Finland is Russia's northern neighbor, distinguished by its magnificent nature and cool climate. It is good not only to rest, but also to live in it. That is why many Russians, choosing a country for their permanent residence, stop at this option. Some put in the first place the similarity in the mentality of our peoples. Others are satisfied with nature and climate similar to Russian ones. And someone aspires to this country, because they note the rapid pace of development of its economy.
But before making a final decision, it is necessary to answer the questions "What is the standard of living in Finland?" and “Is it worth it to immigrate to this country?”.
Rosstat data obtained for 2014 indicate that Russia's northern neighbor is very popular among Russian emigrants. It is only ahead of the United States, as well as Canada and Germany. Finland attracts our compatriots with its offer of work, salary level. But these reasons are far from the only ones.
Average salary
Finland today is one of the priority areas that people chooseRussians seeking to escape from the protracted crisis and find sources for their livelihood in foreign countries. After all, this state offers a good job.
The priority of the chosen direction, first of all, can be explained by the close location of this country. After all, for example, from St. Petersburg to Finland can be reached in just 3.5 hours. Attracts Russians and the level of wages. By the way, according to this indicator, Finland is one of the first places in Europe. So, in 2017, the average monthly salary in this country amounted to 3340 euros. Moreover, all amounts of remuneration for work are necessarily fixed by an agreement concluded between employers and trade unions.
For many foreigners, life in Finland is attractive precisely because of the level of wages. According to statistics, the owners of the most impressive salaries are men who have crossed the threshold of 65 years. Low-skilled workers also receive good monetary rewards here. For example, a cleaner is paid around 2,000 euros.
The level of wages in Finland depends on the gender of the citizen. Women in this country are paid 20% less than men.
But it should be borne in mind that foreigners who do not speak the language and do not have sufficient qualifications find work with great difficulty. The most convenient in this case are speci alties that do not require a residence permit. Their list includes:
- translators and teachers;
- artists, athletes and coaches;
- sailors;
- scientificemployees;
- tourism service workers.
There is a shortage of professional staff in Finland. That is why the country's employers are in great demand:
- computer scientists;
- he althcare workers;
- teachers and teachers;
- financiers;
- caregivers.
A huge number of vacancies are offered in the field of social work. After all, Finns do not take care of their elderly relatives on their own.
Taxes
However, life in Finland, despite the good level of salaries, is not so cloudless. The country has very high taxes. It is these payments that are the main obstacle for those who decide to find a job in the country. Moreover, the amount of taxes is proportional to the size of the salary. The higher it is, the more you have to give to the state.
Such a system, which is built in the country, makes promising and highly paid work unprofitable. Unskilled professionals live much easier than those who seek career growth. The principle of the country's tax system is based on the equalization of the rich and the poor. The task of the Finnish authorities is to ensure that all people have approximately equal incomes.
Standard of living
As for this indicator, despite the high taxes, it is quite high. The standard of living in Finland has been in the top ten in the world for many years.
The state guarantees stability in the payment of pensions and benefits, provides free education andquality medical care. However, if we look at the lives of ordinary people in Finland, many of them are still dissatisfied with their salary. After all, it is only enough for the most necessary.
Food prices are very high in Finland. For example, fresh fruits and vegetables allow only a limited number of families to include in their menu. Mostly on the dining table of the Finns - pasta, cereals and semi-finished products. And such a set of products is the only way to make it to the next paycheck.
A significant part of the income people have to give when using transport. And this applies to both its public appearance and personal.
Nature Conservation
Russians who come to this northern country are often surprised by the attitude of its inhabitants to the environment. Finns attach great importance to the recycling of waste. They sort household waste into groups, then send them to special factories for recycling.
The streets of the cities of this country also amaze with cleanliness. And in nature, you can often even meet a forest animal.
Roads of Finland
The country is undeniably respected by those who travel around it by car. Our compatriots note the wonderful roadway, road cleaning and timely repair, as well as well-thought-out traffic patterns.
It is thanks to the conscientiously built tracks that cars last here much longer. Used cars do not look like a "rusty trough". They are very worthytransport, but only the obsolete model.
Cycling is also ubiquitous in Finland. Bicycle lanes and parking lots have been created especially for it, road signs and maps have been placed warning of dangers on the road. Here, citizens comply with the laws, to which they are obliged by large fines provided for traffic violations.
Education
This is one of the main reasons why our compatriots leave their native country and move to the northern state. In recent years, Finnish higher education institutions have been very popular among Russian graduates. After all, they guarantee a high level of education and are affordable due to the fact that students (including foreign ones) study in them completely free of charge.
In general, education in this country is considered the best in the world. And these are not empty words, but a proven fact. Education in Finnish schools is also carried out at a high level. This is evidenced by the fact that, according to international tests, high school students from this country show better knowledge than graduates from universities in the UK and the USA. At the same time, for our children, such study will seem very simple, as it looks like a regular game.
Equipment in Helsinki schools and universities is at the highest level. These establishments even have iPad rental machines.
