Regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity: documentation of statistics
The documentation of the statistics describes how the statistics were compiled and what methods were used in the compilation. The data help interpret the figures of the statistics and evaluate their reliability and comparability. The quality report is based on the EU's SIMS model. The documentation also contains change releases describing changes in the statistics and possible specifying methodological descriptions.
If you are looking for statistical figures for these statistics, go to the statistics page: Regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
Regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity describe the structure and activity of establishments of enterprises operating in Finland by region, industry and size category. Data derive from enterprise surveys and administrative registers, such as business taxation data. The data are published once a year.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
The regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity covers nearly all industries. All market-based enterprises that have had turnover, personnel, other operating income, investments, or balance sheet during the statistical reference year are included in the statistics.
Marked-based enterprises engaged in agriculture, forestry and fishery (industry A) that have had income from agriculture, other turnover, personnel, other operating income, investments, or balance sheet during the statistical reference year are included in the statistics. Only personal data on agriculture are comprehensively included in the statistics.
For industry 02, the units that have had income from forestry, other turnover, personnel, other operating income, investments, or balance sheet during the statistical reference year are included in the statistics
The following industries are not included in the statistics on establishments:
- Manufacture of tobacco products (TOL 12)
- Public administration and defence; compulsory social security (TOL O)
- Activities of households as employers (TOL T)
- Activities of extraterritorial organisations and bodies (TOL U)
For the following industries, only the number of establishments and personnel is given:
- Crop and animal production and hunting and related service activities (TOL 01)
- Financial and insurance activities (TOL K)
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
An establishment of an enterprise or other unit carrying out economic activities is used as the statistical unit.
An establishment may as such constitute an enterprise (single-establishment enterprise) or be a clearly definable part of an enterprise (multi-establishment/multi-industry enterprise). An actual establishment is a unit owned by a single enterprise or a quasi-corporate unit that is located in one place and mainly produces goods or services of one type. An actual establishment usually employs personnel and generates turnover.
The statistics also comprise ancillary establishments. These are establishments that support the production taking place in the actual establishments. An ancillary establishment can be a warehouse or a unit producing administrative or transport services. An ancillary establishment may employ wage and salary earners but it does not generate any turnover. Operating expenses of an ancillary establishment are included in the operating expenses of the actual establishments of an enterprise (internal delivery).
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
Enterprises engaged in business activities in Finland constitute the population of the regional statistics of entrepreneurial activity.
The key classification variables of the statistics, such as industry, sector, legal form, type of ownership, and the size category of wage and salary earners, are obtained from the Register of Enterprises and Establishments of Statistics Finland.
Enterprises are selected for the statistics if they are market-based and have had personnel, turnover, investments and balance sheet during the statistical reference year.
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
In the regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity, the municipality in which the establishment is located is considered the regional unit of the establishment.
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
Regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity have been produced since the statistical year 2013. Annual data contained in the statistics can be found on the website of the statistics and in Statistics Finland’s StatFin database with renewed statistical units for the period from 2018 onwards. Database tables created with the old statistical units can be found in the StatFin database archive for years 2013 to 2021.
The group of statistical units in the structural business and financial statement statistics was expanded year 2022. Previously, only establishments of enterprises that had operated for at least six months during the reference year, as well as enterprises meeting the size thresholds, were included as statistical units. Limitations concerning the operating time and size of enterprises have been removed from the definition of statistical units.
The data are not regularly revised. Data for older years are updated as necessary in connection with statistical releases. Any updates are then noted in the footnote of the database table.
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
EUR 1,000, per cent and the number of personnel as measured in full-time equivalents are used as the units of measure in the database tables of the statistics.
Reference period (SIMS 5)
A calendar year is used as the reference period in the regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity.
Concepts and definitions (SIMS 3.4)
Corporation subject to taxation
Corporations subject to taxation include: 1) corporations subject to taxation, 2) bodies jointly and severally liable for tax withholding, such as unregistered companies, foundations or association, 3) jointly owned forests, 4) farms, 5) trade associations and 6) other units subject to taxation.
Goods for resale
Goods for resale are goods acquired by an enterprise for the purpose of reselling them without further processing. Also raw materials acquired by an enterprise for the purpose of reselling them as such are deemed to be goods for resale.
Gross value of production
Investments in fixed assets
Investments in fixed assets comprise the acquisition and capital improvement of tangible fixed assets, of which the sales and transfers of fixed assets are deducted. Tangible fixed assets include land and water areas, land and water constructions, buildings and constructions, machinery and equipment as well as other tangible fixed assets. Buildings and structures as well as land and water constructions are recorded as an investment during the statistical period when they are paid for. Other fixed assets are recorded as investments during the accounting period when they are transferred to the buyer's or recipient's use. The concept of gross total increase of tangible fixed assets was in use until 1994. This concept and the current one are defined the same way.
Materials and supplies
The use of materials and supplies is calculated by deducting from the purchases of materials and supplies of the official profit and loss accounts the increase in these inventories or correspondingly, by adding the decrease in the inventories to the purchases.
Mutual interest bodies
Mutual interest bodies, such as fishery collectives and road maintenance associations.
Natural person
A natural person engages in entrepreneurial activity under his/her own name or under a registered trading name. This group includes own-account workers, sole proprietors, most agricultural and forestry entrepreneurs, as well as practitioners of trade.
