Migration: 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: Migration
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
The migration statistics describe internal migration, immigration and emigration. The data are obtained from the Population Information System and published once a year.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
The data on migration represent total data. All details on moves submitted to the Population Information System by individuals residing permanently in the country at the time of their move are included in the migration data. The statistics include moves in which the permanent departure or arrival area of the move, or both of them, are located in Finland.
Immigration into Finland from abroad is included in population statistics if the place of residence reported by a person in a move notification as their permanent place of domicile is approved by a local register office. Emigrations are included in the statistics if the person has had a permanent place of residence in Finland prior to the move. The statistics on intramunicipal migration include moves in which a permanent place of residence changes within a municipality.
In terms of their coverage, the statistics on migration accord with international recommendations.
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
The statistical unit is a move (rather than an individual).
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
The statistical population comprises all moves made by individuals residing permanently in Finland in which the area of departure and/or arrival is located in Finland and which meet the other criteria for migration specified in the quality report.
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
The data are available from Finland, by different regional divisions based on municipalities. Statistics based on sub-areas or postal code areas can be produced, subject to a charge. Coordinate-based grid data can likewise be produced.
The classifications of region and the statistical grouping of municipalities have been used as of 1997. Prior to this, provinces were used instead of regions and forms of local government instead of the statistical grouping of municipalities. As of 1999, the statistics have used the regional division which entered into force at the beginning of the calendar year following the statistical year.
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
The StatFin database includes data on migration since 1990.
Historical population statistics have also been digitised; these are available as PDF files through the National Library of Finland’s Doria service. Statistics on municipal migration according to the area of departure and arrival, with the most recent regional division, are available from 1974. Data on intramunicipal migration are available from 1990 onwards. Data on international migration, according to the area entered or departed, are available from 1981 onwards. Data on the total numbers of immigration and emigration covering the entire country are available from 1945, and municipality-specific statistics on the total number of international migration are available from 1975 onwards.
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
The unit of measure is the number of moves (rather than the number of individuals).
The propensity for migration indicates the number of migrations per 1,000 people in the mean population.
Reference period (SIMS 5)
The reference period of the statistics is a calendar year.
Concepts and definitions (SIMS 3.4)
Age
In connection with vital events, age data refer to the age on the day the event took place. Average age is obtained by adding up the ages of all persons involved in the same event at the time of the event, after which the sum is divided by the number of these persons. As the used age of a person is given in full years at the time of the event, it is not the exact age of that person. For this reason, it is assumed when computing average age that the persons were aged x+0.5, on average, at the time of the event.
Country of birth
All persons entered in the Population Register are indicated a country of birth, which is determined on the basis of the mother's permanent home country at the time of birth. This means, for example, that the country of birth of Estonian immigrants born before Estonian independence is the Soviet Union. Similarly, the country of birth of people who were born in areas that Finland has subsequently ceded is Finland even though the area no longer is Finnish territory. Country of birth is indicated according to the form of government at the time of birth.
Emigration
Persons emigrating from the country must submit a notice of change of address in the same way as persons who migrate within the country (Acts 661/2009, 201/1994). Persons who move abroad for more than a year are considered emigrants. An exception to this case is provided to Finnish nationals who are diplomats or work in development cooperation or the like. When a person moves from one Nordic country to another, they must inform the local register authority in the country they are entering of their move. This authority then decides, on the basis of that country’s registration policy, whether the person is registered as residing in that country. The register authority of the country of entry informs the person concerned and the register authority of the country of exit about its decision. The date when the person has been entered into the local population register of the country of entry is recorded as the date of emigration in the population register of the country of exit (Municipality of Residence Act 201/1994, Decree and Treaty 96/2006).
Immigration
Persons who have moved to Finland and who intend to reside in Finland for more than twelve months or have resided in Finland over three months without interruption must notify the authorities of their move (Population Data Act 507/1993). Foreign nationals who intend to live permanently in Finland must have fulfilled during a year the preconditions of residence (EU national) and have a valid residence permit for longer time than one year (see Act 399/2007). In such cases their place of domicile is determined according to the same principles as for Finnish nationals (Municipality of Residence Act 201/1994). Immigrants in usually resident population are not counted diplomats and those involved in development co-operation, etc. (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994). In accordance with an agreement between the Nordic countries, a period of temporary residence of less than six months is not construed as a move (On the Entry into Force of the Agreement Relating to the Population Registers in the Nordic countries 851/1990, Agreement Series 49 and Statute on the Municipality of Domicile 351/1994). When a person migrates from one Nordic country to another, the local population register of the country of exit must provide the migrant with a Nordic Certification of Notice of Departure to be delivered to the local population register of the country of arrival (Decree on the Municipality of Domicile 351/1994, 851/1990, Agreement Series 49). The local population register authority of the country of arrival returns the certification to the register centre of the country of departure. The day on which the migrant is entered into the local population register of the country of arrival is recorded as the date of move.
Increase of population
Increase of population is the sum of excess of births over deaths and net immigration.
