Posio: population and statistics
Posio has a population of 2,826 (2025) across 3,039.4 km², or 0.9 people per km². It ranks 221 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −18.7% between 2015 and 2025.
- 2,826 residents
- 3,039.4 km²
- 1 people/km²
- 260 m
Posio in numbers
Key points
Among the 21 municipalities in Lapland, Posio ranks No. 15 by population.
Share of people aged under 15: 7.3% in Posio, compared with an average of 13.5% in Lapland and 14.3% nationally.
Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: 909.8 /1,000 inh. in Posio, compared with an average of 202.2 /1,000 inh. in Lapland and 85.9 /1,000 inh. nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 26.3% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 47° generates about 797 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Lapland for “Share of people aged 65 and over”.
- Number 1 in Lapland for “Mean age of the population”.
- “Share of people aged under 15”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies”: lower than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 425,689 football pitches.
- Its population density is 20.7 times lower than the national average.
Population of Posio over time
Posio had 3,477 residents in 2015 and 2,826 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,117 |
| 2021 | 3,066 |
| 2022 | 2,999 |
| 2023 | 2,923 |
| 2024 | 2,878 |
| 2025 | 2,826 |
All indicators for Posio
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 | Posio | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 7.3% | 13.5% | 13.3% | ranked 299 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 46.1% | 28.1% | 31.2% | ranked 7 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 57.5 years | 46.2 | 48.5 | ranked 5 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 2.5% | 4.3% | 3.4% | ranked 202 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Posio | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 1,977 no. | 109,438 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 213 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 2.8% | – | 8.2% | ranked 259 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 8.0% | – | 14.5% | ranked 264 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 68.7% | – | 64.5% | ranked 104 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 5.5% | – | 11.1% | ranked 212 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 25.6% | – | 16.9% | ranked 31 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 909.8 /1,000 inh. | 202.2 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 12 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Posio | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 1.6% | – | 3.9% | ranked 226 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 34.4% | – | 39.8% | ranked 239 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 2.7% | – | 5.5% | ranked 262 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 18.0% | – | 17.1% | ranked 139 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 43.3% | – | 29.1% | ranked 47 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Posio | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 476 no. | 19,780 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 219 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 165.4 /1,000 inh. | 112.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 87 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 27,493 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 246 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 481 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 211 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 158 per 1,000 inh. | 10,110 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 217 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 55.9 per 1,000 inh. | 57.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 139 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.5 per 1,000 inh. | 4.0 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 72 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Posio | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 847 no. | 74,760 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 219 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 13.3% | 10.1% | 10.8% | ranked 62 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 69.3% | 75.5% | 75.4% | ranked 267 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Posio | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 107.9 /1,000 inh. | 191.7 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 30 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Posio | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 581 /1,000 inh. | 535 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 150 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Posio | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 18.4% | 13.6% | 14.3% | ranked 31 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Posio | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 19.2% | 29.3% | 24.1% | ranked 265 of 302 |
Business sectors: Posio
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work26.3% ×1.4
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing17.0% ×7.0
- Wholesale and retail trade9.9% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services7.8% ×1.1
- Transport and storage5.4% ×1.0
- Education5.4% ×0.7
- Manufacturing4.7% ×0.4
- Public administration and defence4.7% ×0.9
Sunshine and temperatures: Posio
Where is Posio?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Posio?
Posio has 2,826 residents (2025), ranking 221 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Posio?
Posio covers 3,039.4 km², with a density of 1 people per km².
Is the population of Posio growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Posio went from 3,477 to 2,826, a change of −18.7%.
Where is Posio?
Posio is in Lapland. Latitude 66.110, longitude 28.174.
Share of people aged under 15: what is the figure for Posio?
In Posio, “Share of people aged under 15” stands at 7.3% (2025), ranking 299 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 13.3%.
Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Posio?
In Posio, “Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 909.8 /1,000 inh. (2025), ranking 12 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 186.3 /1,000 inh..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Posio?
In Posio, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 47° produces about 797 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Posio?
The nearest to Posio are Kuusamo (48 km), Taivalkoski (59 km), Kemijärvi (75 km), Ranua (78 km), Salla (83 km).
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