Pello: population and statistics
Pello has a population of 3,146 (2025) across 1,738.1 km², or 1.8 people per km². It ranks 209 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −13.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 3,146 residents
- 1,738.1 km²
- 2 people/km²
- 59 m
Pello in numbers
Key points
Among the 21 municipalities in Lapland, Pello ranks No. 13 by population.
Share of people aged 65 and over: 44.8% in Pello, compared with an average of 28.1% in Lapland and 23.8% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 28.9% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 49° generates about 817 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Share of dwellings built after 2000”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of people aged 65 and over”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat”: lower than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 243,433 football pitches.
- Its population density is 10.3 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Ylitornio, 51.9 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Rovaniemi (66,191 residents), 84 km away.
Population of Pello over time
Pello had 3,623 residents in 2015 and 3,146 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,304 |
| 2021 | 3,296 |
| 2022 | 3,262 |
| 2023 | 3,253 |
| 2024 | 3,191 |
| 2025 | 3,146 |
All indicators for Pello
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 | Pello | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 9.7% | 13.5% | 13.3% | ranked 271 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 44.8% | 28.1% | 31.2% | ranked 10 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 55.2 years | 46.2 | 48.5 | ranked 25 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.8% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 72 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 3.6% | 4.3% | 3.4% | ranked 136 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Pello | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 2,183 no. | 109,438 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 198 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 2.4% | – | 8.2% | ranked 271 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 3.8% | – | 14.5% | ranked 300 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 75.5% | – | 64.5% | ranked 36 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 7.0% | – | 11.1% | ranked 197 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 24.5% | – | 16.9% | ranked 40 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 367.1 /1,000 inh. | 202.2 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 88 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Pello | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 0.7% | – | 3.9% | ranked 271 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 36.7% | – | 39.8% | ranked 207 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 2.0% | – | 5.5% | ranked 284 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 25.8% | – | 17.1% | ranked 42 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 34.8% | – | 29.1% | ranked 99 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Pello | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 524 no. | 19,780 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 207 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 164.2 /1,000 inh. | 112.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 91 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 28,679 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 171 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 644 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 195 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 216 per 1,000 inh. | 10,110 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 189 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 68.7 per 1,000 inh. | 57.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 57 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.3 per 1,000 inh. | 4.0 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 275 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Pello | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 1,041 no. | 74,760 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 198 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 11.2% | 10.1% | 10.8% | ranked 133 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 72.4% | 75.5% | 75.4% | ranked 225 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Pello | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 53.4 /1,000 inh. | 191.7 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 57 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Pello | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 585 /1,000 inh. | 535 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 138 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Pello | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 14.8% | 13.6% | 14.3% | ranked 139 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Pello | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 22.1% | 29.3% | 24.1% | ranked 200 of 302 |
Business sectors: Pello
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work28.9% ×1.5
- Manufacturing11.0% ×0.9
- Transport and storage10.2% ×2.0
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing8.7% ×3.6
- Wholesale and retail trade7.4% ×0.7
- Administrative and support services6.5% ×0.9
- Accommodation and food services4.6% ×1.3
- Education4.5% ×0.6
Sunshine and temperatures: Pello
Where is Pello?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Pello?
Pello has 3,146 residents (2025), ranking 209 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Pello?
Pello covers 1,738.1 km², with a density of 2 people per km².
Is the population of Pello growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Pello went from 3,623 to 3,146, a change of −13.2%.
Where is Pello?
Pello is in Lapland. Latitude 66.776, longitude 23.963.
Share of dwellings built after 2000: what is the figure for Pello?
In Pello, “Share of dwellings built after 2000” stands at 3.8% (2025), ranking 300 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 14.5%.
Share of people aged 65 and over: what is the figure for Pello?
In Pello, “Share of people aged 65 and over” stands at 44.8% (2025), ranking 10 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 31.2%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Pello?
In Pello, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 49° produces about 817 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Pello?
The nearest to Pello are Ylitornio (52 km), Kolari (62 km), Rovaniemi (84 km), Tervola (85 km), Tornio (103 km).
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