Great Finnish literary figures include Elias Lönnrot (1802–84), compiler of the national epic, the Kalevala; Johan Ludwig Runeberg (1804–77), the most important of the 19th-century Finnish-Swedish writers, known for his Elk Hunters and Songs of Ensign Stål; Aleksis Kivi (1834–72), the founder of modern Finnish-language literature and author of The Seven Brothers; Juhani Aho (1861–1921), master of Finnish prose; Eino Leino (1878–1926), perhaps the greatest lyric poet to write in Finnish; Frans Eemil Sillanpää (1888–1964), a Nobel Prize winner (1939), known to English-language audiences through his Meek Heritage and The Maid Silja; Toivo Pekkanen (1902–57), whose novels portray the impact of industrialization on Finnish life; Mika Waltari (1908–79), member of the Finnish Academy; Väinö Linna (1920–92), a Scandinavian Literature Prize winner (1963) and author of The Unknown Soldier (1954); and the antiwar novelist and playwright Veijo Meri (b.1928).

Finnish architects who are well known abroad include Eliel Saarinen (1873–1950) and his son Eero Saarinen (1910–61), whose career was chiefly in the US; Alvar Aalto (1898–1976); Viljo Revell (1910–64); and Aarne Ervi (1910–77). A leading sculptor was Wäinö Aaltonen (1894–1966); others well known are Eila Hiltunen (b.1922) and Laila Pullinen (b.1933). Five representative painters are Helena Schjerfbeck (1852–1946), Albert Edelfelt (1854–1905), Akseli Gallen-Kalléla (1865–1931), Pekka Halonen (1865–1933), and Tyko Sallinen (1879–1955). Arts and crafts hold an important place in Finnish culture: leading figures are Tapio Wirkkala (1915–85) and Timo Sarpaneva (b.1926). Finnish music has been dominated by Jean Sibelius (1865–1957). Also notable are the composer of art songs Yrjö Kilpinen (1892–1957), the composer of operas and symphonies Aulis Sallinen (b.1935), and opera and concert bass Martti Talvela (1935–89).

Scientists of international repute are A. I. Wirtanen (1895–1973), Nobel Prize winner for chemistry in 1945; Rolf Nevanlinna (1895–1980), mathematician; Pentti Eskola (1883–1964), geologist; V. A. Heiskanen (1895–1971), professor of geodesy; Aimo Kaarlo Cajander (1879–1943), botanist and silviculturist; Edward Westermarck (1862–1939), ethnographer and sociologist; and Yrjö Väisälä (1891–1971), astronomer.

Outstanding athletes include Hannes Kolehmainen (1890–1966) and Paavo Nurmi (1897–1973), who between them won 14 Olympic medals in track. Another distance runner, Lasse Viren (b.1949), won gold medals in both the 1972 and 1976 games.

Major political figures of the 19th century were Johan Wilhelm Snellman (1806–81) and Yrjö Sakari Yrjö-Koskinen (1830–1903). Inseparably linked with the history of independent Finland is Marshal Carl Gustaf Emil Mannerheim (1867–1951), and with the recent postwar period President Juho Kusti Paasikivi (1870–1956). Sakari Tuomioja (1911–64) was prominent in UN affairs. President Urho Kekkonen (1900–86) was instrumental in preserving Finland's neutrality. Mauno Henrik Koivisto (b.1923) served as president from 1982 until 1994.

Telephone lines are both state and privately owned, but long-distance service is a state monopoly. In 1997 there were 2.8 million main line telephones in use with an additional 2.1 million mobile cellular phones. Broadcasting is run by Oy Yleisradio Ab, a joint-stock company of which the government owns over 90%, and MTV, a commercial company. Regular television transmission began in 1958. As of 1999 there were 6 AM and 105 FM radio stations and 120 television stations. In 2000, the number of radios was estimated at 1,623 per 1,000 people and the number of television sets at 692. The same year, there were about 396 personal computers for every 1,000 people, with 23 Internet service providers servings 2.27 million customers.

The leading weekly journals in 1995 were Seura (circulation 276,000) and Apu (254,000).

The broadcast and print media enjoy independence and support from the government, which abides by legally provided free speech and press.
 

