DNA study: Finland’s most talkative municipalities and cities revealed

The volume of calls continues to reflect everyday communication. Although messaging apps and social media have grown in popularity, traditional phone calls have retained their role, particularly among certain population groups and in specific municipalities. The comparison focused on mainstream mobile voice calls, and minutes from app-based calls were not included in the figures.

“According to research and market data, approximately 70–80 percent of calls are made via traditional mobile networks and 20–30 percent via applications such as WhatsApp and FaceTime. Traditional mobile calls remain an essential part of everyday life in Finland, but their use is emphasized differently across regions,” says Tuomas Henttonen, Business Manager for mobile subscriptions at DNA.

Based on DNA’s comparative data, the most talkative residents in the country are concentrated in smaller municipalities. The clear leader is Jämijärvi, where call volumes amounted to 1,419 minutes per resident during the review period. Among the top three, Hyrynsalmi reached 1,385 minutes and Siikainen 1,288 minutes per resident. Virolahti and Lestijärvi also rank very close behind, with figures slightly above 1,280 minutes. The leading group further includes Enonkoski, Ristijärvi and Utajärvi, all of which exceeded approximately 1,180 minutes per resident.

“At the top of the list are municipalities where community ties tend to be strong and distances long. In such environments, calling is often the most natural way to stay in touch. Age structure also plays a significant role, as older age groups tend to use phone calls more actively,” Henttonen notes.

Large cities lag clearly behind

The comparison also reveals a clear difference between smaller municipalities and large cities. For example, call volumes amounted to 405 minutes per resident in Vantaa, 381 minutes in Helsinki and 385 minutes in Turku. In Espoo and Tampere, the figures remained just above 300 minutes. The gap to the top is substantial. In Jämijärvi, call volumes per resident were nearly five times higher than in, for example, Tampere.

“In large cities, communication is more heavily concentrated on messaging applications and other digital channels. While calls still play an important role, this is not reflected as strongly in call minutes. In addition, mobility patterns often affect call volumes. For example, people who spend a lot of time driving tend to make more calls, whereas those using public transport rely more on messaging,” Henttonen adds.

Large variation among mid-sized municipalities

Among mid-sized municipalities, variation in call minutes is considerable. Some approach the highest levels, such as Kuusamo with 1,069 minutes per resident. Heinola, at 1,066 minutes, and Savonlinna, at 1,040 minutes, are also among the more talkative municipalities. At the same time, similarly sized locations include clearly less talkative populations: in Lahti, call volumes amounted to 832 minutes per resident and in Rauma to 868 minutes.

The comparison is based on outbound calls made by DNA customers between March 1, 2025 and February 28, 2026. The data covers traditional mobile voice calls and does not include calls made via services such as WhatsApp or FaceTime. Results are presented as per capita averages, enabling comparisons between municipalities of different sizes. The population figures were calculated using Statistics Finland’s grid database (2023), and locations were determined based on the subscriber’s home address. The comparison is based on total call minutes relative to the population of each municipality or city. The results are indicative, and it is not possible to identify individual users or small user groups from the data.

TOP 50 most talkative municipalities and cities

Municipality/city	Population	Outgoing calls, minutes per resident
Jämijärvi	1 660	1 419
Hyrynsalmi	2 052	1 385
Siikainen	1 286	1 288
Virolahti	2 944	1 283
Lestijärvi	688	1 282
Enonkoski	1 311	1 237
Ristijärvi	1 156	1 199
Utajärvi	2 485	1 188
Posio	2 927	1 117
Taivalkoski	3 795	1 116
Pomarkku	1 971	1 108
Lumijoki	1 969	1 102
Koski tl	2 210	1 100
Kankaanpää	12 430	1 098
Suomussalmi	7 288	1 084
Miehikkälä	1 789	1 081
Asikkala	7 927	1 074
Vaala	2 587	1 073
Kuusamo	14 884	1 069
Heinola	17 934	1 066
Isojoki	1 842	1 043
Savonlinna	31 542	1 040
Tervo	1 404	1 037
Puolanka	2 344	1 029
Kuhmo	7 681	1 027
Nakkila	5 030	1 026
Sysmä	3 452	1 021
Ulvila	12 616	1 007
Siikalatva	4 959	1 006
Merikarvia	2 936	1 003
Eura	11 254	1 002
Haapavesi	6 525	976
Oulainen	6 977	974
Marttila	1 970	973
Pudasjärvi	7 500	969
Pyhäranta	1 951	965
Rantasalmi	3 259	962
Laitila	8 275	941
Hollola	23 043	936
Pori	82 501	932
Hailuoto	946	914
Sulkava	2 339	913
Hartola	2 547	907
Harjavalta	6 772	905
Tyrnävä	6 618	900
Orimattila	15 611	891
Paltamo	3 049	890
Siilinjärvi	21 078	884
Sotkamo	10 196	879
Alavieska	2 431	873

Lisätietoja medialle / Media Inquiries:

DNA Corporate Communications, tel. +358 44 044 8000, communications@dna.fi