Kempele: population and statistics
Kempele has a population of 19,702 (2025) across 110.1 km², or 179 people per km². It ranks 56 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +15.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 19,702 residents
- 110.1 km²
- 179 people/km²
- 8 m
Kempele in numbers
Key points
Among the 30 municipalities in North Ostrobothnia, Kempele ranks No. 3 by population.
Share of people aged 65 and over: 17.5% in Kempele, compared with an average of 21.9% in North Ostrobothnia and 23.8% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 18.8% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 48° generates about 888 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in North Ostrobothnia for “Population density”.
- Number 1 in North Ostrobothnia for “Population change over 10 years”.
- “Share of dwellings built after 2000”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of people aged 65 and over”: lower than in 98% of municipalities.
- “Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 15,426 football pitches.
- Its population density is 9.6 times the national average.
Population of Kempele over time
Kempele had 17,066 residents in 2015 and 19,702 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 18,796 |
| 2021 | 19,116 |
| 2022 | 19,300 |
| 2023 | 19,514 |
| 2024 | 19,657 |
| 2025 | 19,702 |
All indicators for Kempele
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 | Kempele | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 21.6% | 16.6% | 13.3% | ranked 9 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 17.5% | 21.9% | 31.2% | ranked 296 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 39.2 years | 42.0 | 48.5 | ranked 297 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 0.9% | 3.6% | 3.4% | ranked 294 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kempele | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 8,695 no. | 228,549 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 75 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 0.6% | – | 8.2% | ranked 296 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 52.7% | – | 14.5% | ranked 2 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 53.2% | – | 64.5% | ranked 230 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 19.2% | – | 11.1% | ranked 102 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 5.8% | – | 16.9% | ranked 302 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 1.4 /1,000 inh. | 75.4 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 299 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kempele | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 20.6% | – | 3.9% | ranked 21 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 45.4% | – | 39.8% | ranked 80 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 12.5% | – | 5.5% | ranked 32 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 17.0% | – | 17.1% | ranked 153 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 4.2% | – | 29.1% | ranked 291 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kempele | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,714 no. | 40,555 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 75 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 87.2 /1,000 inh. | 96.8 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 282 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 31,902 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 46 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 2,088 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 26 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 1,142 per 1,000 inh. | 19,646 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 53 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 58.0 per 1,000 inh. | 47.0 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 119 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 4.9 per 1,000 inh. | 3.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 27 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kempele | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 7,098 no. | 170,344 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 56 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 9.8% | 12.5% | 10.8% | ranked 178 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 80.3% | 72.6% | 75.4% | ranked 56 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kempele | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 18.6 /1,000 inh. | 49.4 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 99 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kempele | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 518 /1,000 inh. | 482 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 268 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kempele | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 7.0% | 14.8% | 14.3% | ranked 293 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kempele | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 38.9% | 32.1% | 24.1% | ranked 12 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kempele
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work18.8% ×1.0
- Manufacturing16.5% ×1.3
- Wholesale and retail trade14.5% ×1.4
- Construction13.6% ×2.1
- Education7.6% ×1.0
- Transport and storage5.1% ×1.0
- Professional, scientific and technical5.0% ×0.8
- Administrative and support services4.2% ×0.6
Sunshine and temperatures: Kempele
Where is Kempele?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kempele?
Kempele has 19,702 residents (2025), ranking 56 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kempele?
Kempele covers 110.1 km², with a density of 179 people per km².
Is the population of Kempele growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kempele went from 17,066 to 19,702, a change of +15.4%.
Where is Kempele?
Kempele is in North Ostrobothnia. Latitude 64.912, longitude 25.508.
Share of dwellings built after 2000: what is the figure for Kempele?
In Kempele, “Share of dwellings built after 2000” stands at 52.7% (2025), ranking 2 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 14.5%.
Share of people aged 65 and over: what is the figure for Kempele?
In Kempele, “Share of people aged 65 and over” stands at 17.5% (2025), ranking 296 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 31.2%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kempele?
In Kempele, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 48° produces about 888 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kempele?
The nearest to Kempele are Oulu (11 km), Liminka (12 km), Lumijoki (17 km), Tyrnävä (18 km), Muhos (26 km).
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