Blood donation
The Blood Service has ten permanent locations in major cities, and we also organise approximately 1,300 blood donation events throughout Finland each year.
In 2025, 107,879 different people made blood donations. Of these, 18,676 were new blood donors, representing 17.4% of the total. The number of new blood donors increased by 4% from the previous year, and recruitment was particularly successful in student campaigns, military bases, workplace donations and the blood donation bus. For the first time in many years, the proportion of men among new registrants was higher than that of women. However, the number of new blood donors did not yet reach the target of 22,000 first-time donors.
The diversity of the blood donor community developed in a positive direction, with the proportion of blood donors who communicate in English doubling over the past couple of years to reach 2.5% in 2025. The number of blood donors with rare blood types and the proportion of blood donors with the emergency blood type (O Rh neg) also increased. Diversity means that blood donors include a wide range of men and women of different ages and backgrounds. This allows us to meet the changing needs of patient care, such as the availability of rare blood types.
The number of people who downloaded the blood donor mobile app exceeded the target of 100,000 in September, and by the end of the year, the number had already exceeded 110,000.
New preparations and methods of administration are needed as patient care develops. Blood donors were also needed to produce serum eye drops (125 blood donations) and whole blood products used in emergency care (384 blood donations) and plasma medicines (2,950 blood donations).
Blood group distribution among blood donors 2025
Patients need blood products according to blood group
Whole blood donations
Blood is collected according to the needs of hospitals, and as the use of blood products decreases, fewer blood donations are needed. However, new blood donors are still needed on an ongoing basis, as the current donor pool is too small to guarantee a sufficient number of donors in serious emergencies.
Blood donors’ age and gender distribution, registered donors 2025
Young women are the most active blood donors.
Number of donations per different person in 2025
In Finland, blood donors make an average of 1.56 blood donations a year.
Donor invitations and call center services
| 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|
| Number of invitations | 1 417 670 | 1 192 495 |
| Response within 7 days of invitation | 5,3 % | 5,3 % |
| Proportion of those invited out of those registered | 40 % | 37,2 % |
| Persons invited for special products | 577 | 909 |
| Number of calls to donor info | 18 995 | 14 510 |
| Newsletters | 2 726 773 | 3 060 899 |
| Text message permission | 90 % | 90 % |
| Email permission | 70 % | 70 % |
Most common donor deferrals in 2025 (% of those registered for donation)
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| A medical condition or ongoing assessments for a medical condition (e.g. a heart or kidney condition) | 1,6 % | 1,7 % | 1,9 % |
| Low haemoglobin | 1,7 % | 1,8 % | 1,6 % |
| Travel (non-malaria areas) | 0,5 % | 0,6 % | 0,7 % |
| Medication or vaccination | 0,4 % | 0,5 % | 0,5 % |
| Common cold | 0,4 % | 0,4 % | 0,5 % |
| Surgery or dental treatment | 0,4 % | 0,4 % | 0,4 % |
| Endoscopy, tattooing, piercing, acupuncture | 0,3 % | 0,3 % | 0,3 % |
| Travel in malaria areas | 0,2 % | 0,2 % | 0,2 % |
| Cancer | 0,1 % | 0,1 % | 0,1 % |
| A new sexual partner or another obstacle related to sexual activity | 0,1 % | 0,1 % | 0,1 % |
| Childbirth, breastfeeding | 0,1 % | 0,1 % | 0,1 % |
Percentage of non-donors out of those registered (%)
| 2023 | 2024 | 2025 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| New donors | 15,0 % | 17,4 % | 16,8 % |
| Previous donors | 5,2 % | 5,6 % | 5,7 % |
| Female | 7,3 % | 7,8 % | 7,9 % |
| Male | 5,1 % | 5,8 % | 5,8 % |
| Total - all of Finland | 6,2 % | 6,8 % | 6,8 % |