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We asked you about your dreams – security is number one

The Nordic Nordea Dream Index sheds light on Finnish dreams and savings goals and on how they compare to other Nordic countries. According to the survey, Finns’ dreams strongly focus on financial security, everyday wellbeing and quick repayment of debts.

“Finns are more security-oriented than people from the other Nordic countries when it comes to saving. The index scores reflect our different saving culture: we save conscientiously mainly in accounts and carefully prepare for surprises,” says Nordea’s Head of Service Development Tanja Eronen. 

Finnish respondents also listed fewer dreams in the survey than other Nordic respondents (Norway 2.9, Sweden 2.8, Denmark 2.8, Finland 2.5), indicating the practicality of Finns’ goals.

“It’s not a big difference, but it indicates that Finns have very practical goals. It seems that Finns dream about things that bring them peace of mind and wellbeing in everyday life and aim at being free from financial burdens. We don’t have very ambitious savings goals, and we’re not as active in investing and growing our wealth as Swedes, for example. We are dreaming about things that we can achieve through good financial management,” summarises Tanja Eronen.

Watch Tanja Eronen’s interview on Huomenta Suomi on 10 September 2025 (in Finnish)

You can watch the video in MTV’s Katsomo: Suomalaisten unelmien erityispiirteet.

Would you ever have guessed?

Three surprising facts

Here are some other highlights of the survey:

  1. Finns love pets and are the keenest to save to get a new fluffy family member.
  2. Swedes want to retire early and are the keenest to save to make it possible. Danes are the second keenest and Finns the least keen to retire early.
  3. Finns and Swedes often mention hobbies as their savings goal.

Do you have the same dreams as Finns in general?

What are you dreaming about? Finnish dreams focus on seeking sustained well-being – whether it’s something concrete, such as a car, or a personal experience, such as a concert ticket.

  • Nordea’s survey indicates that young adults dream about experiences and hobbies, while older age groups are keener to seek financial security.
  • Men are dreaming about concrete things, such as cars and boats, while women’s dreams focus more on experiencing something new or exciting. Does this division resonate with you or are you breaking traditional boundaries?

A financial buffer enhances daily wellbeing

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As many as 55% of Finns say that their most important savings goal is building a financial buffer, while the Nordic average is 51%.

Having a buffer will help if anything sudden arises that you need to pay for, such as a new appliance. It also gives you some leeway with your personal finances in the short term.

Read our tips for building a financial buffer

Paying off debt quicker than planned

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Finns differ from Swedes in particular in their savings goals. 23% of Finnish respondents say that they want to pay off their loans quicker than planned, whereas only 16% of Swedes are aiming for the same.

Traditionally, Finns repay their loans as quickly as possible, but have you considered whether you should also save and invest regularly while you repay your home loan? 

Read more about saving while repaying your loan

Balanced financial goals

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Finns dream about things that they can achieve through good financial management. More than half of Finns replied in the survey that they have had a clear financial goal during the past six months. 

On the other hand, when it came to the outlook of their personal finances, Finns were more cautious. Less than 60% of Finns considered that their future financial outlook was positive, whereas the corresponding figure in the other Nordic countries was more than 60%.

Learn more about saving options

About the survey

The Nordea Dream Index was conducted in August 2025 as part of our more comprehensive Nordic Pulse survey with altogether about 4,000 respondents between 18 and 80 from Finland, Sweden, Norway and Denmark. There were about 1,000 respondents from each country. The respondents were chosen to correspond to the national age, gender and regional distribution, ensuring that the sample represents the views of the entire population in a balanced way. 

With our Nordic Pulse survey, we want to measure the financial wellbeing in Nordic societies in terms of sustainability, personal ambition, belief in the future and financial literacy. The survey was conducted in August 2025.

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