The African diaspora in Finland () refers to the residents of Finland of full or partial African ancestry, mostly from Sub-Saharan Africa. , there were 54,046 people born in Africa living in Finland. Similarly, the number of people with African background (Africans in Finland; ) was 75,953.
The distinct adjacent term Afro-Finns (), also referred to as Black Finns (), can be used for Finns whose lineages are fully or partly in the populations of Sub-Saharan Africa ("Black Africa"). Afro-Finns have lived in Finland since the 19th century. In 2009, according to Yle, there were an estimated 20,000 Afro-Finns in Finland, and according to Statistics Finland, the total number of people in Finland with a close Sub-Saharan African background was 62,759 in 2024.
History
Finns reacted to the first Sub-Saharan Africans in Finland with curiosity and amazement. In the 19th century, some Africans from the Americas worked as servants for wealthy Russians in the Grand Duchy of Finland. The first known African to receive Finnish citizenship was Rosa Lemberg who came to Finland from Ovamboland in 1888 and was granted citizenship in 1899.
Between the 1900s and the 1970s, the few Africans in Finland were mostly students (e.g., from Nigeria and Ethiopia), political exiles from South Africa or people married to Finns. In World War II (1939âÂÂ1945), there were some Afro-Finnish soldiers, including Private 1st Class , who served as a ski patrol leader on the Karelian Isthmus and was killed in the Winter War, and Corporal Holger Sonntag, who was of African-American and German descent and served as a driver in both the Winter War and the Continuation War.
In 1990, during the Somali Civil War, the first Somali refugees arrived in Finland. After that, due to their high fertility rate, along with the significant number of Somali family reunifications, quota refugees and asylum seekers, they rapidly became the largest African group in Finland. During the 2003 FIFA U-17 World Championship held in Finland, most of the Sierra Leone national under-17 football team's players defected to Finland due to the poor conditions in their country, following a civil war that had ended a year earlier.
In the 21st century, most people of African ancestry have come to Finland from Africa, but many have also arrived from the United States, Latin America and other European countries. In particular, Americans and British people of African descent have moved to Finland, mostly through marriage.
Demographics
As of 31 December 2024, according to Statistics Finland, the total number of people in Finland with a close African background is 75,953, which is 1.4% of the population of Finland. 42,118 (55.45%) of them are men, while 33,835 (44.55%) are women. 62,759 (82.6%) of them are from Sub-Saharan Africa.
Countries of origin
Countries with a significant African diaspora
The following countries outside Africa have a majority population of Afro-descendants (90% or more of the country's total population) and, as of 31 December 2024, a total of 147 expatriates or close descendants in Finland:
African languages
Distribution
Municipalities
On 31 December 2020, 13.4% of the total population of Itäkeskus, a quarter of Helsinki, had an African background, which was the highest percentage of all subdivisions of Helsinki.
Regions
On 31 December 2022, the region with the most people with a close African background was Uusimaa with 45,025 people (2.6% of the region's total population), which is 69.3% of their total population in Finland.
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Citizenships
On 31 December 2023, there were 23,672 people who had dual citizenship of Finland and an African country.
