Article categories: News
Monitoring data show Vaasa residents are mostly doing well
Published: 20.8.2025
The wellbeing of Vaasa residents is monitored annually. Particular attention is paid to the health and lifestyles of different age groups, as well as their functional capacity and participation. The Welfare Report and Plan for 2023–2027, adopted by the City Council last year, includes several measures to improve the wellbeing of Vaasa residents, as well as wellbeing indicators that are monitored in follow-up.
According to 2024 data, recent years have seen positive trends, particularly among children and young people: they are more physically active than before, and their lifestyles have improved.
– There has also been some decrease in bullying, but efforts to tackle it must continue. Also concerning is the increase in young people’s mental distress and the prevalence of self-perceived poor health. Smoking among young people has also increased, even though the health risks of smoking are generally well known, says Virve Flinkkilä, Director of Welfare at the City of Vaasa.
The wellbeing of the working-age population has remained at the same level as in previous years. Particular attention should be paid to preventing unemployment and social exclusion, although Vaasa’s situation remains good compared with the rest of Finland.
According to statistics, the well-being of seniors has improved; for example, hospital visits due to falls have decreased. Moreover, feelings of loneliness and insecurity are less prevalent in Ostrobothnia than the Finnish national average.
Investing in free physical activity
– The available indicator data suggests that overall, the people of Vaasa are doing well. This is also reflected in the results of the annual happiness survey, in which residents have rated their happiness as ‘good’ in every year the survey has been conducted, Flinkkilä points out.
Efforts have been made to reduce social segregation by investing in free opportunities for exercise and physical activity. Outdoor sports facilities have been developed, and cycling conditions have been enhanced even in winter. Recent projects include a traffic park and a pump track in Onkilahdenpuisto Park, an artificial turf court at Kasarmintori, and an OCR obstacle course near the Gerbynmäki fitness stairs. Development work will continue in the future in Suvilahti, for example.
Information on the well-being of Vaasa residents is available at hyvinvointikertomus.fi.
Hyvinvointikertomus.fi is a service where municipalities and wellbeing services counties can publish their annual welfare reports. Information on Vaasa residents’ well-being is also available on the service (in Finnish and Swedish).
Vaasa’s information can be accessed on the service by clicking on ‘Vaasa’ on the map or by searching for Vaasa under ‘Hae listasta kunnan tai alueen nimellä’.
The City of Vaasa’s Welfare Report and Plan for 2023–2027 have already been published on the platform. Vaasa’s 2024 welfare monitoring report will be published on the platform later this autumn.