The city has some a pair of,600 residents, over thirty seventh of whom ar over the age of sixty four. Its population has fallen by 0.5 since the Eighties

Rajala remembers a amount within the early 2000s once, if Puolanka ever appeared within the media, it absolutely was continually in a very negative lightweight. He says the pessimism movement emerged as a response to being perpetually cited because the worst example of everything demographic-related. “Alright, we’re the worst, however we’ll be the most effective worst in Republic of Finland,” the thinking went.

On a weekday afternoon, Puolanka’s centre is quiet. A bus comes sixfold per week from Oulu, a bigger city some 130km away. There ar a few of grocery stores, a pharmacy, a gasoline station wherever locals gather to speak and drink occasional, and one eating place serving lunch. Most residents add the service or agricultural sectors.