Cervical cancer screening programme: preliminary statistics 2025

Suomeksi

På Svenska

Latest annual statistics release

Data on both invited and attended persons in the municipality of Huittinen have been removed from the preliminary statistics, because the data were not submitted due to a technical error.

Screening programme overview

– These are the preliminary statistics of the cervical cancer screening programme for screening year 2025. They include the data on the primary phase of cervical cancer screening (HPV/Pap testing) submitted to the Finnish Cancer Registry by 10 October 2026.

– Depending on the municipality, the screening in 2025 was carried out using either HPV testing (99%) or Pap testing (1%).

– The target population, i.e., ages 30 to 65, were invited for routine screening at ages divisible by five. In some municipalities those aged 25 were also invited. In addition, those who had a previous mild positive screening result (HPV-positivity, ASC-US, LSIL) and were not referred to further examinations, received an invitation for risk group screening.

– 282,084 persons were drawn from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency database for the screening invitation. An invitation may not be sent, for example due to a missing address resulting from a non-disclosure restriction.

– Out of the target population in 2025, 74% attended screening. In routine screening 5.6% were recommended risk group screening and 1.2% were referred for further examinations.

– The data on the complete screening chain (incl. further examinations) for those invited to screening in 2025 will be published in spring 2027.

Whole country

Screening process

2025

Age group screening

Age group	Invited	Attended		Follow-up recommendation		Referral to colposcopy		HPV tested
	N	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
30	35101	23498	66.9	2647	11.3	601	2.6	23286	99.1
35	37771	26335	69.7	1780	6.8	449	1.7	26020	98.8
40	36243	26434	72.9	1412	5.3	360	1.4	26071	98.6
45	34870	26165	75.0	1306	5.0	274	1.0	25788	98.6
50	33685	26126	77.6	1205	4.6	254	1.0	25794	98.7
55	32274	24715	76.6	1127	4.6	178	0.7	24341	98.5
60	36057	27170	75.4	1149	4.2	158	0.6	26671	98.2
65	36083	26971	74.7	1031	3.8	147	0.5	26364	97.7
Total	282084	207414	73.5	11657	5.6	2421	1.2	204335	98.5

Risk group screening

Age group	Invited	Attended		Follow-up recommendation		Referral to colposcopy		HPV tested
	N	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
30-34	2223	1836	82.6	27	1.5	913	49.7	1830	99.7
35-39	1661	1346	81.0	16	1.2	628	46.7	1340	99.6
40-44	1452	1229	84.6	20	1.6	538	43.8	1215	98.9
45-49	1275	1099	86.2	13	1.2	416	37.9	1087	98.9
50-54	1091	962	88.2	10	1.0	360	37.4	950	98.8
55-59	1169	1015	86.8	18	1.8	427	42.1	1002	98.7
60-64	1074	976	90.9	17	1.7	406	41.6	967	99.1
65-69	890	804	90.3	14	1.7	387	48.1	800	99.5
Total	10835	9267	85.5	135	1.5	4075	44.0	9191	99.2

2025

Population groups

Native language

Screening process

Age and risk group screening

2025

Native language	Invited	Attended		Follow-up recommendation		Referral to colposcopy
	N	N	%	N	%	N	%
Domestic	254940	195090	76.5	10555	5.4	5941	3.0
Other/missing	37979	21591	56.8	1237	5.7	555	2.6
Total	292919	216681	74.0	11792	5.4	6496	3.0

Level of education

Screening process

Age and risk group screening

2025

Education	Invited	Attended		Follow-up recommendation		Referral to colposcopy
	N	N	%	N	%	N	%
Primary education/unknown	32558	16387	50.3	994	6.1	471	2.9
Intermediate/secondary	111475	80016	71.8	4955	6.2	2755	3.4
Tertiary/higher education	148886	120278	80.8	5843	4.9	3270	2.7
Total	292919	216681	74.0	11792	5.4	6496	3.0

