County elections: documentation of statistics

The statistics cover the candidates in the County elections and eligible voters.

Statistical units are:

- candidate (person)

- elected councillor (person)

- party

- person entitled to vote (person)

The population of the statistics is the candidates nominated for the elections and persons entitled to vote in the elections.

The data cover Mainland Finland, except for Helsinki, on the level of the wellbeing services counties, municipalities and voting districts.

The data in the statistics cover only the time of the elections concerned.

Data published after the recount of votes are final.

Does not apply to statistics.

The measurement units in the statistics are the number of persons (candidates, elected councillors and persons entitled to vote), the number of votes cast and the number of persons who voted, as well as the percentage shares.

The statistics describe the year 2025 (April).

The following classifications are used in the statistics on County elections:

• Regional classifications Wellbeing services county, Municipality, Voting district
• Population classifications: Occupation, Language, Education, Family status, Marital status, Socio-economic group, Sex, Age
• Other classifications: Party entered in the Party Register (Ministry of Justice).

The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the General Data Protection Regulation, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics.

Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.

Further information: Statistical legislation

The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. The Statistics Act contains provisions on collection of data, processing of data and the obligation to provide data. Besides the Statistics Act, the Data Protection Act and the Act on the Openness of Government Activities are applied to processing of data when producing statistics. 

Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.  

Further information: Statistical legislation

The data are not shared between other statistical offices or units.

The data set is based on administrative sources.

Basic data are collected in connection with the County elections, i.e. every four years.

The data are obtained from different registers. The main source of the data is the Ministry of Justice and the Legal Register Centre operating under it. The voting register is obtained through the Ministry of Justice, its original source is the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

There are well-established practices for delivering the data to Statistics Finland. The details of data delivery are always agreed on in connection with each election.

The data are delivered to Statistics Finland as line transfer.

The data are validated in the production process by comparing the data with data published by other data producers and by examining the internal logic of the data.

In the statistics, the data are processed by summing them. The statistics on the phenomenon described in the statistics do not require editing or imputation, for example.

The key users of the statistics are citizens, the media, organisations, political actors (candidates, representatives, political parties) and research institutes.

The main possible sources of error in the statistics are errors in the source data or errors in the processing of the data.

Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The European Statistics Code of Practice forms the basis for the common quality system of the European Statistical System.

The Code of Practice is based on 16 principles that concern statistical authorities' independence, accountability and the quality of the processes and data to be published.

The principles are in line with the Fundamental Principles of Official Statistics approved by the United Nations Statistics Commission and are supplementary to them. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.

Further information: European Statistics Code of Practice | Statistics Finland and Recommendations of the Advisory Board of Official Statistics of Finland | Statistics Finland

The quality of the statistics on County elections is assessed continuously in connection with the statistics’ production. The produced data are compared with the data produced by other data producers and the materials and the produced data are controlled for logic.

Revisions – i.e. improvements in the accuracy of statistical data already published – are a normal feature of statistical production and result in improved quality of statistics. The principle is that statistical data are based on the best available data and information concerning the statistical phenomenon. On the other hand, the revisions are communicated as transparently as possible in advance. Advance communication ensures that the users can prepare for the data revisions. 

The reason why data in statistical releases become revised is often caused by the data becoming supplemented. Then the new, revised statistical figure is based on a wider information basis and describes the phenomenon more accurately than before. 

Revisions of statistical data may also be caused by the calculation method used, such as annual benchmarking or updating of weight structures. Changes of base years and used classifications may also cause revisions to data. 

Data on the candidates in the election is published around 2 weeks after the confirmation of the nomination of candidates.

Data on the confirmed result of the election is published approximately one week after the confirmation of the election result.

Data on the votes cast in the election is published around 4 to 5 weeks after the confirmation of the election result.

For the 2025 County elections, the data were produced and published within the planned timetable.

Within the country, different regions are comparable so that the legislation affecting the phenomenon is consistent.

The statistics are comparable between different countries to such extent that at the general level the statistics describe the selection of representatives related to the country's regional democracy. The practices, structures and legislation of different countries differ considerably in this respect, which affects the comparability of the data.

The statistics are comparable for the entire time series (from 2022). At conceptual level, matters related to the selection of candidates, support for the parties, voting turnout, and other key factors have not essentially changed.

There are no other statistics relating to the matter and no other statistics are produced on it.

Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data become public after they have been updated in the web service.

Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland

Statistics Finland's release calendar Future publications

Future publications of the statistics can be found on the page of the statistics at: Future publications of the statistics

The data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may be processed at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published.

Further information: Publication principles for statistics

Unless otherwise specifically stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer and copyright owner of the data. The terms of use for statistical data.

The frequency of dissemination of the data depends on the frequency of elections. County elections are held at four-year intervals, so the dissemination frequency of the statistics is every four years. If the elections are held in a different schedule, the distribution frequency of the statistics also corresponds with the schedule for arranging the elections.

The release is published in an election year on the home page of the statistics.

The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database.

The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed. The compilation of statistics is guided by the Statistics Act. Alongside the Statistics Act, the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and the Finnish Data Protection Act are applied to the processing of personal data. Provisions on the confidentiality of data collected for statistical purposes are laid down in the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

The data are processed only by persons who need the data in their work. The use of data is restricted by usage rights. All persons employed by Statistics Finland have signed a pledge of secrecy, where they have obliged to keep secret the data prescribed as confidential by virtue of the Statistics Act or the Act on the Openness of Government Activities.

Further information: Data protection | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)

In the statistics, data from voting districts where the number of persons entitled to vote/the number of voters remains below a specified threshold are protected. In the case of such voting districts, persons entitled to vote/persons who voted in the area in question are presented in connection with another voting district in the same municipality.