In his 2027 budget proposal, Mayor Ilmari Nurminen presents the preparation of the Tampere Future Fund as a new initiative.
Mayor Ilmari Nurminen published his 2027 budget proposal on Monday 19 October 2026. The City’s finances will be balanced while safeguarding services that are important to residents. At the same time, the City will reform its operations and ensure the conditions for future growth. The budget proposal shows a deficit of EUR 43.9 million for the financial year.
Tampere has taken determined and front-loaded action to balance its finances. The financial balancing programme approved in 2025 included 112 measures, while a further 92 adjustment measures have been identified during the preparation of the 2027 budget.
The approximately EUR 60 million balancing target estimated in the 2025 Mayor’s Programme has now been achieved. However, the deterioration in Finland’s economic and employment outlook, together with the failure of the reform of the central government transfer system, has increased the City’s overall need for financial adjustment. The objective is to place the City’s finances on a sustainable footing by 2029.
“Over a short period, we have made difficult but necessary decisions. However, our work is not yet complete. Not everything will remain unchanged: we must reform services and make use of new technologies. We can influence which services we safeguard, how changes are implemented and what kind of Tampere we build,” says Mayor Ilmari Nurminen.
The budget proposal has been prepared in cooperation with the parties in the mayoral coalition and other council groups. Measures proposed by different council groups have been considered during the preparation process.
The preparation of the Tampere Future Fund is included in the budget proposal as a new initiative. The proposal is based on the idea that part of the capital released by the City could be invested on a long-term basis through professional asset management.
The objective is to use the City’s assets more effectively and create a new source of recurring annual income to support services and investments. The potential establishment of the fund, together with its rules and operating principles, would be submitted to the City Council for a decision in spring 2027.
“Protecting services that are important to people is at the heart of the 2027 budget. A growing city cannot balance its finances simply by cutting services,” Nurminen says.
Class sizes in basic education will remain unchanged. Free swimming sessions for older residents will continue, and the number of assistants in supported transport services will be increased. The use of the Active Pass will be expanded, giving more low-income Tampere residents an opportunity to participate in sports and cultural activities and use City services.
Grants to non-governmental organizations will not be reduced, and the funding criteria will be made more flexible to safeguard the organizations’ operating conditions in a changing environment. The City will also increase its funding for food aid.
“The wellbeing and learning of children and young people are among the City’s most important responsibilities. Even in a difficult financial situation, we will maintain our commitment to education and strengthen children’s and young people’s opportunities to learn, be physically active and build their own futures,” Nurminen says.
Support for pupils with special educational needs will be strengthened by increasing the number of special-needed class teachers. Work to promote equality in education will continue in order to reduce differences between neighbourhoods. Reading, physical activity and swimming proficiency among children and young people will also be promoted.
The number of places in general upper secondary education will be increased, and a new site operating under Sammon keskuslukio upper secondary school will be established in Hakametsä. Vocational education and training will place greater emphasis on workplace-based learning and the employment of graduates.
The employment, entrepreneurship and participation of young people will be supported through the employment package announced in spring 2026. The staffing structure in early childhood education and care will be developed towards compliance with the statutory requirements that will enter into force in 2030.
Neighbourhood work in the city centre and the City’s preventive safety work will be strengthened. The measures will support efforts to prevent domestic and intimate partner violence and further deepen cooperation between the City, public authorities, the wellbeing services county, non-governmental organisations and other stakeholders.
The network of open meeting places will be expanded across different neighbourhoods. This work forms part of the Kaikkien Tampere development programme, which aims to build a more inclusive, equal and caring city. The programme also promotes the participation of Tampere’s international residents and works to prevent the segregation of neighbourhoods.
The City’s net investments will total EUR 227.5 million in 2027. Schools and early childhood education and care facilities constitute the City’s largest and most important area of investment.
Tampere is preparing for the start of services on the Pirkkala–Linnainmaa tramway and the launch of the Plusbussi service in 2028. The expansion of Tampere Art Museum is progressing, while the development of Hiedanranta, the Railway Station Centre and underground parking facilities will continue.
Sports facilities will be developed through plans for new indoor arenas in Ikuri and on Toimelankatu in Kauppi. Key green areas will also be renewed. The City will continue its work towards carbon neutrality and the strengthening of biodiversity.
Tampere’s population is expected to continue growing by more than 3,000 residents annually. At the same time, the employment situation remains one of the City’s most serious challenges. According to the latest available data, Tampere’s unemployment rate is 15.9 per cent.
The prolonged economic downturn and high unemployment affect people’s everyday lives as well as the City’s service needs, expenditure and tax revenue. The employment services reform has also significantly expanded municipalities’ responsibility for financing unemployment benefits.
The implementation of the employment package announced in spring 2026 will continue in 2027. The package combines employment and economic development measures to help people find employment, support business growth and contain the unemployment-related expenditure incurred by the City.
At the same time, Tampere will strengthen future growth sectors such as semiconductor and defence technologies. The City will improve access to finance for growth companies, promote international investment and exports, and strengthen air and logistics connections. Events, culture and tourism also play an important role in the City’s economic vitality.
“The employment situation is one of the City’s most serious challenges, and urgent action is needed particularly to improve the position of young people, the long-term unemployed and those facing structural unemployment. Employment and economic vitality will determine Tampere’s future. When people have jobs, businesses have opportunities to grow and the city attracts talent and investment, we can protect services and strengthen our finances. The future is built together,” Nurminen says.
The Mayor’s budget proposal will next be considered by the City Board. The City Council will decide on the 2027 budget at its meeting in November.
