Sotkamo: population and statistics
Sotkamo has a population of 10,161 (2025) across 2,648.9 km², or 3.8 people per km². It ranks 95 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −3.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 10,161 residents
- 2,648.9 km²
- 4 people/km²
- 165 m
Sotkamo in numbers
Key points
Among the 8 municipalities in Kainuu, Sotkamo ranks No. 2 by population.
Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants: 548.7 /1,000 inh. in Sotkamo, compared with an average of 119.0 /1,000 inh. in Kainuu and 38.9 /1,000 inh. nationally.
Largest business sector: Mining and quarrying, with 21.5% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 46° generates about 825 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Kainuu for “Share of dwellings built after 2000”.
- Number 1 in Kainuu for “Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat”.
- “Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 370,990 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.9 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Kajaani (36,370 residents), 33 km away.
Population of Sotkamo over time
Sotkamo had 10,523 residents in 2015 and 10,161 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 10,301 |
| 2021 | 10,348 |
| 2022 | 10,354 |
| 2023 | 10,274 |
| 2024 | 10,185 |
| 2025 | 10,161 |
All indicators for Sotkamo
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 | Sotkamo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 13.7% | 12.4% | 13.3% | ranked 131 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 29.4% | 31.8% | 31.2% | ranked 180 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 47.4 years | 48.4 | 48.5 | ranked 181 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.2% | 0.1% | 0.3% | ranked 154 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 4.2% | 5.2% | 3.4% | ranked 108 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Sotkamo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 6,014 no. | 43,053 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 94 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 2.7% | – | 8.2% | ranked 263 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 22.0% | – | 14.5% | ranked 87 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 57.2% | – | 64.5% | ranked 210 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 22.1% | – | 11.1% | ranked 92 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 17.7% | – | 16.9% | ranked 137 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 199.0 /1,000 inh. | 169.3 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 144 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Sotkamo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 12.4% | – | 3.9% | ranked 41 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 39.1% | – | 39.8% | ranked 168 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 10.8% | – | 5.5% | ranked 44 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 7.0% | – | 17.1% | ranked 292 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 30.6% | – | 29.1% | ranked 134 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Sotkamo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,496 no. | 7,427 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 88 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 146.9 /1,000 inh. | 106.5 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 134 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 30,567 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 81 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,467 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 64 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 592 per 1,000 inh. | 2,662 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 91 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 58.3 per 1,000 inh. | 38.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 114 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.3 per 1,000 inh. | 2.1 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 96 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Sotkamo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 4,583 no. | 27,030 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 79 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 7.6% | 12.1% | 10.8% | ranked 250 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 78.6% | 72.1% | 75.4% | ranked 83 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Sotkamo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 548.7 /1,000 inh. | 119.0 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 8 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Sotkamo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 573 /1,000 inh. | 538 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 163 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Sotkamo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 11.8% | 15.4% | 14.3% | ranked 216 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Sotkamo | Kainuu | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 28.8% | 26.9% | 24.1% | ranked 77 of 302 |
Business sectors: Sotkamo
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Mining and quarrying21.5% ×81.9
- Health and social work14.4% ×0.8
- Construction11.7% ×1.8
- Administrative and support services8.1% ×1.1
- Wholesale and retail trade7.5% ×0.7
- Accommodation and food services6.2% ×1.7
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing5.8% ×2.4
- Education4.7% ×0.6
Sunshine and temperatures: Sotkamo
Where is Sotkamo?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Sotkamo?
Sotkamo has 10,161 residents (2025), ranking 95 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Sotkamo?
Sotkamo covers 2,648.9 km², with a density of 4 people per km².
Is the population of Sotkamo growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Sotkamo went from 10,523 to 10,161, a change of −3.4%.
Where is Sotkamo?
Sotkamo is in Kainuu. Latitude 64.131, longitude 28.383.
Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas: what is the figure for Sotkamo?
In Sotkamo, “Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas” stands at 7.0% (2025), ranking 292 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 17.1%.
Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Sotkamo?
In Sotkamo, “Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 548.7 /1,000 inh. (2025), ranking 8 of 136 municipalities; the national median is 36.4 /1,000 inh..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Sotkamo?
In Sotkamo, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 46° produces about 825 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Sotkamo?
The nearest to Sotkamo are Kajaani (33 km), Paltamo (40 km), Ristijärvi (42 km), Kuhmo (55 km), Hyrynsalmi (61 km).
Coat of arms: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
