Kokkola: population and statistics
Kokkola has a population of 48,338 (2025) across 1,446.5 km², or 33.4 people per km². It ranks 22 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +1.6% between 2015 and 2025.
- 48,338 residents
- 1,446.5 km²
- 33 people/km²
- 14 m
Kokkola in numbers
Key points
Among the 8 municipalities in Central Ostrobothnia, Kokkola ranks No. 1 by population.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 25.3% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 46° generates about 904 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Central Ostrobothnia for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Central Ostrobothnia for “Population density”.
- “Persons employed in the area (jobs)”: higher than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Total dwellings”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- “Business establishments”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 202,585 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Kronoby, 13.4 km away.
Population of Kokkola over time
Kokkola had 47,570 residents in 2015 and 48,338 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 47,772 |
| 2021 | 47,909 |
| 2022 | 48,006 |
| 2023 | 48,295 |
| 2024 | 48,367 |
| 2025 | 48,338 |
All indicators for Kokkola
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 | Kokkola | Central Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 17.2% | 17.0% | 13.3% | ranked 40 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 23.5% | 25.3% | 31.2% | ranked 250 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 42.9 years | 43.9 | 48.5 | ranked 258 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 11.7% | 8.6% | 0.3% | ranked 36 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 4.6% | 4.0% | 3.4% | ranked 94 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kokkola | Central Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 25,017 no. | 35,784 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 24 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 5.1% | – | 8.2% | ranked 210 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 24.9% | – | 14.5% | ranked 68 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 51.1% | – | 64.5% | ranked 242 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 34.1% | – | 11.1% | ranked 54 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 10.9% | – | 16.9% | ranked 247 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 51.1 /1,000 inh. | 62.4 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 240 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kokkola | Central Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 18.3% | – | 3.9% | ranked 26 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 37.8% | – | 39.8% | ranked 189 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 8.5% | – | 5.5% | ranked 76 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 24.9% | – | 17.1% | ranked 49 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 10.4% | – | 29.1% | ranked 266 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kokkola | Central Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 4,734 no. | 7,851 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 21 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 97.9 /1,000 inh. | 115.8 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 254 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 29,597 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 117 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,831 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 41 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 2,367 per 1,000 inh. | 3,471 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 27 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 49.0 per 1,000 inh. | 51.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 199 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.6 per 1,000 inh. | 2.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 155 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kokkola | Central Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 21,420 no. | 28,357 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 20 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 9.4% | 9.2% | 10.8% | ranked 192 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 77.0% | 77.5% | 75.4% | ranked 124 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kokkola | Central Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 16.1 /1,000 inh. | 17.7 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 108 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kokkola | Central Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 523 /1,000 inh. | 537 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 263 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kokkola | Central Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 11.9% | 12.2% | 14.3% | ranked 213 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kokkola | Central Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 30.3% | 27.7% | 24.1% | ranked 63 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kokkola
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work25.3% ×1.3
- Manufacturing16.5% ×1.3
- Wholesale and retail trade12.2% ×1.1
- Education8.5% ×1.1
- Construction6.1% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services5.8% ×0.8
- Transport and storage4.9% ×1.0
- Professional, scientific and technical3.8% ×0.6
Sunshine and temperatures: Kokkola
Where is Kokkola?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kokkola?
Kokkola has 48,338 residents (2025), ranking 22 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kokkola?
Kokkola covers 1,446.5 km², with a density of 33 people per km².
Is the population of Kokkola growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kokkola went from 47,570 to 48,338, a change of +1.6%.
Where is Kokkola?
Kokkola is in Central Ostrobothnia. Latitude 63.838, longitude 23.132.
Persons employed in the area (jobs): what is the figure for Kokkola?
In Kokkola, “Persons employed in the area (jobs)” stands at 21,420 no. (2024), ranking 20 of 308 municipalities; the national median is 1,778 no..
Total dwellings: what is the figure for Kokkola?
In Kokkola, “Total dwellings” stands at 25,017 no. (2025), ranking 24 of 308 municipalities; the national median is 3,342 no..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kokkola?
In Kokkola, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 46° produces about 904 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kokkola?
The nearest to Kokkola are Kronoby (13 km), Larsmo (21 km), Jakobstad (29 km), Pedersöre (31 km), Kannus (39 km).
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