Citizens of African countries who received Finnish citizenship by year:
- 1990 â 70
- 1991 â 101
- 1992 â 104
- 1993 â 67
- 1994 â 56
- 1995 â 81
- 1996 â 120
- 1997 â 180
- 1998 â 788
- 1999 â 1,365
- 2000 â 522
- 2001 â 406
- 2002 â 419
- 2003 â 403
- 2004 â 426
- 2005 â 605
- 2006 â 658
- 2007 â 671
- 2008 â 891
- 2009 â 466
- 2010 â 368
- 2011 â 400
- 2012 â 1,559
- 2013 â 1,923
- 2014 â 1,750
- 2015 â 1,946
- 2016 â 2,137
- 2017 â 2,448
- 2018 â 1,904
- 2019 â 1,499
- 2020 â 1,250
- 2021 â 997
- 2022 â 1,393
- 2023 â 2,010
People born in Africa who received Finnish citizenship by year:
- 1990 â 37
- 1991 â 87
- 1992 â 86
- 1993 â 42
- 1994 â 58
- 1995 â 78
- 1996 â 117
- 1997 â 175
- 1998 â 559
- 1999 â 829
- 2000 â 332
- 2001 â 275
- 2002 â 306
- 2003 â 290
- 2004 â 329
- 2005 â 387
- 2006 â 397
- 2007 â 426
- 2008 â 627
- 2009 â 329
- 2010 â 279
- 2011 â 297
- 2012 â 1,043
- 2013 â 1,344
- 2014 â 1,350
- 2015 â 1,447
- 2016 â 1,590
- 2017 â 1,844
- 2018 â 1,480
- 2019 â 1,231
- 2020 â 972
- 2021 â 764
- 2022 â 1,059
- 2023 â 1,449
Asylum seekers
1990âÂÂ2013
From 1990 to 2013, a total of 14,481 African citizens applied for asylum in Finland, which was 22.4% out of the total of 64,536 asylum seekers. African asylum seekers by country of citizenship:
There were not asylum seekers from Cape Verde, the Comoros, São Tomé and PrÃÂncipe or Seychelles.
2015âÂÂ2020
From January 2015 to August 2020, there were a total of 7,935 African citizens who applied for asylum in Finland; 14.6% out of the total of 54,520 asylum seekers. African asylum seekers by country of citizenship:
There were not asylum seekers from Botswana, Djibouti, Lesotho, Madagascar, Malawi, Mauritius, São Tomé and PrÃÂncipe or Seychelles.
Adoptions
From 1987 to 2023, a total of 984 people were adopted from Africa to Finland. 907 (92.2%) of them were from the countries of South Africa (571, 58.0%), Ethiopia (287, 29.2%) and Kenya (49, 5.0%), and the rest, 77 people (7.8%), were from other African countries.
Adoptees from Africa by year:
- 1987 â 11
- 1988 â 19
- 1989 â 5
- 1990 â 9
- 1991 â 12
- 1992 â 12
- 1993 â 16
- 1994 â 19
- 1995 â 14
- 1996 â 11
- 1997 â 13
- 1998 â 15
- 1999 â 14
- 2000 â 22
- 2001 â 11
- 2002 â 28
- 2003 â 28
- 2004 â 30
- 2005 â 35
- 2006 â 34
- 2007 â 44
- 2008 â 48
- 2009 â 66
- 2010 â 53
- 2011 â 71
- 2012 â 48
- 2013 â 43
- 2014 â 47
- 2015 â 41
- 2016 â 16
- 2017 â 30
- 2018 â 20
- 2019 â 26
- 2020 â 8
- 2021 â 27
- 2022 â 18
- 2023 â 20
Marriages and cohabitation
On 31 December 2023, there were 5,097 Finnish citizens who were either married to or registered as cohabiting with citizens of African countries. 3,041 (59.7%) of the Finnish citizens were women and 2,056 (40.3%) were men; for both sexes the largest groups of partners were Somalian, Moroccan and Nigerian citizens. The next largest groups for Finnish women were Gambian and Ghanaian citizens, and for Finnish men Ethiopian and Kenyan citizens. On the same date, there were 4,989 African-born people who were either married to or registered as cohabiting with people born in Finland; 3,810 (76.4%) of the people born in Finland were women, while 1,179 (23.6%) were men.
Employment
Statistics Finland's employment statistics from 2000 to 2021 are available for the citizens of the following 23 African countries: Algeria, Angola, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Eritrea, Ethiopia, The Gambia, Ghana, Kenya, Libya, Morocco, Namibia, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, Sudan, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda and Zambia.
Afro-Finns
Identity
Afro-Finns, also referred to as Black Finns, are Finns whose lineages are fully or partly in the populations of Sub-Saharan Africa ("Black Africa"). They have lived in Finland since the 19th century. According to an estimate in 2009 by Yle, there are 20,000 Afro-Finns in Finland, and according to Statistics Finland, the total number of people in Finland with a close Sub-Saharan African background was 62,759 in 2024. Thus, they make up a much larger ethnic minority than many other prominent minority groups in Finland, such as the Sámi or Romani. The identity of Afro-Finns varies: some consider themselves Finns, while others identify with a separate cultural heritage. Some actively cherish their connections to Africa through their African relatives and cultures, while for others, these connections are more distant but still meaningful.
