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Kainuu

Kainuu had 69,639 residents at the end of 2024, in 8 municipalities. Median disposable income of adults was €24,405 in 2024, 7% below the national level. The population has fallen by 7.5% since 2015.

Region · Code 18 · in Swedish Kajanaland · Statistics Finland · Updated 24 October 2026
69,639residents31 December 2024
€24,405median incomeadults, 2024
30%of households rentingtenure
20%green within 500 maverage
Kainuu by postcode area
Map of Kainuu: 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 8 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
Hyrynsalmi2,002€21,56717%82%47%5713.4%20%16
Kajaani36,433€25,52835%64%25%4411.6%21%54
Kuhmo7,483€22,24925%73%41%5413.9%16%69
Paltamo2,990€23,30725%73%38%5211.6%18%17
Puolanka2,345€21,33525%73%44%5621.0%14%14
Ristijärvi1,163€23,03120%78%43%5511.4%30%18
Sotkamo10,185€26,15125%74%29%477.6%25%47
Suomussalmi7,038€21,93823%75%43%5516.1%16%29

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.

14%
aged under 16
9%
aged 16–24
21%
aged 25–44
25%
aged 45–64
31%
aged 65 and over
48
years, average age

Main activity

Employed38%
Unemployed5%
Students7%
Pensioners35%
Children aged 0–1413%
Others3%

Population at the end of each year

201575,324
201674,803
201773,959
201873,061
201972,306
202071,664
202171,255
202270,521
202370,164
202469,639

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.

€24,405
median income, adults
€26,881
mean income, adults
11.9%
unemployment rate

Education of adults

No qualification after basic education22%
Matriculation examination4%
Vocational qualification47%
Lower university or polytechnic degree21%
Higher university degree7%

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.

36,347 households and 43,286 homes at the end of 2024.

1.9
people per household
45.1 m²
floor area per person
81.7 m²
average home size
31%
of homes in blocks of flats

Households by tenure

Owner-occupied69%
Rented30%
Other tenure1%

Households

One-person households48%
Young one-person households10%
Households with children17%
Pensioner households43%

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

27,030jobs located hereworkplaces
11,861summer cottages and other leisure homesleisure homes
66%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.

47 everyday shops and services within a 15-minute walk; 20% green space within 500 metres.

50schoolsOpenStreetMap
33day-care centresOpenStreetMap
3residents per km²22,674.0 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 Kainuu, shared on Wikimedia Commons under free licences.

Linnankatu Kajaani 20090116
i
Linnankatu Kajaani 20090116
Photo: Estormiz · Public domain
View on Wikimedia Commons
Kauppakatu, Kajaani
i
Kauppakatu, Kajaani
Photo: Hoikka1 · CC BY-SA 3.0
View on Wikimedia Commons
Kajaani Kauppakatu
i
Kajaani Kauppakatu
Photo: Mikkoau · CC BY-SA 4.0
View on Wikimedia Commons

Municipalities.