Personnel expenses
Wages, salaries and rewards, pension expenses and other employer contributions = Personnel expenses Personnel expenses comprise wages and salaries subject to withholding of tax and comparable expenses, as well as expenses determined direct based on wage or salary, such as social security contributions, statutory and voluntary personal insurance contributions and pension expenses. Other voluntary personnel expenses come under other operating expenses.
Turnover
Value added at factor cost
Institutional mandate (SIMS 6)
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
Legal acts and other agreements (SIMS 6.1)
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
Compilation of the statistics is also guided by the following legislation:
- Accounting Act and Decree 3012. 1997/1336
- Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics and Commission Implementing regulation (EU) 2020/1197.
- Regulation (EEC) No 696/93 on statistical units is applied to the statistics on business activities.
- Regulation on industrial classifications; Standard Industrial Classification 2008 is based on the European Union’s common industrial classification (NACE Rev. 2), which has been supplemented for national needs on the 5-digit level.
Data sharing (SIMS 6.2)
Data contained in the regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity can be viewed free of charge by industry, size category, municipality and region in the Px-Web service database on Statistics Finland’s website.
Data on establishments are also available subject to charge within the limits of confidentiality provisions. Further information: palvelut.suhdanne@stat.fi
Micro-level data on establishments are also available to researchers through Statistics Finland’s research services.
Frequency of data collection (SIMS 18.2)
The data are collected once a year.
Data collection (SIMS 18.3)
Data for Statistics Finland’s own data collections are gathered with a web questionnaire.
The instructions for the questionnaire have been specified based on customer feedback.
The non-response of the inquiry is monitored yearly.
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
The quality of the data is verified programmatically. Validation is carried out in connection with data collection and the compilation of primary statistics. The checks are typically related to missing or abnormal observations.
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
In the establishment process, establishments not included in the inquiries and establishments included in the establishment combinations are provided with data on entrepreneurial activity methodologically. The method makes use of industry-specific variable coefficients that are multiplied by the number of personnel in the establishment. After this, the data on establishments are matched with the data on the combinations or the enterprise using a scaling coefficient.
Overall accuracy (SIMS 13.1)
Non-response is the main source of error in the statistics.
Quality assurance (SIMS 11.1)
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
Quality assessment (SIMS 11.2)
The quality of the regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity is examined as the data accumulate. At aggregate level, the data are compared with the previous year and the most significant changes are examined. Coherence analyses of statistics on economic cycles are also carried out.
Data revision - policy (SIMS 17.1)
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.
Timeliness (SIMS 14.1)
Data are collected and checked for 11 months after the end of the statistical year. Final data are published 12 months after the end of the statistical year.
Punctuality (SIMS 14.2)
There are no delays in releasing the data. The data have been published on the days indicated in the release calendar.
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
Data covers the whole of Finland.
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
The group of statistical units in the structural business and financial statement statistics was expanded year 2023. Annual data contained in the statistics can be found on the website of the statistics and in Statistics Finland’s StatFin database with renewed statistical units for the period from 2018 onwards. The change causes a break in the time series compared to old data. The effect of the new statistical units on variables other than the number of enterprises is mainly quite marginal, but can affect to some of the variables.
Temporal comparability of the data in archive is weakened by changes concerning industries, and changes in the Accounting Act and Accounting Decree. There were significant changes in forming the statistics from 2013 onwards, which causes a break in the time series for some of the variables and industries.
Coherence – cross domain (SIMS 15.3)
Coherence with other statistics is limited by conceptual and methodological issues. The turnover given in the business indicators has been calculated on the basis of the self-assessed taxes data supplied by the Finnish Tax Administration.
The definition of turnover in the self-assessed taxes returns does not fully correspond with the turnover stated in the profit and loss account.
The calendar year, six months, quarter or month is used as the measurement period in the monthly indicators of enterprises. The measurement period for structural business and financial statement statistics is the 12-month accounting period. The accounting period is not always the same as the calendar year.
Coherence - internal (SIMS 15.4)
Regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity are internally coherent.
Release calendar (SIMS 8.1)
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
Release calendar access (SIMS 8.2)
User access (SIMS 8.3)
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.
Frequency of dissemination (SIMS 9)
The regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity are published on Statistics Finland’s website each year.
News release (SIMS 10.1)
The release is published annually on Regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity - Statistics Finland.
Online database (SIMS 10.3)
The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database.
Micro-data access (SIMS 10.4)
Micro-level data on establishments are also available to researchers through Statistics Finland’s research services.
Confidentiality - policy (SIMS 7.1)
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)
Confidentiality - data treatment (SIMS 7.2)
Data on the regional statistics on entrepreneurial activity are published at aggregate level. The number of enterprises, number of personnel and the industry are publicly available data. Other data are subject to confidentiality provisions.
The threshold value rule is used when assessing the data disclosure risk, and the rule applies to all industries. The protected data are suppressed. In primary suppression, data on an individual industry group are protected by suppression if the group has data on one or two enterprises. In secondary encryption, the data are suppressed so that the primarily protected data cannot be derived. The same encryption rules apply to the information services, and stricter encryption procedures can be applied on a case-by-case basis.