Culture
In 2013, the dance performance Noir? by became the first fully Afro-Finnish dance performance when it premiered at in Helsinki.
Held annually since 2018, the Afrofinns Achievement AwardsâÂÂpresented by Afrofinns ry, an organization for "Finns and everyone else with African heritage living in Finland"âÂÂacknowledges, honors and celebrates the contribution of the Afro-community in Finland.
In 2020, , 2013 and celebrity, and Obi-West Utchaychukwu, the editor-in-chief of Diaspora Glitz Magazine, founded the beauty pageant Miss Afro Diaspora Finland (formerly The Face of African Queen) for young women of African ancestry living in Finland.
Media
Established in 1993, the magazine SCANDI-B was targeted to Black people in the Nordic countries. Printed in Raisio, Finland, it had a circulation of 7,000 in 1993 with as the editor-in-chief.
In 2010, Yle broadcast the three-episode documentary television series Afro-Suomen historia () about early Afro-Finns.
The multimedia ' () focuses on Afro-Finns and other people of colour in Finland. Its six-episode Afrosuomen historiaa etsimässä () podcast's first episode was broadcast on in 2017.
The Afro-Finnish Diaspora Glitz Magazine won the category of Best Media at the 2019 Afrofinns Achievement Awards.
Racism
During the 1952 Summer Olympics held in Helsinki, Finland, some warned Finnish women against showing interest in "exotic" athletes and pressured them to "act appropriately" in the presence of black people, "". The Finnish word ' (cognate with negro) was long considered a neutral equivalent for "negro". In 2002, the usage notes of shifted from "perceived as derogatory by some" to "generally derogatory" in the Dictionary of Contemporary Finnish, edited by the Institute for the Languages of Finland.
Nationwide racism began to grow after the first Somali refugees arrived in Finland in the 1990s during the Somali Civil War. Finnish skinheads carried out attacks against Africans, and the city of Joensuu in eastern Finland, in particular, became . In the municipality of Nastola in southern Finland, the police had to protect the local refugee center from violence by local residents, who carried out a shooting. Other incidents included a bomb that detonated at a refugee center in Valkeala, a municipality in southeast Finland, and an attack by skinheads on Somalis in Hakunila, Vantaa, in southern Finland.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, some ethnic Finnish women married to or cohabiting with younger black men have faced discrimination, as they are sometimes stereotyped as sex tourists in Finnish society.
According to the study "Being Black in the EU" by the Fundamental Rights Agency published in 2018, 63% of Afro-Finns in Finland had experienced racist harassment, which took the form of offensive gestures, comments, threats or violence. This was the highest percentage among the twelve European Union member states included in the study, significantly higher than, for example, Malta's 20%. 14% stated that they had experienced violence in Finland due to their skin colourâÂÂalso the highest among the participating countriesâÂÂmuch higher than, for example, in Portugal, where 2% reported similar violence.
A report published in 2020 by the , an autonomous and independent authority, found that four out of five people with an African background had experienced racial discrimination in Finland due to their skin colour.
