Kuhmo: population and statistics
Kuhmo has a population of 7,300 (2025) across 4,808.0 km², or 1.5 people per km². It ranks 127 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −17.1% between 2015 and 2025.
- 7,300 residents
- 4,808.0 km²
- 2 people/km²
- 168 m
Kuhmo in numbers
Key points
Among the 8 municipalities in Kainuu, Kuhmo ranks No. 3 by population.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 21.4% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 46° generates about 818 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Share of dwellings built after 2000”: lower than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Share of people aged under 15”: lower than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 673,391 football pitches.
- Its population density is 12.4 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Sotkamo, 55.1 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Kajaani (36,370 residents), 87 km away.
Population of Kuhmo over time
Kuhmo had 8,806 residents in 2015 and 7,300 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 8,042 |
| 2021 | 7,928 |
| 2022 | 7,755 |
| 2023 | 7,582 |
| 2024 | 7,483 |
| 2025 | 7,300 |
All indicators for Kuhmo
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 | Kuhmo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 9.0% | 12.4% | 13.3% | ranked 281 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 42.0% | 31.8% | 31.2% | ranked 32 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 54.6 years | 48.4 | 48.5 | ranked 34 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 2.3% | 5.2% | 3.4% | ranked 215 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kuhmo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 5,081 no. | 43,053 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 107 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 1.6% | – | 8.2% | ranked 281 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 5.2% | – | 14.5% | ranked 290 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 57.9% | – | 64.5% | ranked 204 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 22.2% | – | 11.1% | ranked 90 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 20.7% | – | 16.9% | ranked 93 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 291.4 /1,000 inh. | 169.3 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 108 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kuhmo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 19.1% | – | 3.9% | ranked 23 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 30.5% | – | 39.8% | ranked 278 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 1.6% | – | 5.5% | ranked 293 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 7.8% | – | 17.1% | ranked 286 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 40.9% | – | 29.1% | ranked 63 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kuhmo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 985 no. | 7,427 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 130 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 131.6 /1,000 inh. | 106.5 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 178 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 27,177 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 264 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 747 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 176 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 291 per 1,000 inh. | 2,662 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 160 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 39.9 per 1,000 inh. | 38.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 276 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.1 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 258 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kuhmo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 2,451 no. | 27,030 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 125 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 13.9% | 12.1% | 10.8% | ranked 45 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 70.6% | 72.1% | 75.4% | ranked 254 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kuhmo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 39.6 /1,000 inh. | 119.0 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 66 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kuhmo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 589 /1,000 inh. | 538 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 122 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kuhmo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 17.8% | 15.4% | 14.3% | ranked 45 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kuhmo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 19.8% | 26.9% | 24.1% | ranked 258 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kuhmo
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work21.4% ×1.1
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing13.0% ×5.3
- Manufacturing11.1% ×0.9
- Public administration and defence10.2% ×2.1
- Wholesale and retail trade8.0% ×0.7
- Transport and storage6.0% ×1.2
- Administrative and support services6.0% ×0.8
- Construction5.7% ×0.9
Sunshine and temperatures: Kuhmo
Where is Kuhmo?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kuhmo?
Kuhmo has 7,300 residents (2025), ranking 127 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kuhmo?
Kuhmo covers 4,808.0 km², with a density of 2 people per km².
Is the population of Kuhmo growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kuhmo went from 8,806 to 7,300, a change of −17.1%.
Where is Kuhmo?
Kuhmo is in Kainuu. Latitude 64.128, longitude 29.518.
Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat: what is the figure for Kuhmo?
In Kuhmo, “Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat” stands at 1.6% (2025), ranking 293 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 5.5%.
Share of dwellings built after 2000: what is the figure for Kuhmo?
In Kuhmo, “Share of dwellings built after 2000” stands at 5.2% (2025), ranking 290 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 14.5%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kuhmo?
In Kuhmo, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 46° produces about 818 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kuhmo?
The nearest to Kuhmo are Sotkamo (55 km), Nurmes (68 km), Ristijärvi (76 km), Hyrynsalmi (78 km), Paltamo (87 km).
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