The social and health care sector’s reputation continues to improve in Finland – HUS saw the biggest improvement in its reputation

Reputation and Trust Analytics’ Reputation&Trust survey of the social and healthcare sector indicates that the sector’s rise in reputation, which began last year, is continuing. Of the organizations surveyed, Coxa Hospital for Joint Replacement has the best reputation, while HUS saw the greatest improvement in its reputation.

The overall reputation of the social and health care sector was on a downward trend from the first year of the pandemic, 2020, through 2024, when the sector’s reputation reached its lowest score in the history of the survey, 2.73. The downward trend reversed last year: the sector’s reputation score rose by as much as 0.13 points to 2.86 in 2025 and by another 0.13 points to 2.99 this year.

This year’s score of 2.99 for the social and health care sector is just one hundredth of a point shy of a “moderate” reputation. On the five-point scale Reputation&Trust, an organization’s reputation is considered moderate if its reputation score falls between 3.00 and 3.49.

“It is significant that the multi-year decline has come to a halt and the trend in reputation has begun to rise. The improvement in the social and health care sector’s reputation has even continued steadily. This indicates that the sector’s consistent efforts have begun to yield results,” says Kai-Verneri Kaksonen, PR Manager at Reputation and Trust Analytics.

HUS has seen the biggest improvement in its reputation

In addition to the overall reputations of the social and health care sector and the public and private sectors, the study measured the organization-specific reputations of 41 industry players. Respondents rated Coxa Joint Replacement Hospital as having the best reputation, with a reputation score of 3.87.

The biggest rise in reputation, by 0.19 points, was recorded by a public sector organization, Helsinki University Hospital (HUS).

“HUS also saw the largest single increase in any dimension of the entire survey data set: 0.31 points in the workplace category. For the first time in the survey’s history, the organization succeeded in improving its employer image—and by a significant margin,” says Kaksonen.

“The management category is often challenging in the public sector, but HUS has improved its score in this area by as much as 0.29 points. In addition, HUS has seen a 0.22-point increase in the administration category and a 0.21-point increase in the finance category. These categories are intertwined in the broader discussion: developments in finance and administration often also influence perceptions of leadership,” Kaksonen continues.

HUS’s improved reputation has also been reflected in increased support from its stakeholders.

“HUS’s reputation has been on a steady rise for the second year in a row. It is particularly gratifying that positive developments have occurred in every aspect of our reputation. Overall, the results show that we have succeeded in maintaining and building trust across the board, even during these difficult years of adjustment,” says HUS CEO Matti Bergendahl.

This is how we conducted the study

The aim of the Reputation&Trust survey in the social and health care sector was to assess the reputation of selected organizations in the sector and the sector’s overall reputation among the general public. Data for the survey was collected via an online questionnaire between March 17 and April 21, 2026.

Organizations were evaluated using Reputation and Trust Analytics’ Reputation&Trust, in which an organization’s reputation score is calculated as the average of eight different sub-areas. These areas are corporate governance, finance, leadership, innovation, interaction, products & services, workplace, and responsibility. The study used a five-point rating scale (1–5).

A total of 6,686 Finns participated in the study. The study’s target group consisted of Finns aged 15–65 nationwide (excluding the Åland Islands). The sample was weighted to be representative of the population by gender, age, and region of residence.

The margin of error for the entire dataset is at most approximately 1.20 percentage points in either direction.

For more information:

Kai-Verneri Kaksonen, Reputation and Trust Analytics, Public Relations Manager, +358 50 545 5421, kai.kaksonen@reptrust.com

Riku Ruokolahti, Head of Development, Reputation and Trust Analytics, +358 400 512 200, riku.ruokolahti@reptrust.com