Study: Libraries, museums and concerts help immigrants learn Finnish culture
A study by E2 Tutkimus finds roughly 70% of first-generation immigrants learned about Finnish culture through cultural services such as libraries, cinemas and concerts, and researchers say cultural institutions could play a larger role in integration.
Roughly 70 percent of surveyed first-generation immigrants said they learned about Finnish culture and everyday norms through cultural events and services, suggesting museums, libraries and concerts play a meaningful role in integration.
Funded by the Finnish Cultural Foundation (Suomen Kulttuurirahasto), the study was carried out by E2 Tutkimus in April–May 2026 and combined interviews with a national survey. Researchers conducted individual interviews with 23 cultural service providers and 25 first-generation immigrants in Helsinki, Vantaa, Tampere, Oulu and Kuopio. They also gathered 591 survey responses from immigrants via Norstat and a Webropol questionnaire offered in Finnish and English.
Key findings show 72 percent of respondents felt they learned about Finnishness through cultural participation, and 57 percent said such participation helped them learn Finnish or Swedish. Libraries were the most commonly used service, at 75 percent. Cinemas followed at 72 percent, concerts and music events at 71 percent, and both festivals and museums or art exhibitions at 69 percent. Obstacles to attendance included lack of information, cost and language barriers.
Ville Pitkänen, research director at E2 Tutkimus, said people often assume integration happens mainly through work and education. "But the results show cultural services strengthen everyday inclusion and attachment to Finnish society," he said.
Service providers reported limited capacity to reach new audiences. One Helsinki provider called the topic timely and said cultural institutions are lagging behind on the issue.
The study found broad public-value effects: nearly 90 percent of immigrant respondents agreed that cultural events increase a locality's livability and attractiveness, and 70 percent said attending events strengthened their sense of belonging with other residents. Susanna Pettersson, CEO of the Finnish Cultural Foundation, emphasized the need for closer cross-sector cooperation, saying cultural services have a central role in building sustainable local life.
Researchers conclude that cultural institutions have untapped potential to support integration but need more resources and partnerships with municipalities, employers, integration services, NGOs and immigrant communities to widen their reach. The full report will be published alongside a launch event at Helsinki Central Library Oodi on 18 August, offered both in person and via livestream.
Earlier coverage
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