Region of birth

Screening process

Age and risk group screening

2025

Region of birth	Invited	Attended		Follow-up recommendation		Referral to colposcopy
	N	N	%	N	%	N	%
Africa	3482	1732	49.7	100	5.8	26	1.5
Oceania	99	44	44.4	2	4.5	0	0.0
Americas	1435	838	58.4	52	6.2	33	3.9
Asia	13243	7183	54.2	409	5.7	185	2.6
Europe excl. Finland	20200	12947	64.1	696	5.4	350	2.7
Finland	254349	193859	76.2	10527	5.4	5900	3.0
Unknown	111	78	70.3	6	7.7	2	2.6
Total	292919	216681	74.0	11792	5.4	6496	3.0

Collaboration areas

Screening process

2025

Age group screening

Collaborative area	Invited	Attended		Follow-up recommendation		Referral to colposcopy		HPV tested
	N	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
Eastern Finland	38752	27864	71.9	1649	5.9	344	1.2	27812	99.8
Inland Finland	44599	32385	72.6	1855	5.7	408	1.3	32385	100.0
Northern Finland	34477	25404	73.7	1440	5.7	439	1.7	22379	88.1
Southern Finland	120041	88158	73.4	4775	5.4	814	0.9	88156	100.0
Western Finland	42621	32346	75.9	1866	5.8	406	1.3	32346	100.0
Total	280490	206157	73.5	11585	5.6	2411	1.2	203078	98.5

Risk group screening

Collaborative area	Invited	Attended		Follow-up recommendation		Referral to colposcopy		HPV tested
	N	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
Eastern Finland	1445	1241	85.9	93	7.5	558	45.0	1240	99.9
Inland Finland	1576	1433	90.9	16	1.1	755	52.7	1432	99.9
Northern Finland	1005	867	86.3	3	0.3	134	15.5	793	91.5
Southern Finland	5035	4167	82.8	21	0.5	1983	47.6	4167	100.0
Western Finland	1738	1526	87.8	2	0.1	639	41.9	1526	100.0
Total	10799	9234	85.5	135	1.5	4069	44.1	9158	99.2

Wellbeing services counties

Screening process

2025

Age group screening

Wellbeing service county	Invited	Attended		Follow-up recommendation		Referral to colposcopy		HPV tested
	N	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
Central Finland	12923	8955	69.3	536	6.0	111	1.2	8912	99.5
Central Ostrobothnia	3177	2219	69.8	111	5.0	31	1.4	2219	100.0
Central Uusimaa	10819	8307	76.8	384	4.6	68	0.8	8307	100.0
City of Helsinki	38843	27898	71.8	1658	5.9	261	0.9	27898	100.0
East Uusimaa	5116	3954	77.3	186	4.7	36	0.9	3954	100.0
Kainuu	3203	2462	76.9	38	1.5	19	0.8	0	0.0
Kanta-Häme	8402	5858	69.7	317	5.4	74	1.3	5858	100.0
Kymenlaakso	7615	5807	76.3	333	5.7	60	1.0	5806	100.0
Lapland	8472	6929	81.8	483	7.0	145	2.1	6533	94.3
North Karelia	7610	5577	73.3	277	5.0	77	1.4	5577	100.0
North Ostrobothnia	19625	13794	70.3	808	5.9	244	1.8	13627	98.8
North Savo	11970	8253	68.9	517	6.3	85	1.0	8248	99.9
Ostrobothnia	8293	5995	72.3	276	4.6	93	1.6	5995	100.0
Pirkanmaa	27221	19197	70.5	1151	6.0	264	1.4	19197	100.0
Päijät-Häme	10034	6900	68.8	405	5.9	80	1.2	6900	100.0
Satakunta	9646	7345	76.1	448	6.1	130	1.8	7345	100.0
South Karelia	5877	4582	78.0	248	5.4	38	0.8	4582	100.0
South Ostrobothnia	8976	7330	81.7	387	5.3	70	1.0	7330	100.0
South Savo	6249	5079	81.3	319	6.3	71	1.4	5075	99.9
Southwest Finland	24682	19006	77.0	1142	6.0	183	1.0	19006	100.0
Vantaa and Kerava	15163	11029	72.7	618	5.6	117	1.1	11028	100.0
West Uusimaa	26574	19681	74.1	943	4.8	154	0.8	19681	100.0
Åland	1594	1257	78.9	72	5.7	10	0.8	1257	100.0
Total	282084	207414	73.5	11657	5.6	2421	1.2	204335	98.5

