In Finland, mental health disorders have overtaken musculoskeletal diseases as the most common cause of disability pensions.

Omissions

• The claim does not distinguish between the stock of all current disability pension recipients and the flow of newly granted disability pensions; the official ETK figure (43% mental vs 25% musculoskeletal) most plausibly describes retirement onto a disability pension, but the wording is ambiguous.
• A more recent dataset (Ilmarinen, private-sector insured, 2024) shows musculoskeletal diseases (35%) still ahead of mental disorders (29%) among the pensions it granted, indicating the ranking is not uniform across providers.
• The exact reference period of the ETK figure could not be confirmed from the search results; if it refers to an earlier year, the most recent data may differ.
• The MEP's party (Left Alliance) has an interest in highlighting mental-health-related labour-market exclusion, so the framing should be read with that context in mind.

Sources

• PrimaryFinnish Centre for Pensions (ETK) — Mental disorders the most common reason for retirement on a disability pensionMost often (43%), mental disorders underlie retirement on a disability pension. The second most common cause are musculoskeletal diseases (25%).
• PrimaryFinnish Centre for Pensions (ETK) — Mielenterveyden sairaudet yleisin työkyvyttömyyseläkkeelle siirtymisen syyYleisin syy olla työkyvyttömyyseläkkeellä on mielenterveysperusteinen (43 %). Seuraavaksi tulevat tuki- ja liikuntaelinsairaudet (25 %).
• PrimaryIlmarinen — Mielenterveyssyistä päädyttiin työkyvyttömyyseläkkeelle keskimäärin 44-vuotiaanaYleisimmät syyt myönnetyissä työkyvyttömyyseläkkeissä olivat tuki- ja liikuntaelinsairaudet (35 %) ja mielenterveyden häiriöt (29 %). (Vuonna 2024 Ilmarisessa vakuutetut...)
• PrimaryKela Info Tray — Information package: Sickness absenceMental health disorders are the most common reason for long sickness absences for which Kela pays [sickness allowance].