Helsinki, Finland – The Finnish bioeconomy, a cornerstone of the nation’s economy, experienced a mixed performance in 2023. While certain sectors showed growth, others faced challenges, leading to an overall decline in employment and value-added.

Employment Trends

Overall Decline: The bioeconomy employed 308,800 individuals in 2023, a decrease of 5,900 from the previous year. This figure is significantly lower than the peak of 348,200 reached in the early 2010s.
Agriculture’s Dominance: Agriculture remains the largest employer in the bioeconomy, with 63,200 people. However, it has seen a substantial decline of 23,000 jobs since the early 2010s.
Forest Sector Growth: The forest sector, a key pillar of the bioeconomy, added 900 jobs, primarily in forestry and the pulp and paper industry.
Bioeconomy Services Boom: Bioeconomy services, including nature tourism and recreational use, have experienced significant growth post-pandemic, adding 10,000 jobs in over a decade.

Economic Performance

Value-Added Decline: The bioeconomy’s value-added decreased by 3% to €29.3 billion in 2023.
Forest Sector Challenges: The forest sector, despite its employment growth, faced a 9% decline in value-added due to increased raw material and energy costs, as well as decreased exports.
Food Sector Stability: The food sector, comprising agriculture and the food industry, maintained its share of the bioeconomy, with a slight increase in value-added and output.
Bioeconomy Services Growth: Bioeconomy services contributed 7% to the total value-added of the bioeconomy, a one-percentage-point increase from the previous year.
Outlook

The Finnish bioeconomy faces a complex landscape. While sectors like forestry and bioeconomy services show promise, challenges persist in agriculture and the broader economic context. The government and industry stakeholders will need to adapt to these changing dynamics to ensure the long-term sustainability and growth of the bioeconomy.