Raahe: population and statistics
Raahe has a population of 23,413 (2025) across 1,013.7 km², or 23.1 people per km². It ranks 43 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −7.0% between 2015 and 2025.
- 23,413 residents
- 1,013.7 km²
- 23 people/km²
- 5 m
Raahe in numbers
Key points
Among the 30 municipalities in North Ostrobothnia, Raahe ranks No. 2 by population.
Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders): 31.5 per 1,000 inh. in Raahe, compared with an average of 47.0 per 1,000 inh. in North Ostrobothnia and 59.4 per 1,000 inh. nationally.
Largest business sector: Manufacturing, with 33.7% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 48° generates about 947 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in North Ostrobothnia for “Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas”.
- “Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders)”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of residential buildings heated with district heating”: higher than in 94% of municipalities.
- “Share of Swedish speakers”: lower than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 141,978 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Siikajoki, 19.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Oulu (217,469 residents), 60 km away.
Population of Raahe over time
Raahe had 25,165 residents in 2015 and 23,413 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 24,353 |
| 2021 | 24,260 |
| 2022 | 24,073 |
| 2023 | 23,797 |
| 2024 | 23,571 |
| 2025 | 23,413 |
All indicators for Raahe
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 | Raahe | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 15.4% | 16.6% | 13.3% | ranked 79 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 28.7% | 21.9% | 31.2% | ranked 187 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 45.9 years | 42.0 | 48.5 | ranked 215 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.2% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 3.4% | 3.6% | 3.4% | ranked 147 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Raahe | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 13,748 no. | 228,549 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 43 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 8.8% | – | 8.2% | ranked 130 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 21.5% | – | 14.5% | ranked 91 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 52.8% | – | 64.5% | ranked 232 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 27.9% | – | 11.1% | ranked 68 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 16.2% | – | 16.9% | ranked 165 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 35.2 /1,000 inh. | 75.4 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 261 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Raahe | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 22.1% | – | 3.9% | ranked 18 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 33.0% | – | 39.8% | ranked 262 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 4.3% | – | 5.5% | ranked 191 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 21.4% | – | 17.1% | ranked 78 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 18.7% | – | 29.1% | ranked 216 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Raahe | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,884 no. | 40,555 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 63 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 79.9 /1,000 inh. | 96.8 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 291 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 29,423 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 124 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,230 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 93 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 738 per 1,000 inh. | 19,646 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 79 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 31.5 per 1,000 inh. | 47.0 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 301 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.3 per 1,000 inh. | 3.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 275 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Raahe | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 9,836 no. | 170,344 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 40 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 13.1% | 12.5% | 10.8% | ranked 63 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 72.1% | 72.6% | 75.4% | ranked 233 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Raahe | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 16.7 /1,000 inh. | 49.4 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 103 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Raahe | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 521 /1,000 inh. | 482 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 266 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Raahe | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 13.6% | 14.8% | 14.3% | ranked 174 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Raahe | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 23.3% | 32.1% | 24.1% | ranked 176 of 302 |
Business sectors: Raahe
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Manufacturing33.7% ×2.7
- Health and social work17.6% ×0.9
- Wholesale and retail trade7.6% ×0.7
- Construction5.9% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services5.8% ×0.8
- Transport and storage5.8% ×1.1
- Education5.7% ×0.8
- Professional, scientific and technical2.7% ×0.4
Sunshine and temperatures: Raahe
Where is Raahe?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Raahe?
Raahe has 23,413 residents (2025), ranking 43 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Raahe?
Raahe covers 1,013.7 km², with a density of 23 people per km².
Is the population of Raahe growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Raahe went from 25,165 to 23,413, a change of −7.0%.
Where is Raahe?
Raahe is in North Ostrobothnia. Latitude 64.685, longitude 24.479.
Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders): what is the figure for Raahe?
In Raahe, “Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders)” stands at 31.5 per 1,000 inh. (2026), ranking 301 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 53.9 per 1,000 inh..
Share of residential buildings heated with district heating: what is the figure for Raahe?
In Raahe, “Share of residential buildings heated with district heating” stands at 22.1% (2025), ranking 18 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 3.9%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Raahe?
In Raahe, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 48° produces about 947 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Raahe?
The nearest to Raahe are Siikajoki (20 km), Pyhäjoki (27 km), Lumijoki (38 km), Hailuoto (39 km), Merijärvi (43 km).
Coat of arms: Care; Original design by Olof Eriksson., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
