Culture satellite accounts: documentation of statistics

The culture satellite describes the position of culture as part of Finland’s national economy. The National Accounts are the core of depicting the national economy and the Culture Satellite Accounts are a specification of them. The National Accounts describe the economic activity of all units operating in the national economy.

Finland’s national economy is formed by units whose predominant economic interest is centred in Finland’s economic territory. ESA 2010 distinguishes five mutually exclusive sectors: (a) non-financial corporations; (b) financial corporations; (c) general government; (d) households; (e) non-profit institutions serving households. Of these, all but financial institutions are included in the calculation of the culture satellite, and of the sectors included, some separately agreed industries (at the 5-digit level).

Following the ESA 2010 guidelines, two types of units and two corresponding ways of subdividing the economy are used in the National Accounts: (a) institutional unit; (b) local kind-of-activity unit (local KAU). The first type is used for describing income, expenditure and financial flows as well as balance sheets. The second type of unit is used for the description of production processes, input-output analysis and regional analysis.

An institutional unit is an economic entity characterised by decision-making autonomy in the exercise of its principal function. A resident unit is regarded as constituting an institutional unit in the economic territory where it has its centre of predominant economic interest if it has decision-making autonomy and either keeps a complete set of accounts, or is able to compile a complete set of accounts.

A local KAU groups all the parts of an institutional unit in its capacity as producer, which are located in a single site or in closely located sites, and which contribute to the performance of an activity at the class level (4-digit level) of the NACE Rev. 2.

An institutional unit comprises one or more local KAUs; a local KAU belongs to one and only one institutional unit.

In the calculation of the culture satellite, the data of non-financial corporations (S11) and households (S14) are obtained from Statistics Finland’s Business Register (by industry, summed to the 5-digit level), the data of general government (S13) unit-specifically (S1311 central government and S1313 local government separately, the data are summed by industry to the 5-digit level), and in terms of non-profit institutions serving households (S15), calculated on the basis of the sums of wages and salaries, from the production account data in the National Accounts.

In the National Accounts, the population of a country consists of all resident statistical units (institutional units or local KAUs; see Section 3.5). A unit is a resident unit of a country when it has a centre of predominant economic interest on the economic territory of that country, that is, when it engages for an extended period (one year or more) in economic activities on this territory.

The culture satellite describes the position of culture as part of Finland’s national economy, and only statistical units from separately agreed industries and sectors are included in the calculation.

The data of the culture satellite are currently produced solely at the level of whole country in total, not in any more detail.

Data according to the Standard Industrial Classification TOL 2002 are available from 1995 to 2008, and data according to the Standard Industrial Classification TOL 2008 from 2008 onwards. The figures are calculated only after the final source data are ready, due to which the data are not updated in other calculation rounds.

All the time series of the statistics are at current prices and have been calculated as of 2008.

The units of measure used are EUR million, 100 people, and percentage of the corresponding data on the entire economy.

The culture satellite constitutes annual statistics. The data are usually completed 18 months after the end of the statistical reference year.

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 key data of the culture satellite are published on the web pages of the Culture Satellite Accounts.

The data in the culture satellite are based on the data sources used in compiling the National Accounts. The input data of the culture satellite are calculated by sector for separately agreed industries at the 5-digit level and are then summed to the level of the whole economy (different sectors in total) by industry group.

The data on output, value added and employment by industry and sector are obtained from the source data, as are the private and public consumption expenditure.

A large part of the source data is derived from primary statistics. The frequency of the collection of basic data varies: basic data can be collected on a monthly, quarterly or annual basis.

There is no separate data collection for the culture satellite. Rather, the accounts rely on existing material and data (Business Register, unit-level data of general government and production accounts in the National Accounts as well as households’ final consumption expenditure).

Validation is typically carried out in connection with data collection and the compilation of primary statistics. The compilers of the Culture Satellite Accounts also carry out micro-level checks of the data, when the data allow for it. The checks are typically related to missing or abnormal observations.