The right to organize is guaranteed by the constitution, and organizations play a central role in all areas of Finnish life. The cooperative movement is highly developed. Cooperatives have developed extensive educational and informational programs, including a lively cooperative press and many training schools. They are divided into three major groups. Pellervo-Seura is the Central Organization of Farmers' Cooperatives. It provides educational and advisory services to its 800 member organizations. All the agricultural cooperative central organizations are members of Pellervo: the Cooperative Dairy Association, Meat Producers' Central Federation, Central Cooperative Egg Export Association, a wholesalers' cooperative for farm inputs and products, and the forest products cooperative. The Kulutusosuuskuntien Keskusliitto (KK) Cooperative Organizations, the so-called progressive cooperatives, include the KK (educational union of KK cooperatives), OTK (general wholesalers for KK cooperatives), and insurance associations. The FSA Cooperative Organizations are the Swedish-speaking cooperatives. Among their members are the FSA (general union of the Swedish-Finnish cooperatives), Labor (cooperative purchasing wholesalers), Åland Central Cooperative (a central cooperative for cooperative dairies on the Åland Islands), cooperative marketing associations for eggs and dairy products, and the Central Fish Cooperative.

Occupational and trade associations are numerous. In the agricultural sector the most influential is the Central Union of Agricultural Producers, a nonpolitical farmers' trade union. The Federation of Agricultural Societies concentrates on advisory and educational functions. Important in industry and commerce are the Confederation of Finnish Industries, Central Federation of Handicrafts and Small Industry, Central Board of Finnish Wholesalers' and Retailers' Associations, and the Finnish Foreign Trade Association. The Central Chamber of Commerce of Finland has its headquarters in Helsinki.

Cultural and philanthropic organizations are also numerous; among the most influential are the Finnish Academy, the Finnish Cultural Fund, and the Wihuri Foundation. National youth organizations exist for a variety of interests, including Finnish 4-H Federation, Finnish Union of Students, Guides and Scouts of Finland, the Youth League of the Coalition Party, and chapters of YMCA/YWCA.

At the level of international cooperation are such organizations as the Norden societies and the League for the United Nations. The Red Cross and Greenpeace also have active chapters.

Elementary teaching remained under the direction and inspection of the Evangelical National Lutheran Church until 1921 when the Compulsory Education Act was passed, providing for nationwide compulsory public education by 1937. A new Primary School Act came into force in 1958. The Act on the Principles of the School System, issued in 1968, and a decree issued in 1970 further transformed the educational system.

Higher education falls into three categories: universities and institutions of university status; people's high schools or colleges; and workers' academies. Entrance to the universities is through annual matriculation examinations. There were 13 universities and 12 colleges and institutes in 1991. Among the best known are the University of Helsinki (founded 1640), Turku University (founded 1922), the Helsinki School of Economics, and the University of Tampere. University study is free of charge. In 1997, all institutions of higher learning enrolled a combined total of 226,458 students.The new school system unites the primary school and lower secondary school into a compulsory nine-year comprehensive school, with a six-year lower level and a three-year upper level. Instruction is uniform at the lower level. At the upper one, there are both required and elective courses. The upper secondary school (gymnasium) and vocational schools have also been reformed, with enrollments expanding year by year. In 1997, 3,766 primary schools enrolled 380,932 students and employed 21,459 teachers. In the same year, secondary schools had 469,933 pupils and 26,457 teachers. The pupil-teacher ratio at the primary level was 16 to 1 in 1999. In the same year, 100% of primary-school-age children were enrolled in school, while 95% of those eligible attended secondary school. Virtually all adults are literate.

People's high schools and workers' academies are evidence of the widespread interest in popular or adult education. Although they are owned by private foundations or organizations, these ventures also receive state subsidies.

In the latter half of the 1990s, the government allocated approximately 12.2% of its annual budget to education. As of 1995, public expenditure on education was estimated at 7% of GDP.

The largest library in Finland is the Helsinki University Library, with 2.6 million volumes in 2002; it acts both as the general library of the university and as the national library. Next in size are the Helsinki City Library (1.76 million volumes) and the libraries at Turku University (1.9 million) and Åbo Academy (1.7 million). There are about 400 research and university libraries in Finland, most of which are small. In 1997 there were 436 central public libraries and 1,202 branch libraries.

The number of museums has grown rapidly since World WarII. There are over 200 museums and 19,100 monuments and historic sites throughout the country. Many museums are open-air, depicting local or rural history, which are accessible only from May to September. Among the better-known museums are the National, Mannerheim, and Municipal museums and the Ateneum Art Museum in Helsinki; the Turku Art Museum and Provincial Museum; the Runeberg Museum at Porvoo; and the outdoor museums at Helsinki and Turku.

