Lieksa: population and statistics
Lieksa has a population of 9,846 (2025) across 3,417.7 km², or 2.9 people per km². It ranks 97 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −16.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 9,846 residents
- 3,417.7 km²
- 3 people/km²
- 87 m
Lieksa in numbers
Key points
Among the 13 municipalities in North Karelia, Lieksa ranks No. 4 by population.
Unemployed as a share of the labour force: 18.6% in Lieksa, compared with an average of 15.9% in North Karelia and 11.7% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 23.1% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 45° generates about 842 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in North Karelia for “Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas”.
- Number 1 in North Karelia for “Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants”.
- “Unemployed as a share of the labour force”: higher than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies”: lower than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Share of dwellings built after 2000”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 478,675 football pitches.
- Its population density is 6.4 times lower than the national average.
Population of Lieksa over time
Lieksa had 11,772 residents in 2015 and 9,846 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 10,719 |
| 2021 | 10,543 |
| 2022 | 10,372 |
| 2023 | 10,228 |
| 2024 | 10,049 |
| 2025 | 9,846 |
All indicators for Lieksa
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 | Lieksa | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 9.0% | 12.5% | 13.3% | ranked 281 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 43.4% | 29.7% | 31.2% | ranked 22 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 55.1 years | 46.9 | 48.5 | ranked 26 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.1% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 5.3% | 5.2% | 3.4% | ranked 70 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Lieksa | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 7,470 no. | 100,662 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 82 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 5.6% | – | 8.2% | ranked 199 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 4.9% | – | 14.5% | ranked 292 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 52.1% | – | 64.5% | ranked 236 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 27.6% | – | 11.1% | ranked 72 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 24.5% | – | 16.9% | ranked 40 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 277.0 /1,000 inh. | 146.1 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 113 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Lieksa | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 6.7% | – | 3.9% | ranked 89 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 36.8% | – | 39.8% | ranked 205 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) | 15.7% | – | 17.1% | ranked 176 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 37.6% | – | 29.1% | ranked 82 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Lieksa | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,137 no. | 17,600 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 112 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 113.1 /1,000 inh. | 108.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 224 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 26,490 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 289 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 382 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 215 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 383 per 1,000 inh. | 6,685 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 136 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 38.9 per 1,000 inh. | 41.4 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 280 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.6 per 1,000 inh. | 2.0 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 249 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Lieksa | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 3,121 no. | 59,750 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 106 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 18.6% | 15.9% | 10.8% | ranked 6 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 65.3% | 68.0% | 75.4% | ranked 294 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Lieksa | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 136.0 /1,000 inh. | 35.8 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 25 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Lieksa | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 555 /1,000 inh. | 514 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 206 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Lieksa | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 19.2% | 18.9% | 14.3% | ranked 18 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Lieksa | North Karelia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 20.5% | 28.9% | 24.1% | ranked 241 of 302 |
Business sectors: Lieksa
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work23.1% ×1.2
- Manufacturing19.9% ×1.6
- Wholesale and retail trade8.8% ×0.8
- Public administration and defence8.3% ×1.7
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing6.7% ×2.7
- Education6.0% ×0.8
- Accommodation and food services5.1% ×1.4
- Administrative and support services3.8% ×0.5
Sunshine and temperatures: Lieksa
Where is Lieksa?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Lieksa?
Lieksa has 9,846 residents (2025), ranking 97 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Lieksa?
Lieksa covers 3,417.7 km², with a density of 3 people per km².
Is the population of Lieksa growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Lieksa went from 11,772 to 9,846, a change of −16.4%.
Where is Lieksa?
Lieksa is in North Karelia. Latitude 63.318, longitude 30.025.
Unemployed as a share of the labour force: what is the figure for Lieksa?
In Lieksa, “Unemployed as a share of the labour force” stands at 18.6% (2024), ranking 6 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 10.8%.
Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies: what is the figure for Lieksa?
In Lieksa, “Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies” stands at 382 €/m² (2025), ranking 215 of 220 municipalities; the national median is 1,110 €/m².
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Lieksa?
In Lieksa, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 45° produces about 842 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Lieksa?
The nearest to Lieksa are Juuka (40 km), Nurmes (51 km), Polvijärvi (61 km), Kontiolahti (62 km), Joensuu (81 km).
Coat of arms: Care; Original design by Olof Eriksson., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons · Flag: Original arms designed by Olof Eriksson, vectorised by user:Fenn-O-maniC, Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