The data obtained from existing data sets are first summed to the 5-digit level by industry, then by sector, and finally into bigger industry groups. The consumption expenditure data are obtained either directly from the calculations on final consumption expenditure or as a residual item from industry-specific calculations (S13, S15). The consumption expenditure data are also summed into larger groups. 

Statistics Finland regularly follows up and reports of the reactions of the media.

The starting point for the culture satellite is a model in which the industries involving culture to be included in the calculations are selected separately. This approach is not exhaustive, because the part of cultural activities taking place outside the industries selected as cultural industries is not included and because, on the other hand, activities beyond the scope of cultural activities are included in respect of some industries. In addition, the calculation lacks entirely cultural activities which remain outside of the production boundary defined in the National Accounts’ core system.

There is no other data source based on which a potential bias could be assessed.

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 culture satellite is part of the System of National Accounts and applies the same concepts and operating methods.

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. 

The refinement of the statistics may also be related to the calculation method used, such as the annual benchmarking of figures or updates to the weighting structure. Changes in the base year and the classifications used may also lead to revisions of the data.

While revisions should be seen as a process to progressively improve the quality of national accounts as e.g. better sources and/or methods become available, the availability of metadata on revisions is a key element for understanding  national accounts data and revisions between subsequent releases. The Culture Satellite Accounts data are revised, when there are significant changes within National Accounts data, classifications, methods or data sources.

The data of the culture satellite are calculated after the input data (Business Register, the data of general government and the production accounts in the National Accounts as well as households’ final consumption expenditure) are completed, i.e. the data are published with a roughly 18-month delay as of the end of a statistical reference year.

Good practice requires the dates on which National Accounts data become available to be determined in advance and for these publication dates to be met. The culture satellite data have been delivered according to the target schedule.

In Finland, the data of the culture satellite are calculated solely in terms of the entire country. While efforts to create an internationally uniform model for the Culture Satellite Accounts have so far failed, a number of countries have carried out defining work and calculations on the topic. The idea behind the calculations is identical in different countries, but because the industries included vary from one country to the next, the data are not internationally comparable.

The culture satellite data from 1995 to 2008 are based on the National Accounts data produced according to the 2002 Standard Industrial Classification (TOL2002). Culture satellite data in accordance with the 2008 Standard Industrial Classification (TOL2008) have been produced as of 2008. The ESA 2010 revision carried out in 2014 and the National Accounts time series revision carried out in the autumn of 2019 were accounted for in the culture satellite calculations in such a way that the reference data pertaining to the entire economy were revised in accordance with the existing time series revision. In the autumn of 2019, revisions resulting from changes made to the industrial classifications were also made to the calculations of the culture satellite, although in other respects, they have not been changed backwards in connection to time series revisions. The National Accounts time series revision carried out in the autumn of 2024 were accounted for in the culture satellite calculations in such a way that the reference data pertaining to the entire economy were revised in accordance with the existing time series revision.

The National Accounts are an internationally coherent method by which to measure the national economies of different countries. The National Accounts compiled by Statistics Finland comply with the UN’s recommendations concerning national accounts (SNA2008) and the EU’s European System of Accounts (ESA2010) based on the SNA.

As satellite accounts to the National Accounts, the culture satellite also complies with the coherent methodologies based on the above.

The National Accounts are an internationally coherent method by which to measure the national economies of different countries. The National Accounts compiled by Statistics Finland comply with the UN’s recommendations concerning national accounts (SNA2008) and the EU’s statutory European System of Accounts (ESA2010) based on them.

As satellite accounts to the National Accounts, the culture satellite also complies with the coherent methodologies based on the aforementioned systems.

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 culture satellite constitutes annual statistics. The data are usually completed 18 months after the end of the statistical reference year.

The release is published annually on the home page of the statistic.

In addition to news releases, national accounts data may be disseminated in other publications, such as statistical papers, yearbooks, internal and external articles. Usually this concerns publications in which more in-depth analysis is carried out.

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

The publication of Culture Satellite Accounts is available also in English.

Final report in English: Culture Satellite Account; Final report of pilot project

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)