Finland recorded 333 drug-related deaths in 2025, the highest annual figure in the country’s history, marking a 35 per cent increase compared with the previous year, according to figures released by Statistics Finland on Thursday.
The increase affected all age groups and both sexes, with particularly sharp rises among young people and women.
Among those aged 15 to 24, drug-related fatalities climbed by 60 per cent to 64 deaths. The agency reported that drugs were responsible for one in every five deaths within this age group.
People aged 25 to 34 accounted for the largest number of fatalities, with 85 deaths, an increase of 12 compared with 2024.
Deaths among women nearly doubled, rising from 50 in 2024 to a record 94 in 2025, although men continued to account for the majority of drug-related fatalities.
According to Statistics Finland, most deaths involved multiple substances, frequently combining illicit drugs with alcohol or medications, including psychiatric medicines.
Buprenorphine, an opioid used in the treatment of opioid dependence but also subject to misuse, remained the substance most frequently identified in fatal accidental drug poisonings and cases where the intent was undetermined.
The agency also reported an increasing presence of synthetic opioids, including designer drugs, in drug-related fatalities.
Nearly one in ten deaths was classified as suicide.
Geographically, Helsinki recorded the highest number of deaths at 58, followed by Pirkanmaa with 30, Southwest Finland with 28 and North Ostrobothnia with 25.
However, Päijät-Häme registered the highest population-adjusted mortality rate, at 9.8 drug-related deaths per 100,000 residents.
The figures highlight the growing scale of Finland’s drug-related mortality problem, particularly among younger age groups and women.