Merchant fleet: 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: Merchant fleet
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
Merchant fleet statistics describe vessels entered in the Finnish register of ships. Furthermore, data on vessels registered in the Register of Merchant Vessels are included. The data derive from two different vessel registers (Traficom, the State Department of Åland) and are published quarterly and annually.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
The merchant fleet statistics contain data on all vessels registered in Finland. Such vessels in the transport register or register of ships, which can be granted subsidies from State funds to improve competitiveness are entered in the Register of Merchant Vessels upon application.
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
The Finnish registered merchant fleet comprises all vessels registered in the transport register or register of ships regardless of the vessel’s size or type. The regular merchant fleet refers to vessels that must be registered, that is, vessels with a length of 15 m or more. However, barges and other engineless vessels are not included in the regular merchant fleet. The regular merchant fleet is divided into four main categories by vessel type: passenger ships, dry cargo ships, tankers and other vessels.
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
The Finnish merchant fleet statistics are based on register data and these registers contain data on all vessels registered in Finland.
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
The merchant fleet statistics describe vessels registered in Finland.
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
Data on the merchant fleet are available on the web pages from 2000 onwards. Merchant fleet statistics have been compiled since 1918.
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
The units used are number of vessels, age of vessels in years and deadweight in tonnes. The statistics also use unitless measures, which are gross tonnage, net tonnage.
Reference period (SIMS 5)
The quarterly merchant fleet statistics are published around one week from the end of the statistical reference quarter. The annual merchant fleet statistics are published at the end of February following the statistical reference year and they correspond to the register of ships at the end of the statistical reference year.
Concepts and definitions (SIMS 3.4)
Barge
A barge type vessel regardless of size, excluding pusher lighter combinations, which are included in the regular merchant fleet.
Dry cargo ship
Ro-ro cargo ships, bulk carriers, container ships and other dry cargo ships included in the merchant fleet.
Other engineless vessel
A vessel moving without its own power regardless of size, excluding barges.
Other vessel
Other vessels than passenger ships, dry cargo ships and tankers, for example, tugboats, icebreakers, pusher lighters, fishing vessels and administrative vessels included in the merchant fleet.
Passenger ship
Passenger ships and ro-ro passenger ships included in the merchant fleet.
Register of Merchant Vessels
Such vessels in the Finnish register of ships, which can be granted subsidies from State funds to improve competitiveness, are entered in the Register of Merchant Vessels upon application.
Registered merchant fleet
All vessels registered in the Finnish register of ships regardless of the vessel’s size or type.
Regular merchant fleet
Vessels that must be registered, that is, vessels with a length of 15 m or more. However, barges and other engineless vessels are not included in the regular merchant fleet. The regular merchant fleet is divided into four main categories by vessel type: passenger ships, dry cargo ships, tankers and other vessels.
Ro-ro ship
Vessels where cargo is loaded and unloaded by moving it on wheels onto and off the ship on ramps in the stern and bow or through side doors (roll on/roll off). If a ro-ro ship can carry at least 120 passengers in addition to cargo, it is classified as a ro-ro passenger ship.
Small vessel
A vessel under 15 m, but at least 10 m, which has been voluntarily entered in the register of ships.
Tanker
Oil, gas and chemical tankers included in the merchant fleet.
Vessel’s deadweight (dwt)
The combined weight of the vessel’s cargo, fuel, water supplies, stores and people according to the Plimsoll line, i.e. the vessel’s carrying power.
Vessel’s gross tonnage (gross)
Comparison figure based on the total volume of closed-in spaces of a vessel.
Vessel’s net tonnage (net)
Measurement of a vessel’s available capacity.
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
Data sharing (SIMS 6.2)
The latest quarterly data on the merchant fleet and the data of the annual publication are available on the home page of the statistics on the day of their release. The data of the statistics are also available in Statistics Finland's StatFin database service.
Cost and burden (SIMS 16)
The data are drawn from a register, so no actual response burden.
Source data (SIMS 18.1)
The merchant fleet statistics contain data on all vessels registered in Finland. The data of the statistics are obtained from vessel data in the transport register maintained by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom in accordance with the Act on Transport Services (320/2017) and from data in the register of ships maintained by the State Department of Åland in accordance with the Register of Ships Act (512/1993). All Finnish vessels with a length of 15 m or more, engaged in merchant shipping must be registered in the transport register or register of ships. In the registers mentioned above, ships with a length of 10 m or more which are engaged in merchant shipping may, at the owner's request, also be entered.
