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South Karelia

South Karelia had 125,083 residents at the end of 2024, in 9 municipalities. Median disposable income of adults was €24,528 in 2024, 7% below the national level. The population has fallen by 4.6% since 2015.

Region · Code 09 · in Swedish Södra Karelen · Statistics Finland · Updated 24 October 2026
125,083residents31 December 2024
€24,528median incomeadults, 2024
34%of households rentingtenure
26%green within 500 maverage
South Karelia by postcode area
Map of South Karelia: Share of land within 500 m that is green space
0%30%+
Share of land within 500 m that is green space

Sources: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0) · Statistics Finland, municipal and regional boundaries 2026 (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

All 9 municipalities.

Colour shows where each one sits among the others in the table, from lowest to highest.

MunicipalityResidentsMedian incomeRentingOwning65+Avg. ageUnemploymentGreen 500 mServices 15 min
Imatra24,724€24,35030%69%33%5118.2%22%35
Lappeenranta73,327€24,61141%58%25%4513.8%23%89
Lemi2,849€26,13715%83%27%4710.3%26%11
Luumäki4,358€23,59523%75%37%5212.3%24%16
Parikkala4,300€22,16221%77%44%5612.7%21%15
Rautjärvi3,008€23,48721%78%42%5517.6%46%24
Ruokolahti4,733€25,80116%83%38%5314.3%36%12
Savitaipale3,188€23,58617%81%40%5412.4%45%24
Taipalsaari4,596€26,99311%87%30%4811.3%34%47

Sources: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0) · © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

People.

Age at the end of 2024, next to the figure for Finland.

13%
aged under 16
10%
aged 16–24
22%
aged 25–44
26%
aged 45–64
29%
aged 65 and over
48
years, average age

Main activity

Employed38%
Unemployed6%
Students8%
Pensioners32%
Children aged 0–1412%
Others4%

Population at the end of each year

2015131,155
2016130,506
2017129,865
2018128,756
2019127,757
2020126,921
2021126,107
2022125,353
2023125,162
2024125,083

Source: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0)

Income and education.

Disposable income in 2024 and education at the end of 2024.

€24,528
median income, adults
€26,861
mean income, adults
14.5%
unemployment rate

Education of adults

No qualification after basic education23%
Matriculation examination6%
Vocational qualification41%
Lower university or polytechnic degree21%
Higher university degree9%

Income is the disposable money income of residents aged 18 and over in 2024: taxable and tax-free income minus taxes and contributions. The median is the middle value, so a few high earners do not pull it up.

Source: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0)

Homes.

67,417 households and 77,835 homes at the end of 2024.

1.8
people per household
44.3 m²
floor area per person
79.0 m²
average home size
42%
of homes in blocks of flats

Households by tenure

Owner-occupied65%
Rented34%
Other tenure1%

Households

One-person households49%
Young one-person households11%
Households with children16%
Pensioner households40%

Household groups overlap: young one-person households, for example, are also counted as one-person households.

46,362jobs located hereworkplaces
20,340summer cottages and other leisure homesleisure homes
56%of homes in housesdetached, semi-detached, terraced

Statistics Finland withholds a figure when fewer than 30 people are behind it (fewer than 10 for workplaces). Missing figures are shown as a dash and never estimated.

Source: Statistics Finland, Paavo open data by postal code area 2026 (CC BY 4.0)

Everyday life.

60 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk; 26% green space within 500 metres.

70schoolsOpenStreetMap
43day-care centresOpenStreetMap
18residents per km²6,866.0 km²

Services and green space are measured from each postcode area’s service centre: the point inside the area with the most shops and services within 500 metres. Municipal and regional figures are averages weighted by population.

Source: © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL)

Around here.

Photographs taken near South Karelia, shared on Wikimedia Commons under free licences.

Water-tower-Lappeenranta-Finland
i
Water-tower-Lappeenranta-Finland
Photo: Petritap · CC BY-SA 3.0
View on Wikimedia Commons
Lappeenrannan vapaaseurakunta
i
Lappeenrannan vapaaseurakunta
Photo: MKFI · Public domain
View on Wikimedia Commons
Lappeenrannan kaupunginteatteri
i
Lappeenrannan kaupunginteatteri
Photo: MKFI · Public domain
View on Wikimedia Commons

Municipalities.