Saarijärvi: population and statistics
Saarijärvi has a population of 8,763 (2025) across 1,251.8 km², or 7.0 people per km². It ranks 112 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −11.6% between 2015 and 2025.
- 8,763 residents
- 1,251.8 km²
- 7 people/km²
- 118 m
Saarijärvi in numbers
Key points
Among the 22 municipalities in Central Finland, Saarijärvi ranks No. 7 by population.
Unemployed as a share of the labour force: 17.0% in Saarijärvi, compared with an average of 14.4% in Central Finland and 11.7% nationally.
Share of Swedish speakers: 0.1% in Saarijärvi, compared with an average of 0.2% in Central Finland and 5.0% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 25.4% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 44° generates about 836 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Unemployed as a share of the labour force”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Share of Swedish speakers”: lower than in 93% of municipalities.
- “Median disposable cash income per consumption unit”: lower than in 90% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 175,318 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.7 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Uurainen, 24.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Äänekoski (17,492 residents), 27 km away.
Population of Saarijärvi over time
Saarijärvi had 9,915 residents in 2015 and 8,763 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 9,208 |
| 2021 | 9,117 |
| 2022 | 8,975 |
| 2023 | 8,847 |
| 2024 | 8,858 |
| 2025 | 8,763 |
All indicators for Saarijärvi
Value for the municipality, then the regional average and the national median (for counts: regional and national totals). The gauge places the municipality between the lowest and highest value in the country.
Population
| Indicator | Saarijärvi | Central Finland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 11.7% | 13.9% | 13.3% | ranked 213 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 37.6% | 25.4% | 31.2% | ranked 75 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 51.7 years | 44.6 | 48.5 | ranked 80 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 2.5% | 4.2% | 3.4% | ranked 202 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Saarijärvi | Central Finland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 5,514 no. | 164,402 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 100 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 6.8% | – | 8.2% | ranked 172 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 10.9% | – | 14.5% | ranked 210 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 60.5% | – | 64.5% | ranked 188 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 19.5% | – | 11.1% | ranked 100 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 16.4% | – | 16.9% | ranked 160 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 201.0 /1,000 inh. | 112.6 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 142 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Saarijärvi | Central Finland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 3.4% | – | 3.9% | ranked 162 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 34.1% | – | 39.8% | ranked 243 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 6.6% | – | 5.5% | ranked 118 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 20.6% | – | 17.1% | ranked 96 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 35.2% | – | 29.1% | ranked 97 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Saarijärvi | Central Finland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,294 no. | 28,724 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 97 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 146.1 /1,000 inh. | 104.6 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 136 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 27,033 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 272 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 870 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 147 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 460 per 1,000 inh. | 12,966 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 115 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 52.5 per 1,000 inh. | 47.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 162 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.5 per 1,000 inh. | 3.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 72 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Saarijärvi | Central Finland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 2,716 no. | 106,247 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 114 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 17.0% | 14.4% | 10.8% | ranked 15 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 68.6% | 70.1% | 75.4% | ranked 273 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Saarijärvi | Central Finland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 26.5 /1,000 inh. | 43.5 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 80 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Saarijärvi | Central Finland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 587 /1,000 inh. | 489 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 130 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Saarijärvi | Central Finland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 18.1% | 17.3% | 14.3% | ranked 37 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Saarijärvi | Central Finland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 22.1% | 32.5% | 24.1% | ranked 200 of 302 |
Business sectors: Saarijärvi
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work25.4% ×1.3
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing12.0% ×4.9
- Manufacturing11.6% ×0.9
- Education9.3% ×1.3
- Wholesale and retail trade8.3% ×0.8
- Construction6.2% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services5.0% ×0.7
- Public administration and defence4.3% ×0.9
Sunshine and temperatures: Saarijärvi
Where is Saarijärvi?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Saarijärvi?
Saarijärvi has 8,763 residents (2025), ranking 112 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Saarijärvi?
Saarijärvi covers 1,251.8 km², with a density of 7 people per km².
Is the population of Saarijärvi growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Saarijärvi went from 9,915 to 8,763, a change of −11.6%.
Where is Saarijärvi?
Saarijärvi is in Central Finland. Latitude 62.706, longitude 25.257.
Unemployed as a share of the labour force: what is the figure for Saarijärvi?
In Saarijärvi, “Unemployed as a share of the labour force” stands at 17.0% (2024), ranking 15 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 10.8%.
Share of Swedish speakers: what is the figure for Saarijärvi?
In Saarijärvi, “Share of Swedish speakers” stands at 0.1% (2025), ranking 222 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 0.3%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Saarijärvi?
In Saarijärvi, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 44° produces about 836 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Saarijärvi?
The nearest to Saarijärvi are Uurainen (25 km), Äänekoski (27 km), Karstula (30 km), Kannonkoski (30 km), Multia (41 km).
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