Alavus: population and statistics
Alavus has a population of 10,634 (2025) across 1,087.2 km², or 9.8 people per km². It ranks 91 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −11.7% between 2015 and 2025.
- 10,634 residents
- 1,087.2 km²
- 10 people/km²
- 107 m
Alavus in numbers
Key points
Among the 18 municipalities in South Ostrobothnia, Alavus ranks No. 7 by population.
Share of Swedish speakers: 0.1% in Alavus, compared with an average of 0.3% in South Ostrobothnia and 5.0% nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 21.2% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 44° generates about 844 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in South Ostrobothnia for “Unemployed as a share of the labour force”.
- “Median disposable cash income per consumption unit”: lower than in 95% of municipalities.
- “Share of Swedish speakers”: lower than in 93% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 152,268 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Ähtäri, 23.3 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Seinäjoki (67,283 residents), 46 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 Alavus over time
Alavus had 12,044 residents in 2015 and 10,634 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 11,332 |
| 2021 | 11,197 |
| 2022 | 11,102 |
| 2023 | 10,933 |
| 2024 | 10,780 |
| 2025 | 10,634 |
All indicators for Alavus
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 | Alavus | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 15.1% | 14.9% | 13.3% | ranked 89 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 31.1% | 27.7% | 31.2% | ranked 156 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 47.6 years | 45.7 | 48.5 | ranked 176 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.1% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 222 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 2.1% | 3.9% | 3.4% | ranked 230 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Alavus | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 6,273 no. | 109,577 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 88 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 9.7% | – | 8.2% | ranked 110 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 15.8% | – | 14.5% | ranked 131 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 64.0% | – | 64.5% | ranked 157 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 10.0% | – | 11.1% | ranked 161 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 19.1% | – | 16.9% | ranked 117 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 183.6 /1,000 inh. | 67.9 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 153 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Alavus | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 7.5% | – | 3.9% | ranked 78 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 37.8% | – | 39.8% | ranked 189 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) | 16.2% | – | 17.1% | ranked 168 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 34.2% | – | 29.1% | ranked 102 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Alavus | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,509 no. | 26,415 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 87 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 140.0 /1,000 inh. | 138.9 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 157 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 26,572 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 287 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 996 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 127 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 481 per 1,000 inh. | 11,080 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 112 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 45.2 per 1,000 inh. | 58.5 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) | 2.5 per 1,000 inh. | 2.8 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 166 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Alavus | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 3,620 no. | 76,800 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 94 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 12.0% | 8.8% | 10.8% | ranked 102 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 73.0% | 77.3% | 75.4% | ranked 210 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Alavus | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 30.5 /1,000 inh. | 27.5 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 76 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Alavus | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 600 /1,000 inh. | 596 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 97 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Alavus | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 16.7% | 13.7% | 14.3% | ranked 67 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Alavus | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 20.9% | 27.7% | 24.1% | ranked 234 of 302 |
Business sectors: Alavus
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work21.2% ×1.1
- Wholesale and retail trade19.0% ×1.8
- Manufacturing12.2% ×1.0
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing9.5% ×3.9
- Education6.9% ×0.9
- Construction5.5% ×0.8
- Administrative and support services4.9% ×0.7
- Accommodation and food services4.2% ×1.1
Sunshine and temperatures: Alavus
Where is Alavus?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Alavus?
Alavus has 10,634 residents (2025), ranking 91 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Alavus?
Alavus covers 1,087.2 km², with a density of 10 people per km².
Is the population of Alavus growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Alavus went from 12,044 to 10,634, a change of −11.7%.
Where is Alavus?
Alavus is in South Ostrobothnia. Latitude 62.586, longitude 23.619.
Median disposable cash income per consumption unit: what is the figure for Alavus?
In Alavus, “Median disposable cash income per consumption unit” stands at 26,572 €/year (2024), ranking 287 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 29,044 €/year.
Share of Swedish speakers: what is the figure for Alavus?
In Alavus, “Share of Swedish speakers” stands at 0.1% (2025), ranking 222 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 0.3%.
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Alavus?
In Alavus, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 44° produces about 844 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Alavus?
The nearest to Alavus are Ähtäri (23 km), Kuortane (25 km), Virrat (39 km), Soini (44 km), Seinäjoki (46 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.
