By absolute numbers, Espoo was the second most Swedish-speaking municipality in Finland after Helsinki, before Raseborg, Vaasa, Porvoo and Korsholm. In 2018, the largest proportions of Swedish speakers in Espoo were in Suvisaaristo (33.6%), Espoonkartano (29.9%), Sepänkylä (24.1%) and Bodom (21.3%). By absolute numbers, the most Swedish speakers lived in Haukilahti (993 people) and Matinkylä (813 people). The proportion of Finnish speakers has decreased significantly during the last two decades. In 1999, the proportion of Finnish speakers was 88%, and in 2021 it was about 73%. The proportion of foreign language speakers has increased drastically: in 1999, it was about 4%, and in 2021 about 20%. The foreign language speakers in Espoo are a heterogeneous group divided into tens of different languages, of which the Russian speakers form the largest part, amounting to about 3% of the population in 2021. The proportion of foreign language speakers in Espoo was slightly higher than the average in Uusimaa. In 2019, there were 33,576 foreign citizens in Espoo, about 11.6% of the population. Congregations At the end of the year 2019 57.1 percent of Espoo's population belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland. According to the 2018 division Espoo is home to the following Evangelical Lutheran congregations: Espoonlahti congregation (formerly known as the Kivenlahti congregation) Espoo cathedral congregation (formerly known as the Kanta-Espoo congregation) Leppävaara congregation Olari congregation Tapiola congregation Esbo svenska församling Together these congregations form the Espoo Congregation Union (Finnish: Espoon seurakuntayhtymä, Swedish: Esbo kyrkliga samfällighet). In 2003, of the population of Espoo, 79.5 percent belonged to the Evangelical Lutheran Church, 18.0 percent did not belong to any religious organisation, 1.2 percent belonged to the Orthodox Church of Finland, 0.4 percent were Catholic and 0.2 percent were Jehovah's Witnesses. Members of the Evangelical Free Church of Finland, Mormons, Jews, Muslims, other Orthodox and Methodists amounted to 0.1 percent each. There are five Lutheran churches in Espoo (each Finnish-speaking congregation has one), including the Espoo Cathedral, the Espoonlahti Church, the Olari Church, the Tapiola Church and the Leppävaara Church. There are also 27 chapels of the Lutheran Church in Espoo. Of the Orthodox congregations in Finland, the Helsinki Orthodox Congregation is active in Espoo. It has the Church of the Sanctifier Herman of Alaska in Tapiola. Of the congregations of the Pentecostal Church of Finland, the Pentecostal Congregation of Espoo is active in Espoo. Individual Pentecostal congregations in Espoo include the