Notable people
Citizens and residents of Finland of full or partial African ancestry
See also categories: , (African country subcategories) and (African country subcategories)
Actors
- Fathi Ahmed (born 1991), actor and stand-up comedian of Somali descent
- , French Guianan-Martiniquais actor
- , half-Moroccan actress
- (born 1961), British-born actress, singer and model of Jamaican descent
- (born 2001/2002), actor of African ancestry
- Sofia Bryant (born 1999), actress of African-American descent
- Billy Carson (born 1955), American-born African-American actor and drummer
- (born 1964), half-Kenyan actor
- Pearl Hobson (1879âÂÂ1919), American-born African-American actress, singer, dancer and cabaret artist in the Russian Empire
- (born 1974), half-Chadian actress
- (born 1988), half-Togolese actor
- (born 1987), half-Kenyan actor
- (born 1972), half-Cameroonian actress
- (born 1989), half-Nigerian actor
- (born 1989), Ghanaian-born actress
- , half-Ghanaian actress
- , Costa Rican-born actress
Artists
- Sasha Huber (born 1975), Swiss-born artist of Haitian descent
- (born 1988), fashion designer of African-American descent
- (1928âÂÂ2021), American-born African-American visual artist and designer
Beauty pageant contestants
- (born 1990), half-Moroccan 2010
- Sara Chafak (born 1990), half-Moroccan-Berber Miss Finland 2012
- (born 1987), Congolese-born () Miss Helsinki 2013 and celebrity
- Dana Mononen (born 1999/2000), half-Guadeloupean Miss World Finland 2019
- Lola Odusoga (born 1977), half-Nigerian model, presenter and Miss Finland 1996
Dancers
- (born 1985), half-Cameroonian dancer and choreographer
- , Ethiopian-born dancer
Entrepreneurs
- Soraya Bahgat, social entrepreneur of Egyptian descent
- (born 1984), Emirati-born entrepreneur of Egyptian descent
- (born 1974), Mozambican-born entrepreneur and director
Film people
- Khadar Ayderus Ahmed (born 1981), Somalian-born screenwriter and film director
- Jessie Chisi (born 1986/1987), Zambian-born film director and screenwriter
- (born 1956), Algerian-born documentary film director
Journalists
- , Ghanaian-born journalist
- (born 1975), half-Ugandan journalist
- (born 1983/1984), television journalist of African-American descent
- Minna Salami (born 1978), half-Nigerian journalist
Musicians
- (born 1991), half-Moroccan hip hop musician
- (born 1973), Ethiopian-born drummer and percussionist
- (born 1978), half-Senegalese singer and actor
- Eric Bibb (born 1951), American-born African-American blues musician
- (born 1994), half-Nigerian hip hop musician
- Eddie Boyd (1914âÂÂ1994), American-born African-American blues pianist and singer
- Daco Junior (born 1990), Angolan-born musician
- Raymond Ebanks (born 1970), half-Jamaican musician
- Michael Ekeghasi (born 1985), Nigerian-born singer-songwriter
- Lee Gaines (1914âÂÂ1987), American-born African-American jazz singer
- (born 1987), Congolese-born () rapper
- (born 1988), singer and footballer of Nigerian descent
- Jedidi (born 1995), half-Tunisian DJ and hip hop musician
- Juno (born 1987), half-Kenyan rapper
- (born 1994), musician of Somalian descent
- Noah Kin (born 1994), Norwegian-born half-Nigerian rapper
- (born 1991/1992), rapper of Somalian descent
- (born 1953), Ghanaian-born musician and sex offender
- Mad Ice (born 1980), Ugandan-born singer-songwriter
- (born 1962), Senegalese-born musician
- (born 1985), Liberian-born musician
- Rummy Nanji, Tanzanian-born singer known from the Finnish band
- James Nikander (born 1990), half-Tanzanian rapper, bodybuilder and Internet personality
- (born late 1970s), Cuban-born musician
- OX (born 1975), half-Egyptian bass guitarist
- (born 1992), rapper of Gambian descent
- (born 1987), Congolese-born rapper
- Pete Parkkonen (born 1990), singer of partial Martiniquais descent
- (born 1990), Ethiopian-born rapper
- Ismaila Sané (born 1956), Senegalese-born musician
- (born 1997), half-Senegalese singer
