Arabic – third most common foreign language in Finland

Statistics Finland figures show that native Arabic speakers now outnumber those with English as their mother tongue.

Arabic – third most common foreign language in Finland

Statistics Finland figures show that native Arabic speakers now outnumber those with English as their mother tongue.

Last year native Arabic speakers became the third largest foreign-language group in the country, Statistics Finland reports.

The statistics added that not only Arabic reached the third most common language, but also the name Fatima became first place for newborn girls in Finland.

Senior statistician MarkkuRapo sees a clear link between the high number of asylum seekers who came into Finland in 2015 and the rise in Arabic speakers, particularly from Iraq and Syria.