THE POPULATION of Tampere grew last year by 4,837 people to 249,060, driven by migration gains.
Johanna Ahlgrén-Holappa, the head of information services at the City of Tampere, on Friday said in a press release that if immigration to the regional population centre continued at the same level, population growth could outpace projections in the 2020s.
The positive development is attributable to gains from internal migration and immigration, as the number of births fell short of that of deaths for the first time in 30 years.
The City of Tampere has devised a demographic plan that reflects its expected and desired population development all the way to the 2040. Ahlgrén-Holappa said the plan differs from official population forecasts in that it incorporates target-oriented elements that local decision makers can influence, including migration flows within the city, inbound migration from other municipalities and planned residential construction.
The plan suggests that the city’s population should reach 300,000 by the end of 2040 as a result of particularly strong growth (30%) in western and southern neighbourhoods of the city.
The oldest age group is expected to experience the greatest relative growth, with the number of over 85-year-olds set to double from its current level. The greatest absolute growth, though, is expected to take place in the working-age population.
The number of children and young people is only expected to increase moderately due to the low birth rate, with the number of children in years one to six of primary education projected to dip in the 2020s and not return to its current level until the end of the 2030s, according to the City of Tampere.
All six of Finland’s largest cities registered faster population growth in 2022 than in 2021, indicates preliminary data released recently by Statistics Finland.
Aleksi Teivainen – HT
