Rauma is the Ninth Most Vibrant Municipality in Finland
News
Rauma has secured 9th place in the newly published Regional Vitality Study 2025, which assesses the vitality of all municipalities in mainland Finland. The study is conducted annually by the planning and consulting company WSP.
Rauma’s ranking has improved significantly in recent years: last year the city placed 20th, and in 2022 it was as low as 54th. This year, Rauma outperformed several major cities and the rest of its region. The study highlights Rauma’s success as being driven by a green structural transformation—where Rauma shares the top score with Raisio—as well as a high proportion of highly educated residents and a strong, diverse business sector.
– This excellent result is thanks to genuine Rauma-style unity, decisiveness, and outstanding work. We’ve consistently implemented actions and made choices aligned with our city strategy, which have strengthened Rauma’s vitality. Both completed and upcoming investments will improve conditions for businesses and quality of life for residents, says Mayor Esko Poikela.
– Rauma thrives for many reasons. The city is a leader in industry, logistics, and the maritime cluster. We have skilled and educated labor, and we’ve also proven our ability to adapt, for example through clean transition projects, adds Satu Saarinen, Head of Business and Economic Development.
The top spots in the study were claimed by major growth centers or their surrounding municipalities, with Pirkkala, Espoo, and Helsinki forming the top three. Among smaller cities, Rauma once again ranked second after Porvoo.
– It benefits Rauma that all of Satakunta and the western coast are developing, but it’s great to see that our efforts have paid off and the results have improved so significantly. These results serve as a tool for us going forward—this is not the finish line, but a motivator. We will continue our long-term work to keep Rauma an attractive place for residents, businesses, and students, Saarinen concludes.
More information and the full report are available at WSP’s website (in Finnish).
