The wolf population in Finland has risen sharply over the past year, reaching its highest level in recent decades. The Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) estimates that in March 2025 there were around 430 wolves in the country, 46% more than the year before.
The estimates were published on 30 September, once all the available data had been compiled, including field observations, DNA samples and records of wolf mortality. Luke representatives note that the growth in the population has been particularly concentrated in south-western Finland. Most of the areas occupied by wolves lie in the western part of the country.
The number of territories occupied by wolves has also increased overall. In March, 76 territories were identified across Finland, compared with 59-64 territories a year earlier. These comprise 57 packs and 19 pairs. For the most part, the increase took place outside the reindeer herding area, where wolves are not strictly protected.
In the reindeer herding regions, mainly in the north of the country, there were no permanently occupied wolf territories in the spring of 2025. In the autumn of 2024, six such territories were identified near Finland's eastern border; over the winter they were eliminated, with 26 wolves shot under special permits.
Luke researchers point out that wolf numbers vary naturally over the course of the year. The March estimate reflects the lowest point of the population, before the cubs are born. Based on current trends, the population is forecast to peak in November at around 557 wolves. "The population peaks in May and then gradually declines. In November it is still considerably larger than in March," says Samu Mäntyniemi, lead researcher at Luke.
These findings have revived political and public debate about the management of the wolf population. Although wolves in Finland are still classified as a critically endangered species and are protected under the EU Habitats Directive, changes adopted by the European Parliament in May lowered the species' level of protection from "strictly protected" to "protected". In response, Finland's Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry has begun preparing amendments to the hunting legislation. The proposals would allow a quota system for wolf hunting to be introduced from 2026. The legislation is currently under consultation. According to ministry official Sami Niemi, the current wolf population provides grounds for introducing regulated hunting. The change in the law would end year-round general protection for wolves in Finland and permit hunting in line with the size of the population and its regional distribution.
The Central Union of Agricultural Producers and Forest Owners (MTK) has backed the proposed legislative amendments. In a statement published on 30 September, MTK argues that hunting must be permitted in order to prevent further growth in the wolf population and to reduce the threat to livestock and to safety in rural areas.
"We strongly support lifting year-round protection and introducing hunting based on the size of the wolf population," stressed Anna-Rosa Asikainen, MTK's legal adviser on environmental matters. MTK called for the hunting season to begin as early as August in future and to run for as long as possible, in order to prevent damage caused by wolves. "The new assessment confirms what we have been seeing in practice, namely a rapid increase in the wolf population in recent years," said MTK regional director Timo Leskinen.
MTK emphasised the importance of two key indicators in wolf management - the official population assessment and the favourable reference value, which sets the benchmark for the sustainable conservation of the species. In deciding on a management strategy, the ministry may use both indicators.
Luke's latest assessment confirms that current wolf population levels significantly exceed the reference threshold, which strengthens the case for permitting regulated hunting under national and European Union legal frameworks.
Despite the rise in numbers, wolves remain fully protected outside the reindeer herding areas. Hunting is permitted only under special derogations relating to safety or threats to property. Finland has previously faced legal scrutiny over wolf hunts that lacked sufficient scientific justification or failed to meet European Union standards.
It is already clear that the proposed legislative changes will also come under close scrutiny from nature conservation organisations. These organisations have previously objected to attempts to reduce the level of protection afforded to wolves. Wolf advocacy groups argue that population estimates alone take account of neither genetic diversity, nor habitat fragmentation, nor cross-border dynamics with wolf populations in Russia.
Finland's wolf numbers have fluctuated since the early 2000s; Luke researchers estimate that in years when no hunting management took place, the average annual rate of increase was 10%. The last published estimate, in the spring of 2024, indicated that 295 wolves lived in Finland.
The forecast for November 2025 indicates an expected population of 557 wolves, with a lower estimate of 476 and an upper estimate of 669. Luke researchers believe that if current conditions remain unchanged, the increase will continue until March 2026.