A slow but persistent convergence of Finland's per capita output and standard of living with those of the other Western European countries started. The acceleration of GDP growth was largely based on expanding exports of forest products. The main market for exports was Western Europe, as before, even though consumption goods were exported to Russia.
The interwar period, Finland started to catch up quite rapidly with the leading European economies, diversifying its economy in the process. On the eve of the Second World War the GDP per capita was about 60 per cent of that of England and almost 80 per cent of that of France.