Between 1890 and 1914, emigration from Finland surged, with many young men and families seeking opportunities in the United States and Canada. Finnish immigrants primarily worked in the lumber and mining industries. Some became active in Marxist movements, while others were involved in the Finnish Evangelical Lutheran Church of America. Finnish emigration reached its peak in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, with 59,000 emigrants in the 1890s and 159,000 in the early 20th century. Smaller waves continued through the 20th century, notably in the 1950s with 32,000 emigrants.
By the 21st century, approximately 700,000 Americans and 140,000 Canadians claimed Finnish ancestry. Meanwhile, a steady migration of better-educated Swedish speakers from Finland to Sweden has been ongoing since the late 20th century. Today, around 6% of Finland's population, or 300,000 people, speak Swedish as their first language.