality, inclusion and a sense of safety in everyday communities.
The latest figures place renewed attention on how Finland responds to offences motivated by racism, religious prejudice, hostility towards sexual minorities and discrimination against people with disabilities. While police reports alone cannot establish the full scale of hate crime, the continued rise shows that suspected incidents remain a significant issue for Finnish authorities.
