Kuntalainen

Kuntalainen is a Finnish term meaning a resident of a municipality (kunta). The word is formed from kunta 'municipality' and the -lainen suffix, which is used in Finnish to create demonyms and descriptors for people associated with a place. In everyday and official language, kuntalainen refers to a person who lives within a municipality and is thus part of the local community and subject to its local administration and services.

In Finland, municipalities are self-governing units responsible for local issues such as education, social services, land use, and infrastructure. Kuntalaiset are the primary group that municipal authorities serve, and the term is frequently used in public communications, demographic analyses, and planning documents to describe the resident population. The concept is distinct from national citizenship (kansalainen); while kuntalainen may participate in local decision-making, voting rights in municipal elections are governed by applicable law and residency status. Municipal participation also includes opportunities for residents to contribute to consultations, advisory processes, and other forms of local democracy.