Finland Municipal elections 2021 — Results

The vote in brief

Finland's 2021 municipal elections, postponed from April to 13 June because of the COVID-19 pandemic, again saw the National Coalition Party finish first nationally with 21.40%, ahead of the Social Democrats (17.70%) and the Centre Party (14.90%). The headline result was the Finns Party's 14.50% — the best municipal performance in the party's history — though the Centre Party once more won the most council seats overall thanks to its grip on small rural municipalities. Turnout was 55.1%, depressed by the pandemic.

Electoral system

Councillors for each municipality are elected by open-list proportional representation (d'Hondt) for a four-year term; voters cast a personal vote for an individual candidate and council size depends on population. Foreign residents who meet the residency requirement may vote, one of the features that distinguishes municipal from parliamentary elections in Finland.

Main parties

The familiar Finnish party system applied: the National Coalition strong in the cities, the Centre dominant in the countryside, the Social Democrats in industrial areas, and the Finns Party reaching beyond its traditional base. The Greens, who had surged in 2017, slipped back, while the Left Alliance, the Swedish People's Party and the Christian Democrats held their niches.

A pandemic election

The vote was unusual in being delayed by two months as Finland managed a wave of COVID-19, and the conditions — health concerns, restrictions and a summer date — contributed to the relatively low turnout. It was the first nationwide electoral test of Sanna Marin's SDP-led five-party coalition, formed in 2019.

The Finns Party's breakthrough

The most significant result was the Finns Party's record municipal score, confirming that the party had consolidated support well outside its old strongholds and could compete strongly even in local elections, where it had historically been weaker. The Greens' retreat from their 2017 urban peak was the mirror image of that shift.

The last pre-county elections

These were the last municipal elections held before responsibility for health and social care was transferred from the municipalities to the new wellbeing services counties at the start of 2023. After this vote, the councils elected would see a major part of their traditional remit move to a separate, directly elected tier of government.

Participation

Turnout of 55.1% was several points below the 2017 figure, an outcome widely attributed to the pandemic and the rescheduled summer timing rather than to any lasting decline in engagement with local democracy.

Why it matters

As a mid-term verdict on the Marin government, the result was broadly stable at the top, with the National Coalition again leading the vote. The standout stories — the Finns Party's high-water mark and the Greens' dip — pointed to the realignment that would continue into the 2023 parliamentary election.

Official source

Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) and the Ministry of Justice election results service — stat.fi.

Compiled and reviewed from official results by ElectioMap. See our data methodology.