Kemi: population and statistics
Kemi has a population of 19,339 (2025) across 95.7 km², or 202 people per km². It ranks 60 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −11.1% between 2015 and 2025.
- 19,339 residents
- 95.7 km²
- 202 people/km²
- 9 m
Kemi in numbers
Key points
Among the 21 municipalities in Lapland, Kemi ranks No. 3 by population.
Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants: 62.3 /1,000 inh. in Kemi, compared with an average of 112.3 /1,000 inh. in Lapland and 106.4 /1,000 inh. nationally.
Employment rate (aged 20–64): 66.6% in Kemi, compared with an average of 75.5% in Lapland and 73.7% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 31.8% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 48° generates about 967 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Lapland for “Population density”.
- Number 1 in Lapland for “Share of foreign nationals”.
- “Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Employment rate (aged 20–64)”: lower than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 13,406 football pitches.
- Its population density is 10.9 times the national average.
Population of Kemi over time
Kemi had 21,758 residents in 2015 and 19,339 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 20,437 |
| 2021 | 19,982 |
| 2022 | 19,499 |
| 2023 | 19,371 |
| 2024 | 19,402 |
| 2025 | 19,339 |
All indicators for Kemi
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 | Kemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 12.4% | 13.5% | 13.3% | ranked 181 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 31.2% | 28.1% | 31.2% | ranked 152 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 48.1 years | 46.2 | 48.5 | ranked 161 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 154 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 5.6% | 4.3% | 3.4% | ranked 66 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 13,444 no. | 109,438 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 44 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 2.5% | – | 8.2% | ranked 267 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 9.9% | – | 14.5% | ranked 234 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 34.2% | – | 64.5% | ranked 279 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 49.7% | – | 11.1% | ranked 22 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 19.8% | – | 16.9% | ranked 107 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 17.6 /1,000 inh. | 202.2 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 278 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 15.4% | – | 3.9% | ranked 30 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 46.6% | – | 39.8% | ranked 64 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 3.3% | – | 5.5% | ranked 231 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 28.3% | – | 17.1% | ranked 25 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 6.2% | – | 29.1% | ranked 283 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,208 no. | 19,780 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 106 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 62.3 /1,000 inh. | 112.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 302 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 28,007 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 213 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 878 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 146 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 661 per 1,000 inh. | 10,110 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 85 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 34.2 per 1,000 inh. | 57.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 297 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.8 per 1,000 inh. | 4.0 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 233 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 8,009 no. | 74,760 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 48 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 15.9% | 10.1% | 10.8% | ranked 20 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 66.6% | 75.5% | 75.4% | ranked 286 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 38.6 /1,000 inh. | 191.7 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 67 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 482 /1,000 inh. | 535 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 287 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 17.6% | 13.6% | 14.3% | ranked 48 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 25.2% | 29.3% | 24.1% | ranked 128 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kemi
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work31.8% ×1.7
- Manufacturing12.0% ×1.0
- Wholesale and retail trade9.3% ×0.9
- Construction7.2% ×1.1
- Administrative and support services6.8% ×0.9
- Education6.7% ×0.9
- Transport and storage5.1% ×1.0
- Public administration and defence4.9% ×1.0
Sunshine and temperatures: Kemi
Where is Kemi?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kemi?
Kemi has 19,339 residents (2025), ranking 60 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kemi?
Kemi covers 95.7 km², with a density of 202 people per km².
Is the population of Kemi growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kemi went from 21,758 to 19,339, a change of −11.1%.
Where is Kemi?
Kemi is in Lapland. Latitude 65.734, longitude 24.563.
Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Kemi?
In Kemi, “Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 62.3 /1,000 inh. (2024), ranking 302 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 141.7 /1,000 inh..
Employment rate (aged 20–64): what is the figure for Kemi?
In Kemi, “Employment rate (aged 20–64)” stands at 66.6% (2024), ranking 286 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 75.4%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kemi?
In Kemi, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 48° produces about 967 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kemi?
The nearest to Kemi are Keminmaa (7.3 km), Tornio (23 km), Simo (24 km), Tervola (41 km), Ii (59 km).
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