Ranua: population and statistics
Ranua has a population of 3,530 (2025) across 3,453.9 km², or 1.0 people per km². It ranks 200 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −12.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 3,530 residents
- 3,453.9 km²
- 1 people/km²
- 152 m
Ranua in numbers
Key points
Among the 21 municipalities in Lapland, Ranua ranks No. 11 by population.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 28.0% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 47° generates about 815 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Lapland for “Share of people aged under 15”.
- “Share of dwellings in blocks of flats”: lower than in 92% of municipalities.
- “Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat”: higher than in 92% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 483,741 football pitches.
- Its population density is 18.6 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Pudasjärvi (7,168 residents), 67 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 3,260 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Population of Ranua over time
Ranua had 4,020 residents in 2015 and 3,530 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,712 |
| 2021 | 3,670 |
| 2022 | 3,618 |
| 2023 | 3,599 |
| 2024 | 3,570 |
| 2025 | 3,530 |
All indicators for Ranua
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 | Ranua | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 15.7% | 13.5% | 13.3% | ranked 69 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 34.2% | 28.1% | 31.2% | ranked 112 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 48.2 years | 46.2 | 48.5 | ranked 158 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 154 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 2.0% | 4.3% | 3.4% | ranked 236 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Ranua | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 2,063 no. | 109,438 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 207 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 2.5% | – | 8.2% | ranked 267 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 11.1% | – | 14.5% | ranked 202 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 65.9% | – | 64.5% | ranked 137 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 1.6% | – | 11.1% | ranked 274 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 21.4% | – | 16.9% | ranked 83 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 459.8 /1,000 inh. | 202.2 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 60 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Ranua | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 1.8% | – | 3.9% | ranked 211 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 35.1% | – | 39.8% | ranked 228 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) | 13.8% | – | 17.1% | ranked 206 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 46.1% | – | 29.1% | ranked 25 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Ranua | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 531 no. | 19,780 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 206 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 148.7 /1,000 inh. | 112.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 130 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 27,154 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 265 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 842 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 152 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 183 per 1,000 inh. | 10,110 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 204 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 51.8 per 1,000 inh. | 57.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 168 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.3 per 1,000 inh. | 4.0 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 186 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Ranua | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 1,142 no. | 74,760 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 190 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) | 72.8% | 75.5% | 75.4% | ranked 215 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Ranua | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 90.9 /1,000 inh. | 191.7 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 36 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Ranua | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 531 /1,000 inh. | 535 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 249 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Ranua | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 16.3% | 13.6% | 14.3% | ranked 82 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Ranua | 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: Ranua
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work28.0% ×1.5
- Wholesale and retail trade14.7% ×1.4
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing13.8% ×5.7
- Education9.9% ×1.3
- Construction6.1% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services4.4% ×0.6
- Arts, entertainment and recreation4.1% ×2.1
- Public administration and defence3.2% ×0.6
Sunshine and temperatures: Ranua
Where is Ranua?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Ranua?
Ranua has 3,530 residents (2025), ranking 200 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Ranua?
Ranua covers 3,453.9 km², with a density of 1 people per km².
Is the population of Ranua growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Ranua went from 4,020 to 3,530, a change of −12.2%.
Where is Ranua?
Ranua is in Lapland. Latitude 65.928, longitude 26.518.
Share of dwellings in blocks of flats: what is the figure for Ranua?
In Ranua, “Share of dwellings in blocks of flats” stands at 1.6% (2025), ranking 274 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 11.1%.
Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat: what is the figure for Ranua?
In Ranua, “Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat” stands at 46.1% (2025), ranking 25 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 29.1%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Ranua?
In Ranua, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 47° produces about 815 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Ranua?
The nearest to Ranua are Pudasjärvi (67 km), Simo (73 km), Rovaniemi (73 km), Posio (78 km), Tervola (79 km).
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