National Logistics Survey Finland 2025: supply chain risks increasing and businesses concerned about skills shortages

Businesses say that the unpredictability of demand, political risks and regulatory changes in particular are increasingly hampering supply chain management. Furthermore, the logistics sector is notably concerned about the sufficient availability of skilled personnel.

“The operating environment of businesses has become more difficult to predict, and businesses are increasing their preparedness for supply chain disruptions. The risks are reflected in everyday life as challenges in cost management and security of supply, for instance. The increased uncertainty in the international operating environment and the impact of geopolitical tensions are reflected in political risks and regulatory changes in the survey results,” says Lauri Ojala, Professor of Logistics at the University of Turku and one of the authors of the report.

Although businesses feel that supply chain disruptions and their impacts have increased, Ojala says that the impact of these disruptions is still seen as moderate by the respondents. The vast majority of the perceived risks are ranked below average on a five-point scale. At the same time, it should be noted that the international operating environment has remained unstable both during and after the data collection.

Regional differences are on the rise in Finland

The data for the report was collected through a survey of nearly 900 Finnish industrial, commercial and logistics businesses between November 2025 and January 2026.

The businesses’ assessments of their own operating conditions vary from region to region. Businesses are most satisfied in the Kanta-Häme, Päijät-Häme, Pirkanmaa and Uusimaa regions, while the lowest assessments were given in the Central Ostrobothnia, Kainuu and South Karelia regions.

The condition of transport infrastructure across the country is assessed to be better than in 2022. On a scale of 1 to 5, the score increased to 2.66 on average (2022: 2.23). However, regional differences appear to be growing.

“Although the general condition of transport infrastructure is perceived to have improved slightly, differences between regions are notable and growing. This has a direct impact on the operating conditions of businesses and the smooth flow of supply chains in different parts of Finland. Security of supply is based on the existing transport system and infrastructure. Therefore, an adequate level of funding for basic road maintenance should be ensured,” says Katriina Viljanen, Chief Preparedness Specialist at the National Emergency Supply Agency.

Logistics costs increased in relation to turnover

The data set used in the survey is exceptionally broad by international standards. It contains the world’s broadest and longest-term set of consistently collected national survey data on the logistics costs of businesses. The increase in logistics costs reflects the growing importance of logistics in the cost structure of businesses.

In 2025, logistics costs in industry and trade averaged 14.4% of turnover (2022: around 13.5%). In euros, the costs amounted to EUR 48 billion (2022: EUR 50.5 billion), of which Finland accounted for around EUR 31.3 billion. Logistics costs as a percentage of GDP were around 11.1% (2022: around 12.5%).

Background:

National Logistics Survey Finland 2025 was carried out by the University of Turku with funding from the National Emergency Supply Agency’s Logistics 2030 programme. The programme is part of the National Emergency Supply Agency’s strategic priority ‘transport and supply chains’. The programme seeks to identify changes in the Finnish and international logistics operating environments and strengthen the functional capacity of logistical infrastructure and services.

The publication is available for download at: https://urn.fi/URN:ISBN:978-952-02-0744-1

Enquiries:

University of Turku:

Professor Lauri Ojala, tel. +358 (0)50 502 7031, lauri.ojala@utu.fi

Associate Professor Tomi Solakivi, tel. +358 (0)50 502 7071, tomi.solakivi@utu.fi

National Emergency Supply Agency:

Chief Preparedness Specialist Katriina Viljanen, tel. +358 (0)29 505 1159, Katriina.Viljanen@nesa.fi