How many saunas are there in Finland?

Building near the lake

 

Finland is often described as the land of a thousand lakes and the land of a million saunas. Almost everyone here has grown up around them. Still, the exact number of saunas in the country is surprisingly difficult to pin down. Estimates exist, of course, but they vary depending on who has done the counting and how broad the definition of a sauna is. This post takes a gentle look at the numbers and the reasons why finding one final answer is not as simple as it sounds.

 

The estimates we have

The long standing estimate suggests that Finland has around 3.2 million saunas. The logic is straightforward. Most Finnish households have at least one sauna and many have more, especially when summer cottages are included.

Some researchers offer a more cautious estimate of around 2.7 million saunas. This number focuses more closely on registered buildings, public facilities and the typical distribution of saunas in homes.

No matter which estimate you look at, the direction is clear. Finland has at least 2.7 million saunas and very likely more than 3 million when homes, cottages and public saunas are all counted.

Why the exact number is so hard to know?

Saunas appear in many shapes and settings in Finland. That variety makes counting a challenge. A few things make the total especially difficult to track:

Saunas come and go over time.

New saunas are built every year, particularly in detached houses and summer cottages. At the same time, older saunas are renovated, removed or converted into other spaces.

There are many types of saunas.

Private home saunas, cottage saunas, shared saunas in apartment buildings and public saunas in swimming halls and spas. Not every study includes all of these groups, and that alone changes the final number.

Not all saunas appear in official registers.

Most registered saunas are tied to building permits, such as indoor saunas in houses and shared saunas in housing associations. These are recorded in Finland’s population and building information system. But many small or older saunas do not appear in any database at all.

A recent change in Finnish building regulation adds another twist. Since January 1st, 2025, it has become possible to build certain small outbuildings, such as standalone sauna buildings under 30 square meters, without a traditional building permit if certain conditions are met. This will make future tracking of sauna numbers even more uncertain.

A country shaped by the sauna

Even without an exact figure, one thing is very clear. Saunas are woven deeply into Finnish life. If the 3.2 million estimate holds true, Finland would have roughly one sauna for every 1.75 people. For comparison, the country has fewer cars in active use than saunas.

It says something about what matters here. The sauna is a place for slowing down, taking a moment for yourself or spending quiet time with others. Whether in a city apartment, a lakeside cottage or a small backyard building, it remains one of the most loved parts of Finnish culture.