- Sexmane (born 2000), half-Senegalese singer and rapper
- Jackson Shuudifonya (born 1985), musician of Namibian descent, known from the Finnish band
- T.L, half-Jamaican musician known from the Finnish band TCT
- (born 1950), Jamaican-born reggae musician
- Tiahu, half-Jamaican musician known from the Finnish band TCT
- (born 1990), Angolan-born rapper
- , singer-songwriter of partial Martiniquais descent
- Mirel Wagner (born 1987), Ethiopian-born singer-songwriter
- Nicole Willis (born 1963), American-born African-American singer, songwriter and painter
- Yasmine Yamajako (born 1990/1991), half-Beninese singer
- (born 1996), half-Ghanaian rapper
Politicians
- Zahra Abdulla (born 1965), Somalian-born politician
- Abdirahman Mohamed Abdullahi (born 1955), Somalian-born politician
- Fadumo Dayib (born 1972), Kenyan-born politician of Somalian descent
- Fatim Diarra (born 1986), half-Malian politician
- Simon Ekpa (born 1985), Nigerian-born politician and political activist
- (born 1967), Somalian-born politician
- Sari Essayah (born 1967), half-Moroccan politician and racewalker
- Bella Forsgrén (born 1992), Ethiopian-born member of the Parliament of Finland
- Abdirahim Hussein (born 1978), Somalian-born radio journalist and politician
- Junes Lokka (born 1979), Moroccan-born activist and politician
- (died 2011), Somalian-born politician
- Suldaan Said Ahmed (born 1993), Somalian-born activist and politician
- Jani Toivola (born 1977), half-Kenyan actor, dancer, presenter and member of the Parliament of Finland (2011âÂÂ2019)
- Faysal Ali Warabe (born 1948), Somalian-born politician
Scientists
- (born 1962), Tunisian-born professor
- Kelsey Harrison (born 1933), Nigerian-born gynaecologist and researcher
- (born 1945), American-born African-American linguist and actor
- (born 1958), Somalian-born physician and researcher
Sportspeople
- William Alatalo (born 2002), half-Ethiopian racing driver
- (born 1999), half-Chadian long jumper and triple jumper
- Pierre Collura (born 1989), Malagasy-born sailor
- Seppo Evwaraye (born 1982), half-Nigerian player of American football
- (born 1982), Cuban-born volleyball player
- Mimosa Jallow (born 1994), half-Gambian swimmer
- (born 1981/1982), Ethiopian-born exercise instructor
- Frantz Kruger (born 1975), White South African-born discus thrower
- Chris Mulumba (born 1992), player of American football of Congolese () descent
- Michael Quarshie (born 1979), half-Ghanaian player of American football
- (born 1989), half-Algerian hammer thrower
Basketball players
- Fiifi Aidoo (born 1996), Ghanaian-born basketball player
- (born 1984), Ghanaian-born basketball player
- Mustapha Amzil (born 2001), half-Moroccan basketball player
- Sara Bejedi (born 2000), basketball player of Cameroonian-Moroccan descent
- (born 1987), half-Ghanaian basketball player
- (born 1983), American-born African-American basketball player
- Federiko Federiko (born 2001), Egyptian-born basketball player of South Sudanese descent
- Jacob Grandison (born 1998), basketball player of African-American descent
- (born 1990), basketball player of African-American descent
- Bernard Harris (born 1950), American-born African-American basketball coach and basketball player
- (born 1958), American-born African-American basketball player
- Shawn Hopkins (born 1995), basketball player of African-American descent
- (born 1950), American-born African-American basketball coach and basketball player
- Shawn Huff (born 1984), basketball player of African-American descent
- Pierre Jallow (born 1979), Gambian-born basketball player
- (born 1957), American-born African-American basketball coach and basketball player
- Awak Kuier (born 2001), Egyptian-born basketball player of South Sudanese descent
- (born 1987), basketball player of African-American descent
- (born 1952), American-born African-American entrepreneur and basketball player
- Gerald Lee Jr. (born 1987), basketball player of African-American descent
