Economy-wide material flow accounts: 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: Economy-wide material flow accounts
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
Economy-wide material flow accounts describe in tonnes the volume of materials extracted, transferred or transformed from nature. The statistics are part of environmental accounts, which describe interaction between the environment and the economy. The data are collected from various sources and published once a year.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
The statistics cover all solid, gaseous and liquid materials extracted, transferred or transformed from nature, excluding flows of air and water.
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
Economy-wide material flow accounts describe in units of mass (tonnes) the volume of materials extracted, transferred or transformed from nature.
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
The source data concerning all sectors of the economy are adjusted into a balanced whole.
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
The statistics cover the whole of Finland as a single area. The statistics do not include regional classifications.
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
The statistics cover the period between 1970-2024, and with a more spesific classification from 2010-.
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
The unit of measure is millions of tonnes.
Reference period (SIMS 5)
The reference period is a year. The statistics are published at a lag of 12 months from the end of the statistical reference year.
Classifications (SIMS 3.2)
Classification of materials (EU Regulation on European environmental economic accounts (EU) No 691/2011 (annex 3, section 5)
Concepts and definitions (SIMS 3.4)
Direct material input (DMI)
Direct material input (DMI) includes materials extracted from Finland and materials imported to Finland from abroad. DMI = DE + IMP
Domestic extraction (DE)
Domestic extraction (DE) refers to materials extracted from domestic nature for further processing in the economy. They can be divided into biomass, metal ores, non-metallic minerals and fossil energy materials.
Domestic hidden flows / Unused domestic extraction
Domestic hidden flows / Unused domestic extraction refer to moves and transformations of natural materials that are made in connection with their extraction from nature or construction. Examples of these would be logging waste left in forests, and unused wall rock of ore mines. Hidden flows are included in total material requirement.
Domestic material consumption (DMC)
Domestic material consumption (DMC) takes into account not only direct domestic inputs, i.e. materials extracted from domestic nature, but also materials imported from abroad as raw materials or processed products and those exported abroad. DMC is one of the UN sustainable development indicators. DMC = DE + IMP – EXP
Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA)
Economy-wide material flow accounts describe the volumes of materials extracted, transferred or transformed from domestic nature, raw materials and processed products imported from abroad, and exports of raw materials and processed products. The statistics describe all solid, gaseous and liquid materials with the exception of air and water. The statistics are consistent with the Economy-Wide Material Flow Accounting (EW-MFA) framework outlined in the EU Regulation on environmental accounting and in the UN Handbook on Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting.
Exports (EXP)
Exports (EXP) comprise of raw materials and processed products exported abroad.
Hidden flows of imports
Hidden flows of imports are comprised of the direct inputs and hidden flows which are used abroad to produce imported goods, but which do not show in the weight of imported raw materials or products. Hidden flows of imports are usually calculated with coefficients specific for each raw material or product group.
Imports (IMP)
Imports (IMP) consist of foreign imports of manufactured products and raw materials.
Material intensity
Material intensity describes the national economy's dependency on natural resources. It can be measured as the ratio of total material requirement, domestic material consumption or direct inputs to GDP. As material intensity decreases, the aim is to reach a situation where the state of the environment does not deteriorate as the economy grows. This is also known as decoupling of economic growth and environmental impacts. Domestic material consumption in relation to GDP is one of the sustainable development indicators (SDG). = DMC/GDP
Physical trade balance (PTB)
The physical trade balance (PTB) is calculated as the difference between imports and exports of processed products and raw materials. PTB = IMP-EXP
Raw material consumption (RMC)
Raw material consumption (RMC) measures the domestic final use of raw materials including domestic and imported raw material equivalents. It is calculated by adding imported raw materials to domestic direct inputs and, respectively, by subtracting the raw material equivalents of exported raw materials and processed products, i.e. the inputs required in the country to produce the imported or exported volume of materials. It is a more accurate description of burdens on the environment than domestic material consumption and also a more sensible indicator for comparisons between countries. RMC = DE + IMPrme – EXPrme
Raw material equivalents (RME)
In addition to the exported or imported volume of materials, raw material equivalents (RME) include the direct inputs required to produce the exported or imported volume of materials.
