Conference report: How is the second generation doing in the Nordic countries?

A rapidly growing part of the Nordic population

This report summarises the content of the Annual Nordic Conference on Integration held in Helsinki in 2025. The conference focused on a rapidly growing group across the Nordic countries, individuals with parents born outside the region, whose increasing size means they play an ever more important role in shaping Nordic democracies and welfare systems. The programme provided a broad overview of key factors affecting the well-being of this population.

Focus of the report

The report discuss main points and conclusions raised by the experts speaking at the conference. The experts explored the theme from different angles, including new figures on second-generation outcomes in education, employment, and social participation, as well as policies and practices to bridge socioeconomic gaps and foster belonging across generations. To gain a deeper understanding of the knowledge behind the different parts of the report, tap the link at the top of each section guiding you to the research or programmes discussed in the presentation.

Organisation and background

The conference was organised by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment in Finland, the Nordic Council of Ministers, and the Nordic Welfare Centre under the 2025 Finnish presidency of the Nordic Council of Ministers. The conference, titled ‘How is the second generation doing? Promoting integration of migrants and their families in the Nordic countries’, was held at Finlandia Hall in Helsinki on 24–25 November 2025. The conference brought together policymakers and experts working on integration and was moderated by Shadia Rask, Entrepreneur and Professor of Practice at Hanken School of Economics.

This report is written by freelance journalist Sebastian Dahlström.

Read the full conference report here