Kela forecasts rise in benefit spending to €18.1bn

Finland's social insurance agency Kela expects benefit expenditure to increase this year after payouts reached a record €17.5 billion in 2025. New figures published by the agency show benefit spending rose by €188 million last year, an increase of 1.1 per cent compared with 2024. Kela now estimates total expenditure will climb to €18.1 billion during 2026, driven by higher spending on unemployment support, student benefits, social assistance and sickness-related payments. The largest shift in spending during 2025 came from changes to housing support.