Kemijärvi: population and statistics
Kemijärvi has a population of 6,919 (2025) across 3,503.9 km², or 2.0 people per km². It ranks 134 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −10.9% between 2015 and 2025.
- 6,919 residents
- 3,503.9 km²
- 2 people/km²
- 157 m
Kemijärvi in numbers
Key points
Among the 21 municipalities in Lapland, Kemijärvi ranks No. 8 by population.
Share of Swedish speakers: 0.1% in Kemijärvi, compared with an average of 0.3% in Lapland and 5.0% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 30.6% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 47° generates about 788 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Share of dwellings built after 2000”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of Swedish speakers”: lower than in 93% of municipalities.
- “Unemployed as a share of the labour force”: higher than in 92% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 490,748 football pitches.
- Its population density is 9.3 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Pelkosenniemi, 44.0 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Rovaniemi (66,191 residents), 79 km away.
Population of Kemijärvi over time
Kemijärvi had 7,766 residents in 2015 and 6,919 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 7,191 |
| 2021 | 7,105 |
| 2022 | 6,996 |
| 2023 | 7,030 |
| 2024 | 6,954 |
| 2025 | 6,919 |
All indicators for Kemijärvi
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 | Kemijärvi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 9.2% | 13.5% | 13.3% | ranked 276 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 42.7% | 28.1% | 31.2% | ranked 27 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 54.9 years | 46.2 | 48.5 | ranked 30 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 5.3% | 4.3% | 3.4% | ranked 70 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kemijärvi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 5,153 no. | 109,438 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 105 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 1.6% | – | 8.2% | ranked 281 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 3.9% | – | 14.5% | ranked 299 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 48.6% | – | 64.5% | ranked 251 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 31.9% | – | 11.1% | ranked 59 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 25.3% | – | 16.9% | ranked 34 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 285.4 /1,000 inh. | 202.2 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 110 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kemijärvi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 10.7% | – | 3.9% | ranked 57 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 34.3% | – | 39.8% | ranked 241 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 3.1% | – | 5.5% | ranked 245 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 20.7% | – | 17.1% | ranked 90 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 31.2% | – | 29.1% | ranked 125 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kemijärvi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 720 no. | 19,780 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 166 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 103.5 /1,000 inh. | 112.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 241 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 28,227 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 199 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 605 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 198 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 311 per 1,000 inh. | 10,110 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 155 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 44.9 per 1,000 inh. | 57.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 238 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.4 per 1,000 inh. | 4.0 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 267 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kemijärvi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 2,150 no. | 74,760 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 144 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 15.6% | 10.1% | 10.8% | ranked 24 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 68.5% | 75.5% | 75.4% | ranked 275 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kemijärvi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 113.0 /1,000 inh. | 191.7 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 29 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kemijärvi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 547 /1,000 inh. | 535 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 222 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kemijärvi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 16.3% | 13.6% | 14.3% | ranked 82 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kemijärvi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 23.8% | 29.3% | 24.1% | ranked 159 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kemijärvi
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work30.6% ×1.6
- Wholesale and retail trade9.9% ×0.9
- Public administration and defence8.3% ×1.7
- Administrative and support services7.9% ×1.1
- Manufacturing6.5% ×0.5
- Transport and storage5.8% ×1.1
- Education5.6% ×0.8
- Construction5.4% ×0.8
Sunshine and temperatures: Kemijärvi
Where is Kemijärvi?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kemijärvi?
Kemijärvi has 6,919 residents (2025), ranking 134 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kemijärvi?
Kemijärvi covers 3,503.9 km², with a density of 2 people per km².
Is the population of Kemijärvi growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kemijärvi went from 7,766 to 6,919, a change of −10.9%.
Where is Kemijärvi?
Kemijärvi is in Lapland. Latitude 66.715, longitude 27.431.
Share of dwellings built after 2000: what is the figure for Kemijärvi?
In Kemijärvi, “Share of dwellings built after 2000” stands at 3.9% (2025), ranking 299 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 14.5%.
Share of Swedish speakers: what is the figure for Kemijärvi?
In Kemijärvi, “Share of Swedish speakers” stands at 0.1% (2025), ranking 222 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 0.3%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kemijärvi?
In Kemijärvi, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 47° produces about 788 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kemijärvi?
The nearest to Kemijärvi are Pelkosenniemi (44 km), Salla (56 km), Savukoski (72 km), Posio (75 km), Rovaniemi (79 km).
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