Salla: population and statistics
Salla has a population of 3,231 (2025) across 5,729.8 km², or 0.6 people per km². It ranks 207 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −13.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 3,231 residents
- 5,729.8 km²
- 1 people/km²
- 197 m
Salla in numbers
Key points
Among the 21 municipalities in Lapland, Salla ranks No. 12 by population.
Share of people aged under 15: 7.4% in Salla, compared with an average of 13.5% in Lapland and 14.3% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 27.6% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 47° generates about 769 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Share of dwellings built before 1940”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of people aged under 15”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 802,489 football pitches.
- Its population density is 31.0 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Savukoski, 55.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Kemijärvi (6,919 residents), 56 km away.
Population of Salla over time
Salla had 3,727 residents in 2015 and 3,231 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 3,407 |
| 2021 | 3,416 |
| 2022 | 3,336 |
| 2023 | 3,344 |
| 2024 | 3,285 |
| 2025 | 3,231 |
All indicators for Salla
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 | Salla | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 7.4% | 13.5% | 13.3% | ranked 297 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 43.1% | 28.1% | 31.2% | ranked 24 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 55.5 years | 46.2 | 48.5 | ranked 19 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.2% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 154 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 3.6% | 4.3% | 3.4% | ranked 136 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Salla | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 2,397 no. | 109,438 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 192 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 0.2% | – | 8.2% | ranked 302 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 5.1% | – | 14.5% | ranked 291 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 63.3% | – | 64.5% | ranked 165 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 9.4% | – | 11.1% | ranked 168 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 27.8% | – | 16.9% | ranked 12 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 434.2 /1,000 inh. | 202.2 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 68 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Salla | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 5.7% | – | 3.9% | ranked 109 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 26.8% | – | 39.8% | ranked 293 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 6.8% | – | 5.5% | ranked 111 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 16.5% | – | 17.1% | ranked 162 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 44.2% | – | 29.1% | ranked 41 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Salla | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 520 no. | 19,780 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 208 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 158.3 /1,000 inh. | 112.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 107 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 28,752 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 168 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 754 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 173 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 181 per 1,000 inh. | 10,110 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 207 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 56.0 per 1,000 inh. | 57.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 138 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 0.3 per 1,000 inh. | 4.0 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 297 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Salla | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 1,067 no. | 74,760 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 195 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 14.1% | 10.1% | 10.8% | ranked 42 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 72.0% | 75.5% | 75.4% | ranked 234 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Salla | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 433.9 /1,000 inh. | 191.7 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 11 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Salla | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 560 /1,000 inh. | 535 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 191 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Salla | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 16.0% | 13.6% | 14.3% | ranked 95 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Salla | Lapland | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 20.1% | 29.3% | 24.1% | ranked 248 of 302 |
Business sectors: Salla
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work27.6% ×1.4
- Public administration and defence13.0% ×2.6
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing11.2% ×4.6
- Accommodation and food services9.5% ×2.6
- Administrative and support services7.8% ×1.1
- Wholesale and retail trade5.6% ×0.5
- Education4.8% ×0.7
- Transport and storage4.7% ×0.9
Sunshine and temperatures: Salla
Where is Salla?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Salla?
Salla has 3,231 residents (2025), ranking 207 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Salla?
Salla covers 5,729.8 km², with a density of 1 people per km².
Is the population of Salla growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Salla went from 3,727 to 3,231, a change of −13.3%.
Where is Salla?
Salla is in Lapland. Latitude 66.831, longitude 28.670.
Share of dwellings built before 1940: what is the figure for Salla?
In Salla, “Share of dwellings built before 1940” stands at 0.2% (2025), ranking 302 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 8.2%.
Share of people aged under 15: what is the figure for Salla?
In Salla, “Share of people aged under 15” stands at 7.4% (2025), ranking 297 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 13.3%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Salla?
In Salla, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 47° produces about 769 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Salla?
The nearest to Salla are Savukoski (56 km), Kemijärvi (56 km), Pelkosenniemi (59 km), Posio (83 km), Kuusamo (99 km).
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