Kajaani: population and statistics
Kajaani has a population of 36,370 (2025) across 1,835.1 km², or 19.8 people per km². It ranks 33 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −3.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 36,370 residents
- 1,835.1 km²
- 20 people/km²
- 158 m
Kajaani in numbers
Key points
Among the 8 municipalities in Kainuu, Kajaani ranks No. 1 by population.
Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders): 32.9 per 1,000 inh. in Kajaani, compared with an average of 38.5 per 1,000 inh. in Kainuu and 59.4 per 1,000 inh. nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 23.4% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 46° generates about 841 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Kainuu for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Kainuu for “Population density”.
- “Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders)”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of dwellings built before 1940”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Share of residential buildings heated with district heating”: higher than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 257,015 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Paltamo, 20.8 km away.
Population of Kajaani over time
Kajaani had 37,622 residents in 2015 and 36,370 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 36,567 |
| 2021 | 36,493 |
| 2022 | 36,297 |
| 2023 | 36,513 |
| 2024 | 36,433 |
| 2025 | 36,370 |
All indicators for Kajaani
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 | Kajaani | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 14.1% | 12.4% | 13.3% | ranked 118 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 25.6% | 31.8% | 31.2% | ranked 235 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 44.5 years | 48.4 | 48.5 | ranked 239 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 7.2% | 5.2% | 3.4% | ranked 36 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kajaani | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 21,171 no. | 43,053 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 29 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 1.6% | – | 8.2% | ranked 281 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 11.7% | – | 14.5% | ranked 192 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 34.6% | – | 64.5% | ranked 278 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 46.5% | – | 11.1% | ranked 26 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 11.9% | – | 16.9% | ranked 236 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 45.3 /1,000 inh. | 169.3 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 247 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kajaani | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 21.7% | – | 3.9% | ranked 19 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 39.0% | – | 39.8% | ranked 172 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 10.0% | – | 5.5% | ranked 53 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 12.9% | – | 17.1% | ranked 221 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 16.4% | – | 29.1% | ranked 234 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kajaani | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 2,806 no. | 7,427 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 40 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 77.0 /1,000 inh. | 106.5 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 297 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 29,128 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 145 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,240 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 91 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 1,198 per 1,000 inh. | 2,662 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 48 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 32.9 per 1,000 inh. | 38.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 300 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.1 per 1,000 inh. | 2.1 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 215 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kajaani | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 15,852 no. | 27,030 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 25 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 11.6% | 12.1% | 10.8% | ranked 120 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 72.2% | 72.1% | 75.4% | ranked 229 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kajaani | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 20.5 /1,000 inh. | 119.0 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 93 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kajaani | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 502 /1,000 inh. | 538 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 280 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kajaani | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 15.2% | 15.4% | 14.3% | ranked 125 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kajaani | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 30.8% | 26.9% | 24.1% | ranked 59 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kajaani
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work23.4% ×1.2
- Administrative and support services10.7% ×1.5
- Public administration and defence9.6% ×1.9
- Wholesale and retail trade9.3% ×0.9
- Manufacturing8.5% ×0.7
- Education7.8% ×1.1
- Construction5.6% ×0.9
- Professional, scientific and technical4.8% ×0.8
Sunshine and temperatures: Kajaani
Where is Kajaani?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kajaani?
Kajaani has 36,370 residents (2025), ranking 33 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kajaani?
Kajaani covers 1,835.1 km², with a density of 20 people per km².
Is the population of Kajaani growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kajaani went from 37,622 to 36,370, a change of −3.3%.
Where is Kajaani?
Kajaani is in Kainuu. Latitude 64.225, longitude 27.733.
Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders): what is the figure for Kajaani?
In Kajaani, “Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders)” stands at 32.9 per 1,000 inh. (2026), ranking 300 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 53.9 per 1,000 inh..
Share of dwellings built before 1940: what is the figure for Kajaani?
In Kajaani, “Share of dwellings built before 1940” stands at 1.6% (2025), ranking 281 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 8.2%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kajaani?
In Kajaani, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 46° produces about 841 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kajaani?
The nearest to Kajaani are Paltamo (21 km), Sotkamo (33 km), Ristijärvi (39 km), Vaala (57 km), Hyrynsalmi (62 km).
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