Ylivieska: population and statistics
Ylivieska has a population of 15,274 (2025) across 569.8 km², or 26.8 people per km². It ranks 71 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is growing: +1.6% between 2015 and 2025.
- 15,274 residents
- 569.8 km²
- 27 people/km²
- 63 m
Ylivieska in numbers
Key points
Among the 30 municipalities in North Ostrobothnia, Ylivieska ranks No. 4 by population.
Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: 11.4 /1,000 inh. in Ylivieska, compared with an average of 75.4 /1,000 inh. in North Ostrobothnia and 85.9 /1,000 inh. nationally.
Mean age of the population: 41.7 years in Ylivieska, compared with an average of 42.0 years in North Ostrobothnia and 44.1 years nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 21.0% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 45° generates about 844 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Mean age of the population”: lower than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 79,810 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Alavieska, 15.2 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Raahe (23,413 residents), 68 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 3,376 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Population of Ylivieska over time
Ylivieska had 15,039 residents in 2015 and 15,274 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 15,304 |
| 2021 | 15,357 |
| 2022 | 15,293 |
| 2023 | 15,369 |
| 2024 | 15,406 |
| 2025 | 15,274 |
All indicators for Ylivieska
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 | Ylivieska | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 18.9% | 16.6% | 13.3% | ranked 22 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 23.0% | 21.9% | 31.2% | ranked 255 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 41.7 years | 42.0 | 48.5 | ranked 279 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | ranked 154 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 2.0% | 3.6% | 3.4% | ranked 236 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Ylivieska | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 8,266 no. | 228,549 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 77 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 2.0% | – | 8.2% | ranked 276 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 32.4% | – | 14.5% | ranked 35 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) | 28.1% | – | 11.1% | ranked 66 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 12.3% | – | 16.9% | ranked 223 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 11.4 /1,000 inh. | 75.4 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 286 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Ylivieska | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 11.0% | – | 3.9% | ranked 54 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 39.7% | – | 39.8% | ranked 154 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 11.8% | – | 5.5% | ranked 34 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 18.7% | – | 17.1% | ranked 122 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 18.8% | – | 29.1% | ranked 215 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Ylivieska | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,590 no. | 40,555 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 79 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 103.2 /1,000 inh. | 96.8 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 242 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 28,433 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 190 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,341 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 80 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 691 per 1,000 inh. | 19,646 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 83 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 45.2 per 1,000 inh. | 47.0 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 235 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 3.4 per 1,000 inh. | 3.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 87 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Ylivieska | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 7,047 no. | 170,344 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 57 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 10.3% | 12.5% | 10.8% | ranked 167 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 77.2% | 72.6% | 75.4% | ranked 118 of 302 |
Transport
| Indicator | Ylivieska | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 546 /1,000 inh. | 482 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 224 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Ylivieska | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 13.2% | 14.8% | 14.3% | ranked 185 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Ylivieska | North Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 27.4% | 32.1% | 24.1% | ranked 93 of 302 |
Business sectors: Ylivieska
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work21.0% ×1.1
- Wholesale and retail trade19.5% ×1.8
- Manufacturing13.6% ×1.1
- Education8.6% ×1.2
- Construction5.8% ×0.9
- Administrative and support services5.2% ×0.7
- Transport and storage4.5% ×0.9
- Public administration and defence4.5% ×0.9
Sunshine and temperatures: Ylivieska
Where is Ylivieska?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Ylivieska?
Ylivieska has 15,274 residents (2025), ranking 71 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Ylivieska?
Ylivieska covers 569.8 km², with a density of 27 people per km².
Is the population of Ylivieska growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Ylivieska went from 15,039 to 15,274, a change of +1.6%.
Where is Ylivieska?
Ylivieska is in North Ostrobothnia. Latitude 64.072, longitude 24.538.
Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Ylivieska?
In Ylivieska, “Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 11.4 /1,000 inh. (2025), ranking 286 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 186.3 /1,000 inh..
Mean age of the population: what is the figure for Ylivieska?
In Ylivieska, “Mean age of the population” stands at 41.7 years (2025), ranking 279 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 48.5 years.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Ylivieska?
In Ylivieska, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 45° produces about 844 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Ylivieska?
The nearest to Ylivieska are Alavieska (15 km), Sievi (18 km), Merijärvi (25 km), Oulainen (26 km), Nivala (27 km).
Coat of arms: User:Tomia; Original design by Ahti Hammar., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
