Pielavesi: population and statistics
Pielavesi has a population of 3,873 (2025) across 1,153.2 km², or 3.4 people per km². It ranks 194 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −18.3% between 2015 and 2025.
- 3,873 residents
- 1,153.2 km²
- 3 people/km²
- 116 m
Pielavesi in numbers
Key points
Among the 19 municipalities in North Savo, Pielavesi ranks No. 10 by population.
Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants: 0.3 per 1,000 inh. in Pielavesi, compared with an average of 2.6 per 1,000 inh. in North Savo and 4.1 per 1,000 inh. nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 24.3% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 44° generates about 846 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants”: lower than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of foreign nationals”: lower than in 94% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 161,515 football pitches.
- Its population density is 5.5 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest municipality is Keitele, 21.2 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Lapinlahti (8,803 residents), 35 km away.
Population of Pielavesi over time
Pielavesi had 4,740 residents in 2015 and 3,873 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 4,321 |
| 2021 | 4,269 |
| 2022 | 4,140 |
| 2023 | 4,073 |
| 2024 | 3,980 |
| 2025 | 3,873 |
All indicators for Pielavesi
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 | Pielavesi | North Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 10.8% | 13.3% | 13.3% | ranked 239 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 41.8% | 27.8% | 31.2% | ranked 35 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 53.4 years | 46.1 | 48.5 | ranked 48 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.3% | 0.1% | 0.3% | ranked 131 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 1.3% | 4.3% | 3.4% | ranked 280 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Pielavesi | North Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 2,572 no. | 149,584 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 183 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 8.6% | – | 8.2% | ranked 138 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 10.3% | – | 14.5% | ranked 223 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 65.4% | – | 64.5% | ranked 141 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 16.3% | – | 11.1% | ranked 114 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 18.9% | – | 16.9% | ranked 120 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 334.6 /1,000 inh. | 121.6 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 100 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Pielavesi | North Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 5.4% | – | 3.9% | ranked 112 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 37.9% | – | 39.8% | ranked 185 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 5.6% | – | 5.5% | ranked 147 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 4.5% | – | 17.1% | ranked 300 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 46.6% | – | 29.1% | ranked 24 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Pielavesi | North Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 695 no. | 26,710 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 169 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 174.6 /1,000 inh. | 107.1 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 71 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 26,257 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 292 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 521 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 209 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 176 per 1,000 inh. | 10,746 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 208 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 45.4 per 1,000 inh. | 43.2 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 230 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 0.3 per 1,000 inh. | 2.6 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 297 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Pielavesi | North Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 1,094 no. | 98,543 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 194 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 11.2% | 12.5% | 10.8% | ranked 133 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 72.4% | 72.1% | 75.4% | ranked 225 of 302 |
Transport
| Indicator | Pielavesi | North Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 568 /1,000 inh. | 495 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 177 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Pielavesi | North Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 19.1% | 15.4% | 14.3% | ranked 22 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Pielavesi | North Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 18.0% | 30.8% | 24.1% | ranked 282 of 302 |
Business sectors: Pielavesi
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work24.3% ×1.3
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing24.0% ×9.9
- Wholesale and retail trade7.8% ×0.7
- Education6.7% ×0.9
- Manufacturing5.6% ×0.4
- Public administration and defence5.4% ×1.1
- Transport and storage4.9% ×0.9
- Construction4.4% ×0.7
Sunshine and temperatures: Pielavesi
Where is Pielavesi?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Pielavesi?
Pielavesi has 3,873 residents (2025), ranking 194 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Pielavesi?
Pielavesi covers 1,153.2 km², with a density of 3 people per km².
Is the population of Pielavesi growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Pielavesi went from 4,740 to 3,873, a change of −18.3%.
Where is Pielavesi?
Pielavesi is in North Savo. Latitude 63.232, longitude 26.756.
Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas: what is the figure for Pielavesi?
In Pielavesi, “Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas” stands at 4.5% (2025), ranking 300 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 17.1%.
Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Pielavesi?
In Pielavesi, “Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 0.3 per 1,000 inh. (2026), ranking 297 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 2.7 per 1,000 inh..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Pielavesi?
In Pielavesi, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 44° produces about 846 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Pielavesi?
The nearest to Pielavesi are Keitele (21 km), Tervo (31 km), Lapinlahti (35 km), Vesanto (37 km), Iisalmi (42 km).
Coat of arms: User:Care; Original design by Ahti Hammar and Niilo Toikkanen., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
