Aiming for the world’s most studied age cohort – more than 200,000 babies born in the coming years and their families to be part of a large-scale project

Future Finland is a large-scale initiative by the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) and the Finnish Cultural Foundation launched at the beginning of 2025. Through Future Finland, a new birth cohort will be established in Finland to facilitate interdisciplinary research. The goal is to find means and solutions to promote the well-being of future generations and to strengthen the sustainability of the Finnish welfare society.

A birth cohort refers to a group of people born during a specific time period, for example during certain years. These individuals will be followed over a long period of time to examine various factors affecting their health and well-being.

In Future Finland, data obtained from various national registers will be supplemented with information collected directly from the families. The growing comprehensive data bank can be utilised in research across various scientific disciplines in the coming decades.

The collection of register data started at the beginning of this year. All children born in Finland between 2025 and 2029 and their families, as well as families who move to Finland later and have a child born in 2025–2029, will be included.

Approximately every other family will be invited to participate in the questionnaire surveys. They will also be separately asked to give a permission for the use of blood samples collected during pregnancy and infancy in the databank.

When the upcoming research results produced from the samples are combined with the questionnaire and registry data, valuable information will be obtained regarding the development of well-being and health in children, young people, and families.

“The Future Finland birth cohort will provide a unique opportunity to explore how prenatal, early childhood, and later life factors shape health and well-being throughout the entire lifespan,” says the Director of Future Finland, Annamari Lundqvist from THL.

“The research will broaden our understanding of the impacts of various genetic and environmental factors and societal measures. Based on this knowledge, we can develop preventive measures, improve services and support better living conditions – thus promoting the well-being of future generations and a sustainable development of the society,” Lundqvist adds.

The implementation of Future Finland is carried out by a comprehensive team of experts representing various scientific disciplines, and the data collected from the birth cohort will be made available to the entire Finnish scientific community. The large-scale initiative is coordinated by the THL and funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

“In its ambition, the Future Finland Birth Cohort is not only an internationally interesting entity, but also a good reminder of the importance of long-term work and research-based knowledge. We want to invest in the future and research information,” says Susanna Pettersson, CEO of the Finnish Cultural Foundation.

Families to be invited to participate in the study already this autumn

The collection of national registry data for Future Finland began at the beginning of this year. The collection of samples and questionnaire data from families will also be launched regionally this year, with plans to expand this to a national level within the next few years.

More information

The research opportunities opened by Future Finland were presented to the Finnish scientific community at a webinar on 5 February 2025. In spring 2025, a low-threshold scientific expert network will be launched and invited monthly to discuss operational planning and implementation of the Future Finland birth cohort.