Such vessels in the transport register or register of ships, which can be granted subsidies from State funds to improve competitiveness are entered in the Register of Merchant Vessels upon application.
Frequency of data collection (SIMS 18.2)
The data are drawn quarterly from the transport register and the register of ships.
Data collection (SIMS 18.3)
All data on the merchant fleet are obtained from vessel data in the transport register maintained by the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom in accordance with the Act on Transport Services (320/2017) and from data in the register of ships maintained by the State Department of Åland in accordance with the Register of Ships Act (512/1993). The above-mentioned registers contain data on all vessels registered in Finland. The place of registration of a vessel is determined according to the domicile reported by the owner. Regarding Mainland Finland, the Finnish Transport and Communications Agency Traficom acts as controller of the register of ships and regarding Åland, the State Department of Åland.
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
The data are checked for internal coherence by means of register entries.
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
The statistics are based on register data, so they are not edited in the statistical production process. However, new data variables are derived from the data.
User needs (SIMS 12.1)
The merchant fleet statistics aim to serve decision-makers in shipping as well as possible by producing data for planning, monitoring, supervision and decision-making for their use. In addition, manufacturing, trade, research and the shipping business need statistical data concerning the merchant fleet.
User satisfaction (SIMS 12.2)
The table design of the merchant fleet tries to take into account the needs of the users and the data can be examined with respect to different variables. Variables are added according to the wishes of users.
Overall accuracy (SIMS 13.1)
The merchant fleet statistics can be regarded as exhaustive and reliable. They are based on the transport register and the register of ships. The keeping of these registers is based on the Act on Transport Services and the Register of Ships Act.
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
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 quarterly merchant fleet statistics are published around one week from the end of the statistical reference quarter on Statistics Finland’s web pages. The annual merchant fleet statistics are published at the end of February following the statistical reference year and they correspond to the register of ships at the end of the statistical reference year.
Punctuality (SIMS 14.2)
There is no delay between the release calendar and the actual release date.
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
The statistics are internationally comparable.
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
The length of the comparable time series is 27 years.
Until 1993, Finland's regular merchant fleet comprised vessels according to the old Register of Ships Act (211/1927), that is, vessels with a net tonnage of at least 19. When comparing the regular merchant fleet (length of 15 m or more) according to the new Register of Ships Act (512/1993) with that of the old Register of Ships Act, the increase was 94 ships and the corresponding increase in gross tonnage only 8,065 in 1993.
Coherence - sub-annual and annual statistics (SIMS 15.3.1)
The data of quarterly and annual releases are coherent with each other.
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)
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
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 quarterly merchant fleet statistics are published around one week from the end of the statistical reference quarter. The annual merchant fleet statistics are published at the end of February following the statistical reference year and they correspond to the register of ships at the end of the statistical reference year. The data are released in accordance with Statistics Finland's release calendar.
Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service.
Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland
Unless otherwise separately stated in connection with the product, data
or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer of the data and the
owner of the copyright. The terms of use for statistical data.
News release (SIMS 10.1)
The release is published quarterly and 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.
The StatFin database is the primary publishing site of data, and new data are updated first there. When releasing statistical data, existing database tables can be updated with new data or completely new database tables can be published.
In addition to statistical data published in the StatFin database, a release on the key data is usually published in the web service. If the release contains data concerning several reference periods (e.g. quarterly and annual data), a review bringing together these data is published in the web service. Database tables updated at the time of publication are listed both in the release and in the review. In some cases, statistical data can also be published as mere database releases in the StatFin database. No release or review is published in connection with these database releases.
Releases and database tables are published in three languages, in Finnish, Swedish and English. The language versions of releases may have more limited content than in Finnish.
Information about changes in the publication schedules of releases and database tables and about corrections are given as change releases in the web service.
Micro-data access (SIMS 10.4)
Unit-level research data can be formed from the data.
Documentation on methodology (SIMS 10.6)
The data are register data and are tabulated according to established rules on the level of, for example, vessel type, ice class and size category.
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)
The data of the statistics are protected with careful table design.
Statistics Finland has compiled detailed directions and instructions for confidential processing of the data.
Further information: Data protection | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)