Take part in National Poverty Week 10–16 November 2025
Art and culture professionals: Get involved and take a stand against poverty!
The Finnish Anti-Poverty Network EAPN-Fin and the Who Listens to the Poor? network are organizing the second National Poverty Week campaign from November 10 to 16, 2025.
We invite associations, organizations, municipalities, welfare areas, decision-makers, student unions, researchers, various citizen groups, and citizens to participate in the social debate on poverty and to organize events.
"Poverty causes indescribable pain and stress." Mervi, 63.
The poverty situation
The number of people experiencing poverty and exclusion is growing in Finland. The situation of those who are already in a very vulnerable position is being further exacerbated. Cuts to social security and rising unemployment are driving people to despair, and they are also being blamed for their own situation.
Cuts to housing benefits have led to more evictions and hardship for families, as there are no homes available that meet Kela's standards. Homelessness is on the rise. The comprehensive reform of income support threatens to become a cut in last-resort support, which means a lack of money for food and medicine for individuals. Students' livelihoods have been weakened and the future for young people looks bleak.The number of children living in poverty is growing by tens of thousands.
The slogan for Poverty Week is "Break the cycle of poverty!"
How can you participate in Poverty Week?
- Share Poverty Week material on social media (in Finnish): Köyhyysviikon materiaalikansio (directs to Google drive)
- Share information about poverty
- Publish your own experiences of poverty on social media, in a blog, or in an opinion piece
- Publish the experiences of poverty of your organization's members
- Write a statement or opinion piece
- Invite an activist, researcher, or expert to speak about poverty at your school or community
- Organize a fundraiser or donate to anti-poverty work
- Participate in events
- Organize your own event
- Send a message to a decision-maker
Poverty figures
- 930,000 people, or 16.8% of the population, are at risk of poverty or social exclusion (Statistics Finland 2023)
- Child poverty: 121,800 children live in poverty (Save the Children)
- Homelessness: In Finland, there are nearly 3,800 single people and 110 families living without a home (VVA ry)
- Long-term unemployment: There are 129,200 long-term unemployed, the unemployment rate is 10%, and the trend figure for youth unemployment is 21.7% (Statistics Finland, August 2025)
- Recipients of income support: In 2024, more than 249,600 households received basic income support from Kela, representing 6.3% of the population (Kela)
Organisers
Poverty Week is organized by the Finnish Anti-Poverty Network EAPN-Fin, its citizen action group, and the Who Listens to the Poor? network, which consists of experts, representatives of organizations, and citizens experiencing poverty.
Are you organising an event?
If you would like to organize an event on the topic of poverty, please email the Poverty Week contact person! We will compile information about the events on the EAPN-Fin website. Follow our social media channels, where we will advertise all events!
Use the Poverty Week logo from the folder for event announcements (in Finnish): Köyhyysviikon materiaalikansio (directs to google drive)
Poverty Week contact persons
Leena Valkonen (events)
leevalkonen (@) gmail.com
Linnéa Partanen (social media and other information)
merecaaa (@) gmail.com
koyhyysviikko (@) gmail.com
Join the discussion on social media!
Use the hashtags: #köyhyysviikko2025 #kukakuunteleeköyhää
Facebook:
Kuka kuuntelee köyhää? Facebook group
EAPN-Fin Suomen köyhyyden vastainen verkosto on Facebook
