What is the smallest municipality in Finland in terms of population?
The smallest municipality in Finland in terms of population is Sottunga, a small archipelago municipality in the Åland Islands. Mainland municipalities such as Luhanka, in Central Finland, are sometimes mentioned as Finland’s smallest, but Sottunga’s population is smaller still, making it the smallest municipality in the country as a whole.
Background of Sottunga
Sottunga consists of a small group of islands in the Åland archipelago and is reachable mainly by ferry. Its population is only around a hundred people, one of the smallest of any municipality in Finland.
Reasons for the small population
As in many small and remote municipalities in Finland, Sottunga’s population has been shaped by several factors, among them:
- Young people moving away to study and work
- A low birth rate
- An ageing population
Together these factors have kept Sottunga’s population very small for a long time.
The future of Sottunga
Despite its tiny population, Sottunga is not without prospects. Like the rest of Åland it is Swedish-speaking, and its economy rests on fishing, farming and increasingly on tourism drawn by the archipelago scenery. To keep up services such as schools and healthcare, Sottunga cooperates closely with neighbouring Åland municipalities.
