Åland FAQ

How many people live in Åland?

Åland had 30,654 residents as of December 31, 2024, comprised of 11,866 residents in Mariehamn, 16,796 in the country, and 1,992 in the archipelago.

How many islands does Åland have?

There are 6,757 islands with a size of at least 0.25 hectares. In addition, there are around 20,000 smaller islands and skerries.

How many tourists visit Åland?

2024 saw over 417,000 guest nights in Åland’s hotels, guest homes, campsites and holiday villages. Not included is the significant amount of stays in smaller facilities and private cottages.

How high is unemployment in Åland?

Relative unemployment rate normally sits at two-four per cent, but during the Covid-19-pandemic unemployment increased considerably. In 2020, the relative unemployment rate was 9.5 per cent. In 2024, it amounted to 4.6 per cent.

How dependent is Åland on shipping?

In 2022, shipping accounted for 15 per cent of Åland’s GDP. Just over 5 percent of all employed people on Åland worked in shipping at the end of 2022. 

What proportion of Åland’s population were born outside of Åland?

About 40 percent of the inhabitants were born outside of Åland. Most come from Finland and Sweden, but with time more are moving in from non-Nordic countries. Åland has migrants from more than 100 different countries.

How high is Åland’s voter turnout?

2023’s election saw a turnout of 68.3 percent. This is low from a Nordic perspective.

How many cars are there in Åland?

There are about 26,600 private cars, or 866 cars per 1,000 people. This gives Åland the highest car density in the Nordic countries.

How large is Åland’s GDP?

In 2022, the gross domestic product’s value in current market prices amounted to about 1.4 billion euros, which constitutes 46,100 euro/capita. In comparison to 2021, this translates to an increase of about 105 million euros.

Where do Ålanders study?

In the fall of 2024, Åland had about 1,200 students at upper secondary level, along with almost 500 students at the Åland University of Applied Sciences and about 50 students in other education. Throughout 2024, there were about 200 Ålanders studying at upper secondary level outside of Åland, as well as almost 1,100 pursuing higher learning and 60 receiving other education. Almost everyone of those studying outside Åland studies in Sweden or in Finland.

How does the housing standard look in Åland?

There are about 17 200 dwellings in Åland. Almost 60 per cent of the dwellings are found in detached houses, 38 per cent in terraced houses and apartment buildings, Almost seven per cent of the households in Åland are overcrowded. The average housing area per person is 48 square metres. Two thirds of the residences were constructed in or after 1970. During the 21st century, almost 200 new residences have been built annually.

What does electricity supply look like in Åland?

Of the total electricity acquisition of 351 GWh in 2024, 36 per cent was imported from Sweden, 2 per cent from Finland and 62 per cent was produced on Åland stemming mainly from wind power.

What does the consumption of culture look like on Åland?

The statistics show, for example, that 361,000 loans occurred from the 16 municipal libraries in 2023. This translates to almost twelve loans per inhabitant. 40-60 books are published in Åland every year, of which 10-20 per cent are fiction. In 2024, almost 216,000 visits were made to the eight bigger museums.

Is the archipelago being depopulated?

The six archipelago municipalities show a somewhat depleting population trend. The number of inhabitants in the 21st century has increased certain years and decreased other years. On average, the archipelago population in the period of 2000-2019 has decreased each year by 15 people, or 0.6 per cent. In 2024, the archipelago population decreased by 54 inhabitants.