Rovaniemi: population and statistics
Rovaniemi has a population of 66,191 (2025) across 7,581.8 km², or 8.7 people per km². It ranks 17 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +7.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 66,191 residents
- 7,581.8 km²
- 9 people/km²
- 94 m
Rovaniemi in numbers
Key points
Among the 21 municipalities in Lapland, Rovaniemi ranks No. 1 by population.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 24.6% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 48° generates about 806 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Lapland for “Population”.
- Number 1 in Lapland for “Total dwellings”.
- “Share of dwellings built before 1940”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders)”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Persons employed in the area (jobs)”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 1,061,874 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.1 times lower than the national average.
Population of Rovaniemi over time
Rovaniemi had 61,838 residents in 2015 and 66,191 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 63,528 |
| 2021 | 64,180 |
| 2022 | 64,535 |
| 2023 | 65,286 |
| 2024 | 65,722 |
| 2025 | 66,191 |
All indicators for Rovaniemi
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 | Rovaniemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 15.0% | 13.5% | 13.3% | ranked 94 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 21.7% | 28.1% | 31.2% | ranked 264 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 42.2 years | 46.2 | 48.5 | ranked 270 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 154 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 5.0% | 4.3% | 3.4% | ranked 82 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Rovaniemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 39,840 no. | 109,438 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 16 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 0.6% | – | 8.2% | ranked 296 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 30.5% | – | 14.5% | ranked 42 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 34.1% | – | 64.5% | ranked 280 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 51.0% | – | 11.1% | ranked 20 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 14.3% | – | 16.9% | ranked 196 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 62.8 /1,000 inh. | 202.2 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 227 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Rovaniemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 15.8% | – | 3.9% | ranked 28 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 48.3% | – | 39.8% | ranked 47 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 11.8% | – | 5.5% | ranked 34 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 10.7% | – | 17.1% | ranked 254 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 13.4% | – | 29.1% | ranked 249 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Rovaniemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 6,334 no. | 19,780 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 16 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 96.4 /1,000 inh. | 112.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 258 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 29,955 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 105 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,953 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 32 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 3,691 per 1,000 inh. | 10,110 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 12 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 55.8 per 1,000 inh. | 57.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 140 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 4.9 per 1,000 inh. | 4.0 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 27 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Rovaniemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 29,809 no. | 74,760 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 15 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 9.2% | 10.1% | 10.8% | ranked 198 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 76.2% | 75.5% | 75.4% | ranked 140 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Rovaniemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 78.4 /1,000 inh. | 191.7 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 42 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Rovaniemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 514 /1,000 inh. | 535 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 273 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Rovaniemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 13.8% | 13.6% | 14.3% | ranked 168 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Rovaniemi | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 35.6% | 29.3% | 24.1% | ranked 27 of 302 |
Business sectors: Rovaniemi
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work24.6% ×1.3
- Administrative and support services10.4% ×1.4
- Wholesale and retail trade9.4% ×0.9
- Education8.5% ×1.1
- Public administration and defence8.4% ×1.7
- Construction6.7% ×1.0
- Accommodation and food services5.4% ×1.4
- Professional, scientific and technical4.9% ×0.8
Sunshine and temperatures: Rovaniemi
Where is Rovaniemi?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Rovaniemi?
Rovaniemi has 66,191 residents (2025), ranking 17 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Rovaniemi?
Rovaniemi covers 7,581.8 km², with a density of 9 people per km².
Is the population of Rovaniemi growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Rovaniemi went from 61,838 to 66,191, a change of +7.0%.
Where is Rovaniemi?
Rovaniemi is in Lapland. Latitude 66.503, longitude 25.728.
Share of dwellings built before 1940: what is the figure for Rovaniemi?
In Rovaniemi, “Share of dwellings built before 1940” stands at 0.6% (2025), ranking 296 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 8.2%.
Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders): what is the figure for Rovaniemi?
In Rovaniemi, “Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders)” stands at 3,691 per 1,000 inh. (2026), ranking 12 of 308 municipalities; the national median is 312 per 1,000 inh..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Rovaniemi?
In Rovaniemi, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 48° produces about 806 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Rovaniemi?
The nearest to Rovaniemi are Tervola (62 km), Ranua (73 km), Kemijärvi (79 km), Pello (84 km), Ylitornio (94 km).
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