Malax: population and statistics
Malax has a population of 5,392 (2025) across 522.1 km², or 10.3 people per km². It ranks 160 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −2.8% between 2015 and 2025.
- 5,392 residents
- 522.1 km²
- 10 people/km²
- 17 m
Malax in numbers
Key points
Among the 14 municipalities in Ostrobothnia, Malax ranks No. 12 by population.
Employment rate (aged 20–64): 86.5% in Malax, compared with an average of 79.2% in Ostrobothnia and 73.7% nationally.
Share of Swedish speakers: 84.4% in Malax, compared with an average of 49.1% in Ostrobothnia and 5.0% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 23.4% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 45° generates about 923 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Employment rate (aged 20–64)”: higher than in 99% of municipalities.
- “Share of Swedish speakers”: higher than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses”: higher than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 73,129 football pitches.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Vaasa (71,209 residents), 17 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 3,692 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Population of Malax over time
Malax had 5,545 residents in 2015 and 5,392 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 5,451 |
| 2021 | 5,487 |
| 2022 | 5,479 |
| 2023 | 5,456 |
| 2024 | 5,415 |
| 2025 | 5,392 |
All indicators for Malax
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 | Malax | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 14.8% | 15.8% | 13.3% | ranked 98 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 30.0% | 23.7% | 31.2% | ranked 173 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 47.2 years | 43.3 | 48.5 | ranked 186 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 84.4% | 49.1% | 0.3% | ranked 10 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 5.1% | 8.9% | 3.4% | ranked 76 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Malax | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 2,969 no. | 97,366 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 163 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 14.8% | – | 8.2% | ranked 44 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 21.9% | – | 14.5% | ranked 90 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 78.1% | – | 64.5% | ranked 21 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 3.1% | – | 11.1% | ranked 247 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 15.7% | – | 16.9% | ranked 177 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 353.3 /1,000 inh. | 116.2 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 96 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Malax | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 0.9% | – | 3.9% | ranked 260 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 29.4% | – | 39.8% | ranked 281 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 9.4% | – | 5.5% | ranked 61 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 26.9% | – | 17.1% | ranked 36 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 33.3% | – | 29.1% | ranked 107 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Malax | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 881 no. | 21,770 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 143 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 162.7 /1,000 inh. | 121.5 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 93 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 30,864 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 67 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,515 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 59 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 264 per 1,000 inh. | 10,317 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 167 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 49.0 per 1,000 inh. | 57.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 199 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.6 per 1,000 inh. | 3.4 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 155 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Malax | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 1,708 no. | 81,307 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 161 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 4.5% | 7.0% | 10.8% | ranked 293 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 86.5% | 79.2% | 75.4% | ranked 5 of 302 |
Transport
| Indicator | Malax | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 626 /1,000 inh. | 551 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 39 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Malax | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 9.4% | 13.1% | 14.3% | ranked 257 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Malax | Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 30.8% | 32.7% | 24.1% | ranked 59 of 302 |
Business sectors: Malax
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work23.4% ×1.2
- Manufacturing23.1% ×1.9
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing10.6% ×4.4
- Construction9.7% ×1.5
- Education7.8% ×1.1
- Wholesale and retail trade6.7% ×0.6
- Administrative and support services3.9% ×0.5
- Other service activities3.0% ×1.1
Sunshine and temperatures: Malax
Where is Malax?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Malax?
Malax has 5,392 residents (2025), ranking 160 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Malax?
Malax covers 522.1 km², with a density of 10 people per km².
Is the population of Malax growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Malax went from 5,545 to 5,392, a change of −2.8%.
Where is Malax?
Malax is in Ostrobothnia. Latitude 62.942, longitude 21.550.
Employment rate (aged 20–64): what is the figure for Malax?
In Malax, “Employment rate (aged 20–64)” stands at 86.5% (2024), ranking 5 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 75.4%.
Share of Swedish speakers: what is the figure for Malax?
In Malax, “Share of Swedish speakers” stands at 84.4% (2025), ranking 10 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 0.3%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Malax?
In Malax, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 45° produces about 923 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Malax?
The nearest to Malax are Vaasa (17 km), Korsholm (20 km), Laihia (24 km), Korsnäs (26 km), Isokyrö (39 km).
Coat of arms: Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
