Economy, jobs and prices in Etelä-Karjala (Etelä-Suomi, Finland): official figures
GDP per person was 33,400 purchasing power standards (PPS) in 2024, 84% of the EU average (102% for Finland); 14th highest of 19 regions in Finland.
How big is the economy of Etelä-Karjala?
The local economy produced €5.0 billion of output (GDP) in 2024.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow many people work in Etelä-Karjala?
About 52,190 people worked in Etelä-Karjala in 2024 (employment by place of work).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat is the median income in South Karelia?
Half of the residents of South Karelia lived in households with a disposable income of less than €28,853 per consumption unit in 2024 (5th lowest among Finland's 19 regions; Finland €30,523), down 1% from €29,227 in 2019.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyHow much do people earn in South Karelia?
The typical adult resident of Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia) took home €24,704 after tax in 2024 (4th lowest among Finland's 19 regions).
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyHow many entrepreneurs are there in South Karelia?
Entrepreneurs made up 9.4% of employed residents of Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia) in 2024, below the national figure of 10.1%; that is 4th lowest among Finland's 19 regions.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyAre there enough jobs in South Karelia?
Jobs in Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia) amounted to 97.2% of the employed labour force living there in 2023, 6th lowest among Finland's 19 regions.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyWhat is the dependency ratio in South Karelia?
For every 100 employed residents, Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia) had 163 residents who were not in work in 2024 (3rd highest among Finland's 19 regions; Finland 133), up from 160 in 2019.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyAre jobs growing in South Karelia?
The number of jobs located in Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia) changed by -5.7% in the five years to 2023, 2nd lowest among Finland's 19 regions (Finland +1.8%).
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyHow many tech jobs are there in South Karelia?
In 2023, 3.3% of the jobs in Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia) were in information and communication, 6th lowest among Finland's 19 regions.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyWhat are the main industries in South Karelia?
Manufacturing accounted for 15.9% of jobs in Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia) in 2023, above the national figure of 12.4%; that is 6th highest among Finland's 19 regions.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyHow many people work in tourism in South Karelia?
Hotels, restaurants and other accommodation and food services employed 4.0% of the workforce in South Karelia in 2023, above the national figure of 3.6%.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyWhat is the unemployment rate in South Karelia?
Register-based employment statistics counted 14.5% of the labour force in Etelä-Karjala (South Karelia) as unemployed at the end of 2024, above the national figure of 11.7%, up from 12.7% in 2019.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyHow many people commute in South Karelia?
27.4% of employed residents of the South Karelia region worked outside their home municipality in 2023, against 35.8% nationally.
Source: Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) · saved copyWhat is the main industry in Etelä-Karjala?
The largest part of the economy of Etelä-Karjala in 2024 was public administration, education, health and other services, at 27.3% of gross value added, followed by finance, property and business services (23.6%).
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow industrial is Etelä-Karjala?
Industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) made up 23.4% of output in 2024, against 20.4% for Finland.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow fast is the economy of Etelä-Karjala growing?
Gross value added rose from €4.1 billion in 2015 to €4.4 billion in 2024 in current prices, an increase of 6% before inflation.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyWhat jobs do people do in Etelä-Karjala?
Of the 52,190 jobs located in Etelä-Karjala in 2024, 39% in public services, education, health and other services, 18% in industry and 3.6% in farming, forestry and fishing.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyAre jobs growing in Etelä-Karjala?
The number of people working in Etelä-Karjala fell by 0.4% between 2015 and 2024, to 52,190.
