Kauhava: population and statistics
Kauhava has a population of 14,909 (2025) across 1,313.9 km², or 11.3 people per km². It ranks 74 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −11.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 14,909 residents
- 1,313.9 km²
- 11 people/km²
- 34 m
Kauhava in numbers
Key points
Among the 18 municipalities in South Ostrobothnia, Kauhava ranks No. 3 by population.
Largest business sector: Manufacturing, with 27.6% of the area's jobs.
A 1 kWp solar panel tilted at 45° generates about 868 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- “Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 184,018 football pitches.
- The nearest municipality is Lapua, 14.9 km away.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Seinäjoki (67,283 residents), 36 km away.
- A 4 kWp rooftop solar system here would generate about 3,472 kWh a year, roughly what an average household uses.
Population of Kauhava over time
Kauhava had 16,784 residents in 2015 and 14,909 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 15,514 |
| 2021 | 15,312 |
| 2022 | 15,116 |
| 2023 | 15,165 |
| 2024 | 15,050 |
| 2025 | 14,909 |
All indicators for Kauhava
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 | Kauhava | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 13.2% | 14.9% | 13.3% | ranked 156 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 31.7% | 27.7% | 31.2% | ranked 143 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 48.8 years | 45.7 | 48.5 | ranked 139 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.7% | 0.3% | 0.3% | ranked 76 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 5.9% | 3.9% | 3.4% | ranked 58 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Kauhava | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 9,045 no. | 109,577 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 69 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 7.7% | – | 8.2% | ranked 157 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 14.7% | – | 14.5% | ranked 145 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 65.9% | – | 64.5% | ranked 137 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 8.0% | – | 11.1% | ranked 189 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 20.0% | – | 16.9% | ranked 104 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 68.9 /1,000 inh. | 67.9 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 217 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Kauhava | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of residential buildings heated with district heating (2025) | 3.8% | – | 3.9% | ranked 154 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with electricity (2025) | 34.5% | – | 39.8% | ranked 238 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 5.3% | – | 5.5% | ranked 156 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 32.3% | – | 17.1% | ranked 12 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 24.2% | – | 29.1% | ranked 184 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Kauhava | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 2,575 no. | 26,415 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 42 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 171.1 /1,000 inh. | 138.9 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 76 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 28,772 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 167 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 1,007 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 126 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 950 per 1,000 inh. | 11,080 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 59 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 63.7 per 1,000 inh. | 58.5 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 80 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 2.8 per 1,000 inh. | 2.8 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 137 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Kauhava | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 6,093 no. | 76,800 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 64 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 7.7% | 8.8% | 10.8% | ranked 247 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 78.2% | 77.3% | 75.4% | ranked 91 of 302 |
Tourism
| Indicator | Kauhava | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Beds in accommodation establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 51.9 /1,000 inh. | 27.5 /1,000 inh. | 36.4 /1,000 inh. | ranked 58 of 136 |
Transport
| Indicator | Kauhava | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 621 /1,000 inh. | 596 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 48 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Kauhava | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 13.9% | 13.7% | 14.3% | ranked 163 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Kauhava | South Ostrobothnia | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 24.2% | 27.7% | 24.1% | ranked 148 of 302 |
Business sectors: Kauhava
Share of each sector in total jobs; “×1.5” means the sector is 1.5 times more common than nationally.
- Manufacturing27.6% ×2.2
- Health and social work20.8% ×1.1
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing10.8% ×4.4
- Wholesale and retail trade6.9% ×0.6
- Education5.2% ×0.7
- Transport and storage5.1% ×1.0
- Administrative and support services4.4% ×0.6
- Construction4.3% ×0.7
Sunshine and temperatures: Kauhava
Where is Kauhava?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Kauhava?
Kauhava has 14,909 residents (2025), ranking 74 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Kauhava?
Kauhava covers 1,313.9 km², with a density of 11 people per km².
Is the population of Kauhava growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Kauhava went from 16,784 to 14,909, a change of −11.2%.
Where is Kauhava?
Kauhava is in South Ostrobothnia. Latitude 63.101, longitude 23.064.
Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas: what is the figure for Kauhava?
In Kauhava, “Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas” stands at 32.3% (2025), ranking 12 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 17.1%.
Business establishments: what is the figure for Kauhava?
In Kauhava, “Business establishments” stands at 2,575 no. (2024), ranking 42 of 308 municipalities; the national median is 818 no..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Kauhava?
In Kauhava, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 45° produces about 868 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Kauhava?
The nearest to Kauhava are Lapua (15 km), Lappajärvi (31 km), Evijärvi (36 km), Seinäjoki (36 km), Vimpeli (39 km).
Coat of arms: Care; Original design by Reijo Helläkoski., Public domain, Wikimedia Commons. Coats of arms and flags are shown for identification only; this site is not affiliated with any public authority.