Intermunicipal in-migration
Persons having moved from one municipality to another reported to the Population Information System. One person may have several moves during the year in the statistics. Students' moves to the location of study can be regarded, if so desired by the student, as permanent moves from 1 June 1994, when the Act on the Municipality of Domicile (201/1994) came into force.
Intermunicipal net migration
Intermunicipal net migration is the difference between intermunicipal in-migration and intermunicipal out-migration.
Intermunicipal out-migration
Persons having moved from one municipality to another reported to the Population Information System. One person may have several moves during the year in the statistics. Students' moves to the location of study can be regarded, if so desired by the student, as permanent moves from 1 June 1994, when the Act on the Municipality of Domicile (201/1994) came into force.
Internal migration
Those changing place of domicile are expected within one week of the move to report on the change of address, specifying all family members involved in the move. The notice is delivered to the register office of the new place of residence. The move is indicated as either a permanent or a temporary one, and once the register office receives the notice, the register office determines whether the nature of the move involves a permanent or temporary change of domicile. Since 1 June 1994, when the Act on the Municipality of Domicile (201/1994) came into effect, students moving due to their studies have had the right to register themselves as permanent residents in the municipality in which they study. Data on the change of dwelling and place of domicile are transferred in machine-language format to the Population Information System. The register office of the new place of residence sends the data on the new place of domicile to the register office of the former place of residence. (Population Data Act 507/1993 and amendment 202/1994; Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994; Decree on the Municipality of Domicile 351/1994)
Intramunicipal migration
Statistics Finland receives information on the changes in place of residence that involve a permanent change of domicile. These changes in domicile are classified at Statistics Finland into intramunicipal moves and intermunicipal moves. Intramunicipal moves consist of moves from one dwelling to another within the same municipality, with moves from one building or house to another forming a separate sub-category. Intramunicipal statistics dating to 1986 and earlier cover only moves from one building or house to another within the same municipality. Until 1993, the concept of intramunicipal migration consisted of moves from one private dwelling unit to another within the same municipality. Since 1994, intramunicipal moves from institutional dwellings to private dwellings and vice versa have been included in the data. Moves from a situation where there is no permanent dwelling to private dwellings and vice versa have been classified as intramunicipal migration since 1994. This change in the concept has resulted in an increase of about 6 per cent in the intramunicipal migration data. When the data for 1993 were produced, the statistical period was also changed from the period of 2 January to 1 January into 1 January to 31 December because of the corresponding change in the Population Information System. In the transition year the statistical period fell one day short of one year (the effect being 11,000 cases of intramunicipal migration and 4,500 cases of intermunicipal migration). The coming into force of the Act on the Municipality of Domicile has somewhat increased the volume of intramunicipal and intermunicipal migration in 1994 and after that.
Mean population
The notion of mean population (or average population) refers to the average of the populations of two consecutive years. When a ratio describing some phenomenon is calculated for the statistical year, the number of events in the phenomenon in question is usually expressed as a proportion of the mean population of the people or the groups subject to the event. The figures relating to population events are generally given as per 1,000, that is, the result of the division is multiplied by one thousand.
Net migration
Net migration is the difference between immigration and emigration. Persons who have moved to Finland and intend to reside or have resided one whole year without interruption in Finland shall inform the register office of their place of residence (Population Data Act 507/1993). For those who intend to live permanently in Finland and have a valid residence permit for at least one year, the place of domicile is generally determined according to the same principles as with Finnish nationals (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994). The register office then delivers these data to the Population Information System. Those emigrating to a place of domicile abroad shall supply a notice of change of address just as do those that migrate within the country (Decree on the Municipality of Domicile 351/1994). Those who intend to leave the country for more than one year are primarily considered emigrants, barring diplomats and those working in development co-operation, etc. (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994). In accordance with an agreement made between the Nordic countries, generally a period of residence of less than six months is not construed as a move.
Propensity for internal migration
The propensity for internal migration, or the rate of internal migration, refers to the number of migrants per 1,000 of the mean population in the area of departure. The propensity for internal migration in some age group indicates the migrants per 1,000 of the mean population in the age group in question.
Register correction (correction increase)
Register correction is to change a person's domicile information in the Population Information System so that the change of information does not involve an actual move of that person. In general, the move has taken place a very long time ago, in which case changing the information by a notice of removal would not make sense, or the person is known to have moved at some point but no information has been obtained on the target domicile and the person is thus included in the absent population. When such an increase is made to the population living in an area, it is a question of an increase correction. When such a decrease is made to an area, it is a decrease correction. The difference between increase and decrease corrections is called register correction or net of register corrections.
Sex/gender
Data on sex are obtained from the gender entry in the Population Information System maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. According to the Act that entered into force on 3 April 2023, the gender entry in the Population Information System can be changed upon application including an explanation that a person permanently identifies as the gender they seek recognition for (Act on Legal Recognition of Gender 295/2023). In Finland, only male or female can be entered as gender in the Population Information System. If a person who moves to Finland from abroad has a third or unspecified gender, the person is recorded as female in the Population Information System.