Source: Eurostat · saved copyHow Etelä-Karjala compares with other regions in Finland
Median disposable income per consumption unit (€ a year) (2024)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 15 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Median disposable income per consumption unit (€ a year) |
|---|---|---|
| 12 | Pohjois-Savo | €29,110 |
| 13 | Etelä-Pohjanmaa | €29,061 |
| 14 | Päijät-Häme | €28,892 |
| 15 | Etelä-Karjala | €28,853 |
| 16 | Kainuu | €28,747 |
| 17 | Keski-Suomi | €28,643 |
| 18 | Etelä-Savo | €28,534 |
Median personal disposable income of adults (€ a year) (2024)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 16 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Median personal disposable income of adults (€ a year) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Pohjois-Savo | €25,016 |
| 14 | Päijät-Häme | €24,953 |
| 15 | Keski-Suomi | €24,818 |
| 16 | Etelä-Karjala | €24,704 |
| 17 | Kainuu | €24,576 |
| 18 | Etelä-Savo | €24,230 |
| 19 | Pohjois-Karjala | €23,560 |
Entrepreneurs as a share of employed people (%) (2024)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 16 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Entrepreneurs as a share of employed people (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Pirkanmaa | 9.9% |
| 14 | Pohjois-Pohjanmaa | 9.7% |
| 15 | Helsinki-Uusimaa | 9.6% |
| 16 | Etelä-Karjala | 9.4% |
| 17 | Pohjanmaa | 9.3% |
| 18 | Kymenlaakso | 9.0% |
| 19 | Kainuu | 8.9% |
Workplace self-sufficiency (jobs per employed resident, %) (2023)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 14 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Workplace self-sufficiency (jobs per employed resident, %) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Pohjois-Savo | 98.3% |
| 12 | Etelä-Pohjanmaa | 97.7% |
| 13 | Keski-Suomi | 97.5% |
| 14 | Etelä-Karjala | 97.2% |
| 15 | Kymenlaakso | 97.1% |
| 16 | Pirkanmaa | 96.7% |
| 17 | Varsinais-Suomi | 96.6% |
Economic dependency ratio (non-employed per 100 employed) (2024)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 3 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Economic dependency ratio (non-employed per 100 employed) |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Pohjois-Karjala | 167 |
| 2 | Etelä-Savo | 165 |
| 3 | Etelä-Karjala | 163 |
| 4 | Kymenlaakso | 161 |
| 5 | Kainuu | 160 |
| 6 | Päijät-Häme | 157 |
| 7 | Keski-Suomi | 151 |
Change in the number of jobs over five years (%) (2023)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 18 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Change in the number of jobs over five years (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 13 | Kainuu | -2.1% |
| 14 | Päijät-Häme | -2.3% |
| 15 | Satakunta | -2.4% |
| 16 | Åland | -3.1% |
| 17 | Kymenlaakso | -5.2% |
| 18 | Etelä-Karjala | -5.7% |
| 19 | Etelä-Savo | -6.1% |
Share of jobs in the information sector (%) (2023)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 14 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of jobs in the information sector (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 11 | Kanta-Häme | 3.8% |
| 12 | Päijät-Häme | 3.8% |
| 13 | Keski-Pohjanmaa | 3.4% |
| 14 | Etelä-Karjala | 3.3% |
| 15 | Etelä-Savo | 3.2% |
| 16 | Lappi | 2.8% |
| 17 | Satakunta | 2.6% |
Share of jobs in manufacturing (%) (2023)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 6 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of jobs in manufacturing (%) |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Etelä-Pohjanmaa | 17.9% |
| 4 | Päijät-Häme | 17.0% |
| 5 | Keski-Pohjanmaa | 16.0% |
| 6 | Etelä-Karjala | 15.9% |
| 7 | Kanta-Häme | 15.5% |
| 8 | Varsinais-Suomi | 15.0% |
| 9 | Pirkanmaa | 14.5% |
Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) (2024)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 7 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from industry (manufacturing, mining and energy) |
|---|---|---|
| 4 | Keski-Pohjanmaa | 25.7% |
| 5 | Varsinais-Suomi | 24.4% |
| 6 | Pohjois-Pohjanmaa | 23.6% |
| 7 | Etelä-Karjala | 23.4% |
| 8 | Päijät-Häme | 23.3% |
| 9 | Kanta-Häme | 22.8% |
| 10 | Pirkanmaa | 22.0% |
Share of output from finance, property and business services (2024)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 11 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from finance, property and business services |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | Etelä-Savo | 24.0% |
| 9 | Pohjois-Karjala | 23.8% |
| 10 | Kymenlaakso | 23.6% |
| 11 | Etelä-Karjala | 23.6% |
| 12 | Etelä-Pohjanmaa | 23.5% |
| 13 | Keski-Suomi | 23.5% |
| 14 | Pohjois-Pohjanmaa | 23.0% |
Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services (2024)
Etelä-Karjala ranks 6 of 19, highest first.
| Rank | Area | Share of output from public administration, education, health and other services |
|---|---|---|
| 3 | Etelä-Savo | 28.3% |
| 4 | Pohjois-Savo | 27.8% |
| 5 | Lappi | 27.6% |
| 6 | Etelä-Karjala | 27.3% |
| 7 | Kainuu | 26.9% |
| 8 | Etelä-Pohjanmaa | 26.0% |
| 9 | Kanta-Häme | 25.9% |
More on Etelä-Karjala: overview · health · education and schools · poverty and living standards · government budget · government and politics · Etelä-Suomi · Finland
Sources
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP per person, PPS (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 3bf0fc662f56…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gdp: GDP, million euros (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 096e15e5fdb3…)
- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3empers: Employment, thousand people (NUTS 3), read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 664e4e3a6dc0…)
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- Eurostat: Eurostat dataset nama_10r_3gva: Gross value added at basic prices by NUTS 3 region and industry, read 23 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 c656e8563bdf…)
- Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus): Regional time series 1987-2025 (table 142h, Municipal key figures database): population, housing, education, employment and jobs by NUTS region, region and municipality (PxWeb API POST query, json-stat2, years 2015-2025), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 18a97e220312…)
- Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus): Income level, income inequality, population at risk of poverty or dependent on basic social security by region (table 14ww, Income distribution statistics), 2015-2024 (PxWeb API POST query, json-stat2), read 24 October 2026 · saved copy (SHA-256 4dd1f64e4da5…)
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