Ristijärvi: population and statistics
Ristijärvi has a population of 1,158 (2025) across 835.9 km², or 1.4 people per km². It ranks 285 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −14.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 1,158 residents
- 835.9 km²
- 1 people/km²
- 127 m
Ristijärvi in numbers
Key points
Among the 8 municipalities in Kainuu, Ristijärvi ranks No. 8 by population.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 31.1% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 46° generates about 815 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Kainuu for “Share of dwellings built before 1940”.
- Number 1 in Kainuu for “Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses”.
- “Share of dwellings not permanently occupied”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders)”: lower than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Share of people aged 65 and over”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 117,078 football pitches.
- Its population density is 13.3 times lower than the national average.
Population of Ristijärvi over time
Ristijärvi had 1,351 residents in 2015 and 1,158 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 1,235 |
| 2021 | 1,210 |
| 2022 | 1,174 |
| 2023 | 1,164 |
| 2024 | 1,163 |
| 2025 | 1,158 |
All indicators for Ristijärvi
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 | Ristijärvi | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 10.5% | 12.4% | 13.3% | ranked 247 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 44.0% | 31.8% | 31.2% | ranked 16 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 55.3 years | 48.4 | 48.5 | ranked 24 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 2.8% | 5.2% | 3.4% | ranked 183 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Ristijärvi | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 828 no. | 43,053 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 284 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 6.5% | – | 8.2% | ranked 179 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 10.5% | – | 14.5% | ranked 218 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 68.5% | – | 64.5% | ranked 107 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 7.2% | – | 11.1% | ranked 196 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 28.6% | – | 16.9% | ranked 8 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 470.6 /1,000 inh. | 169.3 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 56 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Ristijärvi | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 6.3% | – | 3.9% | ranked 95 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 46.3% | – | 39.8% | ranked 72 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 6.3% | – | 5.5% | ranked 123 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 7.7% | – | 17.1% | ranked 288 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 33.3% | – | 29.1% | ranked 107 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Ristijärvi | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 185 no. | 7,427 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 290 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 159.1 /1,000 inh. | 106.5 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 105 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 28,619 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 175 of 302 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 48 per 1,000 inh. | 2,662 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 297 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 41.5 per 1,000 inh. | 38.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 262 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.1 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 72 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Ristijärvi | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 265 no. | 27,030 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 294 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 11.4% | 12.1% | 10.8% | ranked 129 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 73.0% | 72.1% | 75.4% | ranked 210 of 302 |
Transport
| Indicator | Ristijärvi | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 629 /1,000 inh. | 538 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 37 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Ristijärvi | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 14.3% | 15.4% | 14.3% | ranked 147 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Ristijärvi | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 25.1% | 26.9% | 24.1% | ranked 132 of 302 |
Business sectors: Ristijärvi
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work31.1% ×1.6
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing18.2% ×7.5
- Transport and storage10.2% ×2.0
- Public administration and defence8.0% ×1.6
- Wholesale and retail trade6.1% ×0.6
- Education5.7% ×0.8
- Other service activities5.3% ×2.0
- Administrative and support services3.0% ×0.4
Sunshine and temperatures: Ristijärvi
Where is Ristijärvi?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Ristijärvi?
Ristijärvi has 1,158 residents (2025), ranking 285 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Ristijärvi?
Ristijärvi covers 835.9 km², with a density of 1 people per km².
Is the population of Ristijärvi growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Ristijärvi went from 1,351 to 1,158, a change of −14.3%.
Where is Ristijärvi?
Ristijärvi is in Kainuu. Latitude 64.506, longitude 28.214.
Share of dwellings not permanently occupied: what is the figure for Ristijärvi?
In Ristijärvi, “Share of dwellings not permanently occupied” stands at 28.6% (2025), ranking 8 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 16.9%.
Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders): what is the figure for Ristijärvi?
In Ristijärvi, “Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders)” stands at 48 per 1,000 inh. (2026), ranking 297 of 308 municipalities; the national median is 312 per 1,000 inh..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Ristijärvi?
In Ristijärvi, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 46° produces about 815 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Ristijärvi?
The nearest to Ristijärvi are Paltamo (21 km), Hyrynsalmi (23 km), Kajaani (39 km), Sotkamo (42 km), Puolanka (48 km).
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