All education in Finland is free. And this also applies to foreigners. Payment is possible only at the stage of obtaining a master's degree. It is not at all difficult for a foreigner to become a student of a Finnish university. It is enough to confirm knowledge of English with an IELTS or TOEFL diploma and passing a simple school test.
Medicine
As in most EU countries, the Finnish he alth care system is financed from the municipal and federal budget. Moreover, more money is allocated from the treasury locally than at the state level. In this regard, the list of free services provided by he alth care institutions may differ significantly from region to region.
Medicine in Finland is at the highest level. This can be confirmed by the average life expectancy of the population of the country. She is 81 years old. For example, there is an instruction according to which the ambulance team should arrive on call in no more than eight minutes. At the same time, the prices for paid medical services in Finland are not as high as in other countries located on the Scandinavian Peninsula. The main reason for this lies in the salaries of doctors and nurses. Here doctors receive much less. But in general, in terms of the level of the he althcare system, Finland is in third place after Germany and Israel. The cardiovascular system and oncology are treated very effectively here. Mortality from these diseases is decreasing due to high-quality diagnostics and timely diagnosis.
The high level of medical care in Finland was made possible thanks to the good education of the staff, as well as the equipment of operating rooms and medicaloffices.
Social Security
What else is good life in Finland? In addition to all the advantages listed above, the state is the guarantor of a high level of social protection for various categories of citizens. Among them are the unemployed and people with disabilities, young mothers, as well as the poor social strata of the population.
For those who live in Finland, the National Pensions Authority provides the following benefits:
- salary increase for children;
- payments at the birth of a child;
- parental allowance;
- sick pay;
- reimbursement for medical expenses;
- sums of money for the unemployed;
- childcare benefits;
- rehabilitation payments;
- disability benefits;
- two types of pensions;
- housing allowance, as well as payments of a similar nature to those who have reached retirement age;
- school travel allowance.
Automation at the state level
Life in Finland is very convenient. All routine processes in the country have long been automated. There are a minimum number of officials in the state apparatus. Moreover, they perform all their functions only for the people, and not in order to replenish their own wallet with bribes.
For example, the procedure for reissuing documents for a car takes no more than 5 minutes. The computer contains information about each person that can be useful for all occasions. In a single population baseare, for example, case histories and accounts of the inhabitants of the country.
Labor relations
Finland has a trade union. Moreover, the legislation is primarily aimed at protecting employees, not employers. All legal acts are initially written for small businesses, and not for oligarchs. All legislation is quite transparent. In Finland, the workers are not at all afraid of their bosses. There is no practice of "calling to the mat". Already from childhood, each specialist develops responsibility, initiative, independence and a desire to improve the work process. Of course, this does not mean that the Finns are universally superprofessionals and superhumans. There is a shortage of designers and builders, doctors and engineers in the country, and various services for the population sometimes work at a low level.
Relationships between men and women
No matter how many years you live in Finland, getting used to the fact that couples pay separately in a restaurant is quite difficult. It is also surprising for a Russian person that in transport women do not give a hand and do not open doors for them. In this country, men are more than reserved and do not scatter money. However, at the same time, the Finns are caring and faithful husbands, ready to even be on maternity leave with their children. After all, a woman will be hired faster for her knowledge and experience. The beauty of the fairer sex is not at all in the first place. Maybe that's why young Finns do not look as well-groomed as Russians, they take less care of their appearance and even dress worse. But older people are very stronglydifferent from ours. This is especially true for pensioners.
It is rare in Finland for couples where the husband is more than two years older than his wife. Girls choose their soulmate, as a rule, based on the moral qualities of a young man, and not because of his financial situation. After all, Finns are independent due to the high level of social assistance and the availability of education.
Relations in the country between spouses are built exclusively on mutually beneficial partnership and equality. There is no concept here that the husband should earn money, and the wife should do the cleaning, laundry and look after the child. Very often, neither the wife nor the husband knows how much money is in the accounts of their half. Nobody needs this. Women in this country are self-reliant and can easily find part-time jobs.
Food
What do Finnish supermarkets offer their customers? On their shelves there are only high-quality food products for which the country is well known. Goods from Finland are glucogen-free food. It is also a food with various levels of lactose and without it at all. Many products from Finland are in the "eco" format.
But no matter what category the product belongs to, there is no doubt that it has passed the necessary quality control. If suddenly a deviation from the norm is found in the batch, then it is withdrawn from sale. Already purchased goods can be returned to the store.
Property
The cost of houses and apartments in Finland can hardly be called low. However, demandreal estate in this country is constantly growing. It is purchased by emigrants who have moved to the country for permanent residence, as well as those who prefer to relax here.
How much does an apartment cost in Finland? Prices for such real estate depend on the area of housing and the city where it is located. For example, in Imatra, a three-room apartment is being sold for 650,000 euros. Real estate in Hamina is much cheaper. Here you can buy a two-room apartment for only 32 thousand euros. The highest prices in Helsinki. Here you can buy a one-room apartment for at least 100,000 euros.