Raw material input (RMI)
Raw material input (RMI) is calculated by adding imported raw materials and processed products to domestic direct inputs, and the inputs needed to produce the imported volume of materials are also considered in the calculation. RMI = DE + IMPrme
Resource productivity (RP)
Resource productivity (RP) is calculated as the ratio between gross domestic product and domestic material consumption. It shows how efficiently natural resources are utilised in relation to GDP. Resource productivity is one of the EU's sustainable development indicators. RP = BKT/DMC
System of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA)
The System of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA) is a systematic description of the relationship between the environment and the economy. The accounts comprise of accounts and balances that describe the use volumes of natural resources, the loading caused by the use of natural resources, and the economy and business activity of environmental protection. The statistics of the System of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting are compiled in the framework of national accounts in compliance with their key characteristics, such as the industrial classification and the classification of sectors and the domicile principle of economic units.
Total material requirement (TMR)
Total material requirement (TMR) is the sum of domestic and foreign direct inputs and hidden flows. TMR = DE + domestic hidden flows + IMP + hidden flows of imports
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 statistics on economy-wide material flow accounts are part of the framework of the System of Environmental Economic Accounts (SEEA), which monitors the interaction between the environment and the economy. EU Regulation on European environmental economic accounts (EU) No 691/2011, amended by Regulation (EU) No 538/2014, and its implementing regulation (EU) No 2174/2015 obligate EU Member States to compile statistics on the economy-wide material flows as of 2014. The objective of environmental accounts is to provide a statistical description of the interaction between the environment and the economy which for the most part complies with the basic framework and classifications of national accounts.
Data sharing (SIMS 6.2)
The statistics on economy-wide material flow accounts are published on the predefined date online, on the statistics’ home page. The links on the home page lead to the description of the statistics, concepts and definitions as well as free of charge statistical database tables (StatFin).
Eurostat publishes the data in the statistics on its own website.
Source data (SIMS 18.1)
The data are collected from the statistics of Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and the Finnish Customs, as well as from the data of INFRA – Infra Contractors’ Association in Finland, the Finnish Safety and Chemicals Agency (Tukes) and Statistics Finland’s energy statistics.
Frequency of data collection (SIMS 18.2)
The data are collected annually.
Data collection (SIMS 18.3)
The economy-wide material flow accounts are statistics mainly derived from other statistics. Statistics Finland has a separate agreement with Tukes on the supply of data.
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
The received data are compared to previous data with the same content and any data related to the same topic.
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
The source data are processed and edited coherently within the framework of environmental accounts.
Overall accuracy (SIMS 13.1)
Most of the data are obtained directly from already published 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 data is assessed at several different stages of the statistical process.
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)
The statistics on economy-wide material flow accounts are published annually, with a lag of 12 months from the end of the statistical reference year.
Punctuality (SIMS 14.2)
There are no delays between the release calendar and the actual release date.
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
The statistics are comparable with the statistics of EU countries. The statistics are not produced outside the EU.
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
The statistics have been compiled from 1970 onwards. The data has been revised from 2010, and it is comparable from 2010 onwards.
Coherence – cross domain (SIMS 15.3)
The statistics on economy-wide material flow accounts apply the EU regulation on European environmental economic accounts (Regulation (EU) No 691/2011) and the UN’s System of Environmental Economic Accounts (SEEA).
Coherence - internal (SIMS 15.4)
The data is comparable from 2010 onwards.
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)
Future publications of the statistics can be found on the page of the statistics at: Future publications of the statistics
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 statistics are published once a year on Statistics Finland’s website.
News release (SIMS 10.1)
The release is published annually on the home page of the statistics.
Online database (SIMS 10.3)
The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database.
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)
According to the Statistics Act (280/2004), the data of the statistics are in the public domain. The tables in the statistics are produced by using/editing a table’s classification on a level high or general enough to prevent the emergence of small cell frequencies.
The Statistics Act (280/2004) defines the data on the number of enterprises as being in the public domain, which is why even small cell frequencies do not need to be protected. In quantity tables, cells containing few observations (threshold value) or dominated by one or two units (dominance rule) are protected by suppressing the value of the cell to prevent the data of an individual enterprise from being revealed. In addition, other cells have been suppressed to prevent the calculation of the primarily suppressing cell values with the help of marginal sums. The suppressed cells in released tables are marked by single quotation marks ’...’.
The data of the statistics are not released in identifiable form outside Statistics Finland. The use of the data for scientific research and statistical surveys is possible only on the basis of a separate decision on user licence and in unidentifiable form. Further information about licences.