Laihia: population and statistics
Laihia has a population of 7,534 (2025) across 505.2 km², or 14.9 people per km². It ranks 124 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −6.9% between 2015 and 2025.
- 7,534 residents
- 505.2 km²
- 15 people/km²
- 25 m
Laihia in numbers
Key points
Among the 14 municipalities in Ostrobothnia, Laihia ranks No. 6 by population.
Employment rate (aged 20–64): 82.9% in Laihia, compared with an average of 79.2% in Ostrobothnia and 73.7% nationally.
Share of foreign nationals: 1.5% in Laihia, compared with an average of 8.9% in Ostrobothnia and 7.7% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 30.7% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 45° generates about 901 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in Ostrobothnia for “Share of residential buildings heated with electricity”.
- “Employment rate (aged 20–64)”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- “Share of foreign nationals”: lower than in 91% of municipalities.
- “Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 91% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 70,754 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Isokyrö, 15.7 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Korsholm (19,792 residents), 23 km away.
Population of Laihia over time
Laihia had 8,090 residents in 2015 and 7,534 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 7,996 |
| 2021 | 7,916 |
| 2022 | 7,817 |
| 2023 | 7,682 |
| 2024 | 7,656 |
| 2025 | 7,534 |
All indicators for Laihia
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 | Laihia | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 16.5% | 15.8% | 13.3% | ranked 51 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 25.8% | 23.7% | 31.2% | ranked 233 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 45.1 years | 43.3 | 48.5 | ranked 228 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 1.2% | 49.1% | 0.3% | ranked 60 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 1.5% | 8.9% | 3.4% | ranked 268 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Laihia | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 4,055 no. | 97,366 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 136 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 9.9% | – | 8.2% | ranked 106 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 27.4% | – | 14.5% | ranked 53 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 66.3% | – | 64.5% | ranked 132 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 11.8% | – | 11.1% | ranked 147 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 14.1% | – | 16.9% | ranked 200 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 25.6 /1,000 inh. | 116.2 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 267 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Laihia | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 3.2% | – | 3.9% | ranked 166 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 42.7% | – | 39.8% | ranked 108 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 9.9% | – | 5.5% | ranked 57 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 20.6% | – | 17.1% | ranked 96 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 23.5% | – | 29.1% | ranked 186 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Laihia | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 890 no. | 21,770 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 141 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 116.2 /1,000 inh. | 121.5 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 214 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 31,554 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 54 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,435 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 69 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 336 per 1,000 inh. | 10,317 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 148 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 44.6 per 1,000 inh. | 57.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 240 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.3 per 1,000 inh. | 3.4 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 186 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Laihia | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 1,714 no. | 81,307 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 159 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 6.9% | 7.0% | 10.8% | ranked 266 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 82.9% | 79.2% | 75.4% | ranked 20 of 302 |
Transport
| Indicator | Laihia | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 635 /1,000 inh. | 551 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 28 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Laihia | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 9.1% | 13.1% | 14.3% | ranked 265 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Laihia | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 31.8% | 32.7% | 24.1% | ranked 53 of 302 |
Business sectors: Laihia
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work30.7% ×1.6
- Manufacturing16.5% ×1.3
- Education9.1% ×1.2
- Wholesale and retail trade8.4% ×0.8
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing8.0% ×3.3
- Administrative and support services5.5% ×0.8
- Construction4.1% ×0.6
- Accommodation and food services3.3% ×0.9
Sunshine and temperatures: Laihia
Where is Laihia?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Laihia?
Laihia has 7,534 residents (2025), ranking 124 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Laihia?
Laihia covers 505.2 km², with a density of 15 people per km².
Is the population of Laihia growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Laihia went from 8,090 to 7,534, a change of −6.9%.
Where is Laihia?
Laihia is in Ostrobothnia. Latitude 62.976, longitude 22.011.
Employment rate (aged 20–64): what is the figure for Laihia?
In Laihia, “Employment rate (aged 20–64)” stands at 82.9% (2024), ranking 20 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 75.4%.
Share of foreign nationals: what is the figure for Laihia?
In Laihia, “Share of foreign nationals” stands at 1.5% (2025), ranking 268 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 3.4%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Laihia?
In Laihia, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 45° produces about 901 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Laihia?
The nearest to Laihia are Isokyrö (16 km), Vörå (21 km), Korsholm (23 km), Malax (24 km), Vaasa (24 km).
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