Tampere population falls for first time in 18 years

Tampere’s population fell by about 200 people in the first half of the year, the first decline in 18 years, Yle reports. The population began growing again in July, when it increased by nearly 500 people.

Pekka Salmi, the city’s director of vitality, said Tampere’s serious unemployment situation may have weakened the city’s appeal. Out-migration has increased, while immigration has declined.

Salmi said he believed the drop was temporary and that the slowdown was not yet alarming. However, the city is behind last year’s figures and well below the rapid growth recorded in previous years.

The July increase was largely explained by new students moving to the city ahead of the autumn term. Tampere’s investment plans are based on annual population growth of 3,000 to 4,000 people, but Salmi estimated that the number of new residents will remain slightly below 3,000 this year.

Growth is dividing Finland’s largest cities

Rasmus Aro, a senior adviser at the consultancy MDI, said population growth is currently divided among the country’s major cities. Helsinki, Espoo and Turku are growing rapidly, while growth in Tampere, Oulu and Jyväskylä has been slower.

Aro said the slowdown in Tampere was somewhat unusual based on the first seven months of the year. However, he said it was natural for population growth to vary between slower and faster periods.

Tampere’s growth had been exceptionally strong in recent years, Aro said, so the more moderate figures recorded this year and last year should not be used to draw far-reaching conclusions.

Unemployment is not the only reason for the slowdown. More people have moved away from Tampere this year and last year than previously, while immigration to the city has also declined.

Fewer people are moving from smaller municipalities

An increasing share of domestic migration is taking place between large cities, Aro said. Oulu’s slower growth, for example, is mainly due to a decline in the number of people arriving from nearby areas.

Young age groups in smaller rural municipalities and towns are becoming smaller each year, meaning fewer people are moving away from them. Salmi said the same trend was visible in Tampere.

For a long time, Tampere gained many new residents from people moving from more remote areas to the city. Salmi said there would eventually be fewer people arriving from those areas.

Aro said population growth in the Helsinki metropolitan area has in recent years been largely based on immigration.

Rapid growth also creates challenges

Cities often base their investment plans on expected population growth and estimates of how much their populations will increase each year.

Salmi said he was satisfied with Tampere’s current growth rate. He also noted that the rapid annual increases of 5,000 to 6,000 residents created challenges by requiring greater investment in services.

Salmi does not believe Tampere’s growth is coming to a radical end. He said the city’s population trend had previously followed unemployment figures: when people had work opportunities, they moved to Tampere, while high unemployment and a lack of jobs slowed population growth.

Salmi expects the unemployment situation affecting Tampere to improve by next year at the latest. He said the city’s current employment measures were sufficient.