- (born 1951), American-born African-American basketball coach and basketball player
- (born 1979), American-born African-American basketball player
- Miro Little (born 2004), basketball player of African-American descent
- Jonathan Moore (born 1957), American-born African-American basketball player
- (born 1994), basketball player of African-American descent
- Michaela Moua (born 1976), half-Ivorian basketball player
- Olivier Nkamhoua (born 2000), half-Cameroonian basketball player
- (born 1992), basketball player of African-American descent
- (born 1984), basketball player of African-American descent
- (born 1953), American-born African-American basketball coach and basketball player
- (born 1988), basketball player of African-American descent
- (born 1975), half-Jamaican basketball player
- Thomas Tumba (born 2001), Congolese-born () basketball player
- Damon Williams (born 1973), American-born African-American basketball player
- Jamar Wilson (born 1984), American-born African-American basketball player
Footballers
- Nosh A Lody (born 1989), Congolese-born () footballer
- Zakaria Abahassine (born 1988), half-Moroccan footballer
- Bakr Abdellaoui (born 1997), half-Moroccan footballer
- Seth Ablade (born 1983), Ghanaian-born footballer
- Abdulkadir Said Ahmed (born 1999), Somalian-born footballer
- Nikolai Alho (born 1993), half-Ghanaian footballer
- Christian Aniche Izuchukwu (born 1981), Nigerian-born footballer
- Samuel Anini Junior (born 2002), footballer of Ghanaian descent
- Nnaemeka Anyamele (born 1994), footballer of Nigerian descent
- Roosa Ariyo (born 1994), half-Nigerian footballer
- Felipe Aspegren (born 1994), Colombian-born footballer
- Jasin-Amin Assehnoun (born 1998), half-Moroccan footballer
- Serge Atakayi (born 1999), Congolese-born () footballer
- Artur Atarah (born 2005), half-Ghanaian footballer
- Robbie Azodo (born 2001), half-Nigerian footballer
- Enoch Banza (born 2000), footballer of Congolese () descent
- Patrick Bantamoi (born 1986), Sierra Leonean-born football goalkeeper
- Michael Boamah (born 2003), American-born footballer of Ghanaian and African-American descent
- Moshood Bola (born 1968), Nigerian-born football manager and footballer
- Sonosi Daldum (born 2007), footballer of Sudanese descent
- Yassin Daoussi (born 2000), half-Moroccan footballer
- Bajung Darboe (born 2006), Gambian-born footballer
- (born 1996), footballer of Angolan descent
- Solomon Duah (born 1993), footballer of Ghanaian descent
- Adel Eid (born 1984), half-Egyptian footballer
- Amos Ekhalie (born 1988), Kenyan-born footballer
- Iidle Elmi (born 1995), Somalian-born footballer
- David Ezeh (born 2006), half-Nigerian footballer
- Cheyne Fowler (born 1982), half-White South African footballer
- Fabrice Gatambiye (born 2000), Congolese-born () footballer
- Niko Hämäläinen (born 1997), American-born footballer of African-American descent
- Gershon Henry (born 2006), Ghanaian-born footballer
- Nora Heroum (born 1994), half-Moroccan footballer
- Segun Ikudehinbu (born 1989), Nigerian-born footballer
- Abaas Ismail (born 1998), footballer of Somalian descent
- Omar Jama (born 1998), footballer of Somalian descent
- (born 1993), footballer of Somalian descent
- Glen Kamara (born 1995), footballer of Sierra Leonean descent
- (born 1995), half-Sudanese footballer
- Zakaria Kibona (born 1990), Tanzanian-born football manager and footballer
- Kevin Kouassivi-Benissan (born 1999), footballer of Togolese descent
- Akon Kuek (born 2004), footballer of South Sudanese descent
- (born 1994), Congolese-born () footballer
- Didis Lutumba-Pitah (born 1998), footballer of Congolese () descent
- Joslyn Luyeye-Lutumba (born 2002), footballer of Congolese () descent
- Jean-Claude Mabinda (born 2000), half-Congolese () footballer
- (born 1988), Sudanese-born footballer
- (born 1991), Congolese-born () footballer
- Obed Malolo (born 1997), footballer of Congolese () descent
