In 2025, the population of Northern Ostrobothnia was 417,939, which is 392 inhabitants (-0.09 %) less than at the end of the previous year. This is a historic turning point: The population of Northern Ostrobothnia fell for the first time since 1970, when the migration wave from Finland, and especially from Northern Finland, to Sweden culminated.
The population of Finland as a whole grew in 2025 by a total of 16,910 inhabitants (+0.30 %) ), and growth was entirely driven by net migration (+31 233), as natural population growth was negative across the country (-13 377). Of the country's 19 regions, only six grew: Uusimaa (+0.97) %) ), Pirkanmaa (+0.64 %) ), Southwest Finland (+0.60 %) ), Åland Islands (+0.59 %) ), Ostrobothnia (+0.45 %) ) and Lapland (+0.04 %) ). Population decreased most in South Savo (-0.95) %) ), Kymenlaakso (-0.79 %) ), South Karelia (-0.68 %) ) and Kainuu (-0.64 %) ).
In 2025, net immigration in Northern Ostrobothnia amounted to 1,570 persons. The figure fell from 1,769 in the previous year, but is still high in historical terms. Net immigration has remained the only clearly positive component of population change, but in 2025 that was not enough to turn the overall change into a positive one.
In 2025, net migration between regions was clearly negative for Northern Ostrobothnia, at -1,857 persons. The migration loss in cooperation in cooperation within Finland deepened significantly from the previous year's -1,396 and continued for the fourth year in a row. Oulu, the central city of the region, also lost its population to internal change: net migration between municipalities was -277 persons for Oulu. The last time Oulu's migration balance was negative was in 2006. In the background there is a structural phenomenon. The high level of immigration in previous years is now reflected in internal migration, as residents in cooperation in cooperation with foreign background who have moved to the region have not stayed in the area for a longer time, but moved forward to southern Finland and especially to the Helsinki metropolitan area. The last time Northern Ostrobothnia received a positive balance of change between regions was in 2021 (+129 inhabitants), and the last time before that was in 2004.
In Northern Ostrobothnia, the natural population increase in 2025 was still negative, -68 persons, but improved significantly from the previous year (-235). This positive development is driven by an increase in the number of births: 3,825 children were born in 2025, which is 230 more than one year earlier. However, this was the fourth consecutive year in which there were fewer than 4,000 births. The number of deaths was 3,893, which is slightly higher than in 2024 (3,830) but lower than in 2023 (3,937).
Of the 30 municipalities in Northern Ostrobothnia, the population grew in five municipalities in 2025. Relatively the greatest increase was seen in the Holy (+2.26 %) , +37 inhabitants), Oulu (+0.61 %) , +1 317), Lumijoki (+0.50 %) , +10), Kempele (+0.23 %) , +45) and Muhos (+0.21 %) , +18). Oulu's growth was by far the largest in absolute terms, but slowed down from the previous year's 1,519 inhabitants. Ii, Merijärvi, Ylivieska and Siikalatva, which grew still in 2024, all fell. The historical first year of growth of the municipality of Siikalatva, established in 2009, thus remained at least an isolated year. In the other 25 municipalities, the population decreased. Relatively, the population fell most in Pyhäjärvi (-3.21 %) , -151 inhabitants), in Reisjärvi (-3,13 %) , -80), Taivalkoski (-2.79 %) , -102), Lake Utajärvi (-2.72 %) , -67), Lake Merijärvi (-2.64 %) , -28) and Kärsämäki (-2.07 %) , -49).
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The source of the figures and tables on the population page is Statistics Finland.
