Sulkava: population and statistics
Sulkava has a population of 2,310 (2025) across 584.5 km², or 4.0 people per km². It ranks 242 of 308 municipalities by population. Its population is falling: −15.2% between 2015 and 2025.
- 2,310 residents
- 584.5 km²
- 4 people/km²
- 107 m
Sulkava in numbers
Key points
Among the 11 municipalities in South Savo, Sulkava ranks No. 8 by population.
Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: 896.1 /1,000 inh. in Sulkava, compared with an average of 344.8 /1,000 inh. in South Savo and 85.9 /1,000 inh. 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 875 kWh a year here.
Did you know?
- Number 1 in South Savo for “At-risk-of-poverty rate”.
- “Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies”: lower than in 97% of municipalities.
- “Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants”: higher than in 96% of municipalities.
- “Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat”: higher than in 95% of municipalities.
- Its area is roughly equal to 81,859 football pitches.
- Its population density is 4.7 times lower than the national average.
- The nearest more populous municipality is Savonlinna (31,008 residents), 28 km away.
Population of Sulkava over time
Sulkava had 2,724 residents in 2015 and 2,310 in 2025.
| Year | Population |
|---|---|
| 2020 | 2,482 |
| 2021 | 2,430 |
| 2022 | 2,375 |
| 2023 | 2,368 |
| 2024 | 2,361 |
| 2025 | 2,310 |
All indicators for Sulkava
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 | Sulkava | South Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged under 15 (2025) | 9.2% | 11.3% | 13.3% | ranked 276 of 302 | |
| Share of people aged 65 and over (2025) | 43.7% | 34.6% | 31.2% | ranked 20 of 302 | |
| Mean age of the population (2025) | 55.4 years | 50.3 | 48.5 | ranked 23 of 302 | |
| Share of Swedish speakers (2025) | 0.2% | 0.2% | 0.3% | ranked 154 of 302 | |
| Share of foreign nationals (2025) | 4.5% | 4.9% | 3.4% | ranked 97 of 302 |
Housing
| Indicator | Sulkava | South Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Total dwellings (2025) | 1,636 no. | 83,591 no. | 3,258,449 no. | ranked 229 of 308 | |
| Share of dwellings built before 1940 (2025) | 10.8% | – | 8.2% | ranked 94 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings built after 2000 (2025) | 8.6% | – | 14.5% | ranked 252 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in detached and semi-detached houses (2025) | 66.5% | – | 64.5% | ranked 129 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings in blocks of flats (2025) | 5.0% | – | 11.1% | ranked 221 of 302 | |
| Share of dwellings not permanently occupied (2025) | 24.9% | – | 16.9% | ranked 37 of 302 | |
| Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 896.1 /1,000 inh. | 344.8 /1,000 inh. | 186.3 /1,000 inh. | ranked 13 of 302 |
Energy
| Indicator | Sulkava | South Savo | 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) | 34.8% | – | 39.8% | ranked 231 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with geothermal heat (2025) | 3.6% | – | 5.5% | ranked 215 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with oil or gas (2025) | 11.6% | – | 17.1% | ranked 242 of 302 | |
| Share of residential buildings heated with wood or peat (2025) | 48.9% | – | 29.1% | ranked 15 of 302 |
Economy
| Indicator | Sulkava | South Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Business establishments (2024) | 485 no. | 16,874 no. | 600,547 no. | ranked 214 of 308 | |
| Business establishments per 1,000 inhabitants (2024) | 205.4 /1,000 inh. | 130.3 /1,000 inh. | 141.7 /1,000 inh. | ranked 22 of 302 | |
| Median disposable cash income per consumption unit (2024) | 28,097 €/year | – | 29,044 €/year | ranked 205 of 302 | |
| Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies (2025) | 426 €/m² | – | 1,110 €/m² | ranked 214 of 220 | |
| Active companies in the business register (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 130 per 1,000 inh. | 6,018 per 1,000 inh. | 335,854 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 239 of 308 | |
| Active companies in the register per 1,000 inhabitants (excluding sole traders) (2026) | 56.3 per 1,000 inh. | 47.0 per 1,000 inh. | 53.9 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 133 of 302 | |
| Companies registered in the last 12 months per 1,000 inhabitants (2026) | 1.7 per 1,000 inh. | 2.4 per 1,000 inh. | 2.7 per 1,000 inh. | ranked 242 of 302 |
Employment
| Indicator | Sulkava | South Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Persons employed in the area (jobs) (2024) | 666 no. | 48,464 no. | 2,423,433 no. | ranked 244 of 308 | |
| Unemployed as a share of the labour force (2024) | 13.4% | 12.8% | 10.8% | ranked 58 of 302 | |
| Employment rate (aged 20–64) (2024) | 70.4% | 72.5% | 75.4% | ranked 255 of 302 |
Transport
| Indicator | Sulkava | South Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Passenger cars per 1,000 inhabitants (2025) | 596 /1,000 inh. | 537 /1,000 inh. | 580 /1,000 inh. | ranked 103 of 302 |
Society
| Indicator | Sulkava | South Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| At-risk-of-poverty rate (2024) | 17.9% | 16.0% | 14.3% | ranked 44 of 302 |
Education
| Indicator | Sulkava | South Savo | National | Position? | Rank |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Share of people aged 15 and over with a tertiary-level qualification (2024) | 23.4% | 27.9% | 24.1% | ranked 174 of 302 |
Business sectors: Sulkava
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
- Agriculture, forestry and fishing16.1% ×6.6
- Manufacturing10.1% ×0.8
- Education9.8% ×1.3
- Wholesale and retail trade9.2% ×0.9
- Public administration and defence8.0% ×1.6
- Transport and storage4.9% ×0.9
- Construction4.5% ×0.7
Sunshine and temperatures: Sulkava
Where is Sulkava?
Frequently asked questions
What is the population of Sulkava?
Sulkava has 2,310 residents (2025), ranking 242 of 308 municipalities.
How big is Sulkava?
Sulkava covers 584.5 km², with a density of 4 people per km².
Is the population of Sulkava growing?
Between 2015 and 2025, the population of Sulkava went from 2,724 to 2,310, a change of −15.2%.
Where is Sulkava?
Sulkava is in South Savo. Latitude 61.788, longitude 28.371.
Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies: what is the figure for Sulkava?
In Sulkava, “Price per m² of old dwellings in housing companies” stands at 426 €/m² (2025), ranking 214 of 220 municipalities; the national median is 1,110 €/m².
Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants: what is the figure for Sulkava?
In Sulkava, “Free-time residential buildings per 1,000 inhabitants” stands at 896.1 /1,000 inh. (2025), ranking 13 of 302 municipalities; the national median is 186.3 /1,000 inh..
How much electricity does a solar panel produce in Sulkava?
In Sulkava, a 1 kWp south-facing system tilted at 44° produces about 875 kWh a year.
Which municipalities border Sulkava?
The nearest to Sulkava are Savonlinna (28 km), Juva (30 km), Puumala (31 km), Rantasalmi (31 km), Enonkoski (45 km).
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