Kauhajoki: population and statistics
Kauhajoki has a population of 12,429 (2025) across 1,299.0 km², or 9.6 people per km². It ranks 81 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −10.4% between 2015 and 2025.
- 12,429 residents
- 1,299.0 km²
- 10 people/km²
- 102 m
Kauhajoki in numbers
Key points
Among the 18 municipalities in South Ostrobothnia, Kauhajoki ranks No. 5 by population.
Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants: 13.6 /1,000 inh. in Kauhajoki, compared with an average of 27.5 /1,000 inh. in South Ostrobothnia and 38.9 /1,000 inh. nationally.
Largest business sector: Health and social work, with 23.5% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 45° generates about 876 kWh a year here.
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Population of Kauhajoki over time
Kauhajoki had 13,875 residents in 2015 and 12,429 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 13,007 |
| 2021 | 12,890 |
| 2022 | 12,750 |
| 2023 | 12,618 |
| 2024 | 12,518 |
| 2025 | 12,429 |
All indicators for Kauhajoki
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 | Kauhajoki | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 13.4% | 14.9% | 13.3% | ranked 144 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 31.4% | 27.7% | 31.2% | ranked 148 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 48.2 years | 45.7 | 48.5 | ranked 158 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.4% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 103 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 3.8% | 3.9% | 3.4% | ranked 128 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kauhajoki | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 7,609 no. | 109,577 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 79 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 7.8% | – | 8.2% | ranked 155 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 15.9% | – | 14.5% | ranked 130 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 64.3% | – | 64.5% | ranked 153 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 7.5% | – | 11.1% | ranked 193 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 17.8% | – | 16.9% | ranked 136 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 45.9 /1,000 inh. | 67.9 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 245 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kauhajoki | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 4.7% | – | 3.9% | ranked 123 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) | 2.9% | – | 5.5% | ranked 253 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 22.1% | – | 17.1% | ranked 73 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 32.4% | – | 29.1% | ranked 115 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kauhajoki | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 1,841 no. | 26,415 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 68 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 147.1 /1,000 inh. | 138.9 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 133 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 27,607 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 235 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,028 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 123 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 806 per 1,000 inh. | 11,080 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 74 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 64.8 per 1,000 inh. | 58.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 73 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.4 per 1,000 inh. | 2.8 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 171 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kauhajoki | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 5,113 no. | 76,800 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 75 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 10.6% | 8.8% | 10.8% | ranked 157 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 74.0% | 77.3% | 75.4% | ranked 183 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kauhajoki | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 13.6 /1,000 inh. | 27.5 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 114 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kauhajoki | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 596 /1,000 inh. | 596 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 103 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kauhajoki | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 16.0% | 13.7% | 14.3% | ranked 95 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kauhajoki | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 22.0% | 27.7% | 24.1% | ranked 205 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kauhajoki
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Health and social work23.5% ×1.2
- Manufacturing19.1% ×1.5
- Wholesale and retail trade15.3% ×1.4
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing8.1% ×3.3
- Education6.7% ×0.9
- Construction5.2% ×0.8
- Administrative and support services3.7% ×0.5
- Professional, scientific and technical3.4% ×0.5
Sunshine and temperatures: Kauhajoki
Where is Kauhajoki?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kauhajoki?
Kauhajoki has 12,429 residents (2025), ranking 81 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kauhajoki?
Kauhajoki covers 1,299.0 km², with a density of 10 people per km².
Is the population of Kauhajoki growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kauhajoki went from 13,875 to 12,429, a change of −10.4%.
Where is Kauhajoki?
Kauhajoki is in South Ostrobothnia. Latitude 62.424, longitude 22.176.
Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat: what is the figure for Kauhajoki?
In Kauhajoki, “Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat” stands at 2.9% (2025), ranking 253 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 5.5%.
Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Kauhajoki?
In Kauhajoki, “Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 13.6 /1,000 inh. (2025), ranking 114 of 136 municipalities; the national median is 36.4 /1,000 inh..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kauhajoki?
In Kauhajoki, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 45° produces about 876 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kauhajoki?
The nearest to Kauhajoki are Teuva (23 km), Kurikka (24 km), Karijoki (27 km), Isojoki (36 km), Karvia (38 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.
