Kitee: population and statistics
Kitee has a population of 9,397 (2025) across 1,253.9 km², or 7.5 people per km². It ranks 102 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −13.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 9,397 residents
- 1,253.9 km²
- 8 people/km²
- 120 m
Kitee in numbers
Key points
Among the 13 municipalities in North Karelia, Kitee ranks No. 5 by population.
Share of Swedish speakers: 0.0% in Kitee, compared with an average of 0.1% in North Karelia and 5.0% nationally.
Unemployed as a share of the labour force: 18.5% in Kitee, compared with an average of 15.9% in North Karelia and 11.7% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 24.1% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 45° generates about 895 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Share of Swedish speakers”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Unemployed as a share of the labour force”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies”: lower than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 175,611 football pitches.
- Its population density is 2.5 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Tohmajärvi, 17.4 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Joensuu (79,129 residents), 59 km away.
Population of Kitee over time
Kitee had 10,832 residents in 2015 and 9,397 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 9,933 |
| 2021 | 9,877 |
| 2022 | 9,727 |
| 2023 | 9,689 |
| 2024 | 9,566 |
| 2025 | 9,397 |
All indicators for Kitee
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 | Kitee | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 9.9% | 12.5% | 13.3% | ranked 267 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 42.5% | 29.7% | 31.2% | ranked 29 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 54.4 years | 46.9 | 48.5 | ranked 36 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.0% | 0.1% | 0.3% | ranked 282 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 6.2% | 5.2% | 3.4% | ranked 52 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kitee | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 6,249 no. | 100,662 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 90 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 5.8% | – | 8.2% | ranked 195 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 8.6% | – | 14.5% | ranked 252 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 55.6% | – | 64.5% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 24.4% | – | 11.1% | ranked 79 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 19.6% | – | 16.9% | ranked 108 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 292.0 /1,000 inh. | 146.1 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 107 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kitee | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 4.7% | – | 3.9% | ranked 123 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 43.4% | – | 39.8% | ranked 99 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 3.3% | – | 5.5% | ranked 231 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 9.9% | – | 17.1% | ranked 263 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 38.7% | – | 29.1% | ranked 74 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kitee | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,512 no. | 17,600 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 85 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 158.1 /1,000 inh. | 108.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 108 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 26,822 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 280 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 514 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 210 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 458 per 1,000 inh. | 6,685 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 117 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 48.7 per 1,000 inh. | 41.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 206 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.8 per 1,000 inh. | 2.0 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 233 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kitee | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 2,974 no. | 59,750 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 109 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 18.5% | 15.9% | 10.8% | ranked 8 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 66.2% | 68.0% | 75.4% | ranked 288 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kitee | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 36.1 /1,000 inh. | 35.8 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 69 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kitee | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 573 /1,000 inh. | 514 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 163 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kitee | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 19.0% | 18.9% | 14.3% | ranked 23 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kitee | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 21.4% | 28.9% | 24.1% | ranked 220 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kitee
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work24.1% ×1.3
- Manufacturing14.9% ×1.2
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing12.3% ×5.1
- Wholesale and retail trade11.1% ×1.0
- Education6.6% ×0.9
- Construction6.5% ×1.0
- Administrative and support services5.1% ×0.7
- Public administration and defence3.5% ×0.7
Sunshine and temperatures: Kitee
Where is Kitee?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kitee?
Kitee has 9,397 residents (2025), ranking 102 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kitee?
Kitee covers 1,253.9 km², with a density of 8 people per km².
Is the population of Kitee growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kitee went from 10,832 to 9,397, a change of −13.2%.
Where is Kitee?
Kitee is in North Karelia. Latitude 62.099, longitude 30.137.
Share of Swedish speakers: what is the figure for Kitee?
In Kitee, “Share of Swedish speakers” stands at 0.0% (2025), ranking 282 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 0.3%.
Unemployed as a share of the labour force: what is the figure for Kitee?
In Kitee, “Unemployed as a share of the labour force” stands at 18.5% (2024), ranking 8 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 10.8%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kitee?
In Kitee, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 45° produces about 895 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kitee?
The nearest to Kitee are Tohmajärvi (17 km), Rääkkylä (36 km), Joensuu (59 km), Liperi (62 km), Enonkoski (63 km).
Coat of arms: Vector image by Cryonic07. Originally designed by Tapio Vallinoja. [1], Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