- Robbie Malolo (born 2001), footballer of Congolese () descent
- Henri Malundama (born 1995), footballer of Cameroonian-Congolese descent
- Sakari Mattila (born 1989), half-Algerian footballer
- Aristote Mboma (born 1994), Congolese-born () footballer
- Medo (born 1987), Sierra Leonean-born footballer
- Adam Mekki (born 2002), half-Algerian footballer
- Tony Miettinen (born 2002), Kenyan-born footballer
- Abukar Mohamed (born 1999), Somalian-born footballer
- Hussein Mohamed (born 1997), Somalian-born footballer
- Kevin Mombilo (born 1993), Congolese-born () footballer
- Mehdi El Moutacim (born 2000), half-Moroccan footballer
- Jonathan Muzinga (born 2002), footballer of Congolese () descent
- Kelechukwu Nnajiofor (born 1990), Nigerian-born footballer
- Djoully Nzoko (born 2007), footballer of Congolese () descent
- Echiabhi Okodugha (born 1988), Nigerian-born footballer
- Anthony Olusanya (born 2000), half-Nigerian footballer
- Nicholas Otaru (born 1986), half-Nigerian footballer
- (born 1985), Ghanaian-born footballer
- Emmanuel Patut (born 2003), footballer of South Sudanese descent
- Steven Polack (born 1961), English-born footballer and football manager of West Indian descent
- Youness Rahimi (born 1995), half-Moroccan footballer
- Sami Rähmönen (born 1987), half-Moroccan footballer
- David Ramadingaye (born 1989), half-Chadian footballer
- Sharp Räsänen (born 1999), footballer of Nigerian descent
- Klebér Saarenpää (born 1975), Swedish-born half-Guinean football manager and footballer
- Ahmed Said Ahmed (born 1998), Somalian-born footballer
- Momodou Sarr (born 2000), footballer of Gambian descent
- Mauro Severino (born 1999), Angolan-born footballer
- Samba Sillah (born 1999), half-Gambian footballer
- Pyry Soiri (born 1994), half-Namibian footballer
- Malick Thiaw (born 2001), half-Senegalese footballer
- Robin Tihi (born 2002), Swedish-born half-Moroccan footballer
- Henry Chidozie Ugwunna (born 1989), Nigerian-born footballer
- Vincent Ulundu (born 2005), half-Congolese () footballer
- Babatunde Wusu (born 1984), Nigerian-born footballer
- Gullit Zolameso (born 1995), Angolan-born footballer
Ice hockey players
- Semir Ben-Amor (born 1982), half-Tunisian ice hockey player
- Josef Boumedienne (born 1978), half-Algerian ice hockey player
- Christopher Gibson (born 1992), half-Saint Lucian ice hockey goaltender
- (born 1999), half-Nigerian ice hockey player
- Matti Lamberg (born 1993), half-Moroccan-Berber ice hockey player
- (born 2000), ice hockey player of African-American descent
- (born 2001), ice hockey player of African-American descent
Martial artists
- (born 1984), half-Algerian boxer
- (born 1986), Cuban-born boxer
- Faye Njie (born 1993), half-Gambian judoka
- (born 1975), half-Nigerian karateka
- (born 1991), Togolese-born boxer and for 2019
- Frank Zoko Ble (born 1975), Ivorian-born murderer and karateka
Runners
- (born 1996), South Sudanese-born long-distance runner
- (born 1995), half-Moroccan sprinter
- (born 2000), sprinter of Jamaican descent
- Francis Kirwa (born 1974), Kenyan-born long-distance runner
- Wilson Kirwa (born 1974), Kenyan-born runner and writer
- (born 1975), half-Nigerian sprinter
- Billy Konchellah (born 1961), Kenyan-born middle-distance runner
- (born 1986), Kenyan-born long-distance runner
- (born 2002), Colombian-born sprinter
- (born 2001), long-distance runner of Somalian descent
- Yolanda Ngarambe (born 1991), half-Rwandan middle-distance runner
- (born 1985), Nigerian-born sprinter
- (born 1976), Kenyan-born long-distance runner
Writers
- Ronald Fair (1932âÂÂ2018), American-born African-American writer and sculptor
- (born 1979), Somalian-born writer
- (born 1974), half-Egyptian writer
Others
- Farhia Abdi (born 1972/1973), Somalian-born for 2020
- (born 1982), Somalian-born activist
- Aki Abiodun (born 1971), half-Nigerian contestant on the Finnish version of Big Brother and presenter
- Ujuni Ahmed (born 1987), Somalian-born activist
