Young adults remain the age group most likely to fall behind on payments, according to new figures from Suomen Asiakastieto.File photo. Image: Tiina Jutila / YleYle News11:25More young people in Finland are falling into long-term debt, according to credit reference agency, Suomen Asiakastieto.At the end of June, around 20,600 people had been in debt enforcement proceedings for more than 18 months, up from 16,500 a year earlier – an increase of roughly 25 percent.Suomen Asiakastieto's Customer Manager Jaakko Nors said the rise was significant and suggested that paying off debts has become increasingly difficult.Young adults in their 20s accounted for the largest share of new payment defaulters.More than 60 percent of defaults are linked to overdrafts, one-off loans and instant credit, with the ease of online shopping also playing a role."People have the need or desire to consume, but their purchasing power is no longer enough to match their spending habits," Nors said.He said the biggest underlying factor was the decline in purchasing power."If wages are low and living costs continue to rise, it puts young people's finances in a vulnerable situation," he explained.The average debt recorded in enforcement proceedings now stands at 2,168 euros.Some positive signsDespite the increase in long-term debt, there are indications that the overall situation may be starting to stabilise.The total number of people receiving new payment default notices grew by 2,300 between April and June – around a quarter fewer than during the first three months of the year.Meanwhile, 907,400 individual payment default entries were recorded during the first half of 2026, roughly 10 percent less than during the same period last year.Nors said the decline in new defaults could be an early sign that the situation is improving."If we get a positive turn in the economy that improves consumer’s purchasing power, it could help reduce the problem," Nors added.Overall, around 387,000 Finns had at least one payment default recorded at the end of June, around 10,000 more than a year earlier.