Risk group screening

Wellbeing service county	Invited	Attended		Follow-up recommendation		Referral to colposcopy		HPV tested
	N	N	%	N	%	N	%	N	%
Central Finland	405	349	86.2	4	1.1	181	51.9	348	99.7
Central Ostrobothnia	106	90	84.9	0	0.0	17	18.9	90	100.0
Central Uusimaa	499	409	82.0	2	0.5	195	47.7	409	100.0
City of Helsinki	1721	1417	82.3	3	0.2	672	47.4	1417	100.0
East Uusimaa	190	147	77.4	0	0.0	61	41.5	147	100.0
Kainuu	71	61	85.9	3	4.9	3	4.9	0	0.0
Kanta-Häme	271	247	91.1	4	1.6	115	46.6	247	100.0
Kymenlaakso	345	293	84.9	1	0.3	140	47.8	293	100.0
Lapland	313	281	89.8	0	0.0	53	18.9	270	96.1
North Karelia	243	217	89.3	0	0.0	96	44.2	217	100.0
North Ostrobothnia	515	435	84.5	0	0.0	61	14.0	433	99.5
North Savo	499	410	82.2	4	1.0	224	54.6	410	100.0
Ostrobothnia	310	268	86.5	1	0.4	52	19.4	268	100.0
Pirkanmaa	931	834	89.6	10	1.2	468	56.1	833	99.9
Päijät-Häme	406	359	88.4	4	1.1	182	50.7	359	100.0
Satakunta	399	360	90.2	0	0.0	195	54.2	360	100.0
South Karelia	240	202	84.2	0	0.0	106	52.5	202	100.0
South Ostrobothnia	374	352	94.1	2	0.6	172	48.9	352	100.0
South Savo	298	265	88.9	85	32.1	57	21.5	265	100.0
Southwest Finland	1029	898	87.3	1	0.1	392	43.7	898	100.0
Vantaa and Kerava	661	531	80.3	6	1.1	254	47.8	531	100.0
West Uusimaa	973	809	83.1	5	0.6	373	46.1	809	100.0
Åland	36	33	91.7	0	0.0	6	18.2	33	100.0
Total	10835	9267	85.5	135	1.5	4075	44.0	9191	99.2

Participation rate maps

Wellbeing services counties

Latest year (2025)

Municipalities

Latest year (2025)

Age group screening

Details

Data

• The data includes all persons eligible for screening in 2025, and the primary phase data (HPV/Pap testing) reported on them by 10 October 2026.
• These are preliminary statistics, and the figures may still be updated before the actual statistics release in spring 2027.

Indicator definitions

• The participation rate was calculated by dividing the number of persons who attended screening by the number of persons who were invited. All persons drawn for screening have been interpreted as invited, so the actual number of invitations in these years might be slightly smaller/larger than reported here.
  
• Screening results are classified at the screening episode level, as the most severe result of the person within the episode.
  
• The confidence intervals in positivity rates model the uncertainty related to the size of the population and random variation. The intervals are calculated using exact binomial model and 95% confidence.

Population classification

• The statistics production uses Statistics Finland’s individual-level data on education under permit TK/2743/07.03.00/2023.
• Education categories were created by combining the categories of pre-primary, lower primary, and upper primary education into the primary education category, combining secondary education and special vocational qualifications into the secondary education category, and combining lower and upper tertiary education and doctoral education into the tertiary education category. Unknown and missing data were combined with the primary education category. The education data is from the year preceding the screening year (e.g. for screening year 2025, the education data is from 2024).
• Native language and area of birth are based on data from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

Result classification

• Recommendation for risk group screening: The result requires a follow-up screen (new sample) within 18-24 months (HPV-positivity, ASC-US, LSIL with no referral to further examinations).
• Referral to further examinations: The person has been referred to further examination (colposcopy) or the result requires a referral.
• HPV tested: The number and proportion of HPV-tested persons of those screened. Overlaps with the other result categories.