- François Bazaramba (born 1951), Rwandan-born criminal who was sentenced to life imprisonment in Finland for participating in the Rwandan genocide
- (born 1993), media personality, YouTuber and musician of Somalian descent
- (born 1974), Somalian-born murderer and sex offender
- (born 1977), half-Chadian presenter
- (born 1940), Moroccan-born circus performer
- (born 1970), Kenyan-born project manager and Refugee Woman of the Year for 1999
- Rosa Lemberg (1875âÂÂ1959), half-Bantu teacher, choral conductor and theatre director from Ovamboland
- Gibril Massaquoi (born 1970), Sierra Leonean-born detainee
- Amran Mohamed Ahmed (born 1954), Somalian-born Refugee Woman of the Year for 2005
- (born 1974), Somalian-born Refugee Woman of the Year for 2011
- Michele Murphy-Kaulanen (born 1980), celebrity of African-American descent and the wife of Sampo Kaulanen, a celebrity and the manager of Jounin Kauppa
- Daniela Owusu (born 2004), half-Ghanaian, first black woman to portray Saint Lucy in Finland's national Saint Lucy's Day celebrations
- (1903âÂÂ1940), Latvian-born soldier of African ancestry
- Nimo Samatar (born 1995), contestant on the Finnish version of Big Brother and blogger of Somalian descent
- (born 1992), Angolan-born media personality, YouTuber, presenter and musician
- Steven Thomas (born 1961), American-born African-American sex offender
- Leyla Väänänen (born 1992), half-Somalian contestant on the Finnish version of Big Brother
- (born 1993/1994), half-Somalian human rights activist
People of the Finnish diaspora with African ancestry
This list is for notable people of African ancestry who also belong to the Finnish diaspora (i.e. Finnish emigrants and their descendants) but do not hold Finnish citizenship. Many of them maintain their ties to Finland.
The Gambia
Germany
- Misan Haldin (born 1982), half-Nigerian basketball player
- (born 1984), half-Nigerian basketball player
Norway
Sweden
- Patrick Amoah (born 1986), half-Ghanaian footballer
- Ali Boulala (born 1979), half-Algerian skateboarder
- Sascha Boumedienne (born 2007), ice hockey player of Algerian descent
- Pia Conde (born 1970), half-Cuban journalist
- Mehdi Ghezali (born 1979), half-Algerian detainee of the Guantanamo Bay detention camp
- Jean-Louis Huhta (born 1965), half-Trinidadian musician
- Aino Jawo (born 1986), half-Gambian singer
- (born 1984), half-Tunisian ice hockey player
- Janice Kavander (born 1994), half-Ugandan singer
- Bianca Kronlöf (born 1985), actress of Afro-Trinidadian descent
- (born 1987), actress, musician and screenwriter of Afro-Trinidadian descent
- Elizabeth and Victoria Lejonhjärta (born 1990), half-Gambian-Senegalese-Sierra Leonean twin models, bloggers, writers and social media personalities
- Kerim Mrabti (born 1994), half-Tunisian footballer
- Näääk (born 1983), half-Gambian rapper
- Sam-E, half-Tunisian hip hop musician
- Rami Shaaban (born 1975), half-Egyptian footballer
- Adam Tensta (born 1983), half-Gambian rapper
- Demba Traoré (born 1982), half-Malian footballer
United Kingdom
United States
- Tyra Banks (born 1973), African-American television personality, model, producer, businesswoman, actress and author
- Drew Gooden (born 1981), African-American basketball player
- Carla Harvey (born 1976), African-American singer
- Jillian Hervey (born 1989), African-American singer and dancer
- Allan Mansoor (born 1964), half-Egyptian politician
- Dan O'Brien (born 1966), African-American decathlete and Olympic gold medalist
- Redfoo (born 1975), African-American musician
- Anna Deavere Smith (born 1950), African-American actress, playwright and professor
- Denzel Wells (born 1990), African-American player of American football, actor and contestant on the season 21 of America's Next Top Model
- Chris Williams (born 1967), African-American actor
- Vanessa Williams (born 1963), African-American singer, actress, fashion designer and Miss America 1984
Notes
References
External links