In Finland, the local authorities are responsible for the majority of health services. The entire population is covered by health insurance, which includes compensation for lost earnings and treatment cost. This program is run by the Social Insurance Institution and is supplemented by private services. In 1991, a new Private Health Care Act took effect to enhance the quality of services provided.

In 1989, there were 7,067 pharmacists; in 1990, there were 49,861 nurses, 34,212 practical nurses, and 6,232 physical therapists. In 1991 there were 539 midwives. Between 1990 and 1997, Finland had approximately 4,545 dentists and a nurse-to- doctor ratio of 4 to 3. In 1990, there were an estimated 440 hospitals (including 57 mental facilities and 40 private institutions) with just over 67,000 total beds. This number declined by around one-third during the 1990s. The average length of a hospital stay decreased by about 40%. As of 1999, there were an estimated 3.1 physicians and 7.5 hospital beds per 1,000 people.

Health care, safe water, and sanitation are available to 100% of the population. As of 1999, an estimated 6.8% of the GDP went to health expenditures. In the same year, roughly 43% of all health care funding came from municipalities, 18% from states, 15% from the national insurance program, and about 24% from private sources.

From 1980 to 1993, 80% of married women (ages 15 to 49) were using contraceptives. The fertility rate was 1.7 children per woman throughout her childbearing years in 1999. In 1997, one-year-old children were vaccinated against the following diseases: diphtheria, pertussis, and tetanus, 100%; polio, 99%; and measles, 98%. In 1999, there were 12 cases of tuberculosis per 100,000 people. Also as of 1999, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS was estimated at 1,100 and deaths from AIDS that year were estimated at fewer than 100. HIV prevalence was0.03 per 100 adults.

The death rate was 9.7 per 1,000 in 1999 and the infant mortality rate was 4 per 1,000, one of the world's lowest. Heart disease among men is high relative to other European countries and diseases of the circulatory system causes about half of all deaths in the country, with cancer being the second leading cause of death. The likelihood of dying after age 65 from heart disease was 366 per 1000 men and 351 per 1000 women in 1990–93. There were 22,827 deaths from cardiovascular disease in 1994. Life expectancy in 2000 was 77 years.

While female health is good by international standards, male mortality in the over-25 age bracket is much higher in Finland than in most industrial countries. The main reason for the excessive male death rate is cardiovascular disease. In 1994, 27% of men and 10% of women smoked. Tobacco consumption decreased from 1.7 kg (3.7 lbs) in 1984–86 to 1.5 kg (3.3 lbs) a year per adult in 1995. There were 231 cases of AIDS in 1996. As of 1999, the number of people living with HIV/AIDS was estimated at 1,100 and deaths from AIDS that year were estimated at fewer than 100. HIV prevalence was 0.05 per 100 adults. There has been an increase in suicide among young men. Alcohol-related problems are also on the increase.

In 1994, Finland became the first country to eradicate indigenous cases of measles, German measles, and mumps. The diseases have disappeared except for a small number of cases brought in from abroad.

At the end of World War II, Finland faced a critical housing shortage. About 14,000 dwellings had been severely damaged during the war; only a modest amount of new housing had been built from 1939 to 1944. Some 112,000 dwellings were lost to the ceded territories, and homes had to be found for the displaced persons. Government participation was inevitable in this situation. Two measures passed in the late 1940s, the Land Acquisition Act and the Arava Law, made large-scale credit available on reasonable terms. During 1949–59, a total of 334,000 dwellings were built, including 141,900 supported by the Land Acquisition Act and 89,400 supported by the Arava Law.

The migration into urban centers that continued throughout the 1950s and 1960s resulted in a constant urban housing shortage even after the war losses had been replaced. During 1960–65, the number of new dwellings averaged about 37,000 annually. To stimulate housing construction, the government passed the Housing Act in 1966 providing for increased government support. As a result of this Act, the number of new dwellings supported by government loans rose rapidly. During 1966–74, a total of 466,900 dwellings were completed, of which 214,700 were supported by government loans.

From 1974 through 1985, another 558,000 new units were added to the housing stock. In 1991, 51,803 new dwellings were completed, down from 65,397 in 1990. The total number of dwellings in 2000 was 2,512,442. About 40% are detached homes; 43% are apartments/flats. Most hosueholds have between one and four people.