Total net migration
Total net migration is the sum of intermunicipal migration and net migration.
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
Only the necessary data that are not available from administrative data sources are collected from data suppliers. Statistics Finland is tasked with compiling statistics that describe societal conditions (Statistics Finland Act (48/1992)).
The statistics are compiled according to the municipality of residence pursuant to the Municipality of Residence Act (201/1994) and the permanent residence in that municipality.
The data recorded in the Population Information System are defined by the Act on the Population Information System and the Certification Services of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (661/2009). Foreign nationals’ rights of residence are defined in the Aliens Act (301/2004). Statistics Finland and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency have made an agreement on the delivery of the relevant data.
Data sharing (SIMS 6.2)
The compiler of the population statistics, of which the statistics on migration are part, is determined by Statistics Finland’s valid rules of procedure.
The data on migration are available after their release in the StatFin statistical database. The data become public after they have been updated on the relevant websites.
Data from the statistics on migration are delivered annually to Eurostat, the UN and the Nordic Statistics database.
Source data (SIMS 18.1)
Finland’s population statistics are based on the data of the Population Information System maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the State Department of Åland. Information on vital events occurring in the population residing in the country permanently are updated to the Population Information System on a continuous basis. In terms of moves, the information is based on notifications of moves submitted by individuals themselves to Posti and the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. As of 1975, Statistics Finland has received population data from Digital and Population Data Services Agency in machine language format weekly.
The last population registration in Finland was carried on 1 January 1989. After this, the Population Information System has been updated on the basis of change notifications. The data stored in the Population Information System are specified in the Act (21 August 2009/661) on the Population Information System and the certificate services of the Digital and Population Data Services Agency. Notifications on population changes for the ended year are awaited up to the last day of January of the following year.
The Population Register Centre has commissioned sample surveys on the accuracy of addresses from Statistics Finland, in which some 11,000 individuals are inquired whether their address in the Population Information System is accurate. In the latest survey, in 2012, the address of 98.9 per cent of the respondents was accurate.
In connection with municipal elections, returned notifications of voting sent to foreigners usually reveal around 1000 persons who have moved from the country without giving notice and are thus still included in the Finnish population. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency removes these individuals from the Population Information System’s population residing in Finland before the next turn of the year.
Frequency of data collection (SIMS 18.2)
The preliminary data on migration are based on weekly data of vital events received from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency on a weekly basis.
The final annual statistics on migration are based on the weekly data compiled during the statistical reference year and during January of the following year.
Data collection (SIMS 18.3)
As of 1975, Statistics Finland has received population data on a weekly basis from the Population Information System maintained by Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the State Department of Åland. The disclosure of the data is based on the act on Statistics Finland’s status as the statistical authority.
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
• Comparing the number of moves in the final statistics with the number of moves in the preliminary statistics.
• Checking the data for double rows (more than one moves during a week to the same place of residence).
• Verifying the direct distributions of variables.
• Testing the frequency and checking whether the values accord with the classifications.
• Checking the logic of variables by cross-tabulation.
• Investigating whether any missing cases are really missing and whether the matter can be clarified with the help of some other population statistics or, ultimately, the Population Information System’s direct access service.
• Investigating whether any extra cases are really extras and whether the matter can be clarified with the help of some other population statistics or, ultimately, the Population Information System’s direct access service.
• Verifying that the key variables do not include unknown values any more than is defined as permitted.
• Checking that a person marked as an internal migrant is, in their first move, a resident of the country at the beginning of the year.
• Checking that a person marked as an immigrant is not, in their first move, a resident of the country at the beginning of the year.
• Checking that a person marked as an emigrant is not, in their last move, a resident of the country at the end of the year.
• The possible imputation of the values of background variables to a slight extent with the help of other data in the same data group.
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
The statistics on migration represent total data (not sample-based). The data are not subject to weightings or nonresponse analyses.
The validation measures mentioned in Section 18.4 interact with the measures correcting any observed data deficiencies and inaccuracies. The corrections are made to the data preceding the latest data, after which the latest data are produced again. Following this, the data are again validated and, in the event of any deficiencies, the latest data are modified again. The process is continued until the inaccuracies and deficiencies have been corrected.
There is slight under-coverage in the emigration data received through the Population Information System, given that some individuals emigrating from Finland do not submit a notification concerning their emigration. Because of this, Statistics Finland annually removes any individuals of whom there are no signs of life or information of such individuals residing permanently in Finland in recent years from the data on population structure received from the Population Information System. Emigration has been generated for a majority of the individuals removed from the population structure of the most recent statistical reference year. Such emigrations have annually accounted for a little more than a per cent, on average, of the entire amount of emigration. The individual’s details in the population data at the end of the year are imported to the generated emigration.
Overall accuracy (SIMS 13.1)
The Population Information System maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the State Department of Åland can, in general, be considered very comprehensive in terms of individuals. For an individual to receive a personal identity code, they must be registered in the Population Information System. It is practically impossible to live in Finland permanently without a personal identity code. Legal employment, the opening of a bank account, taking care of affairs with the authorities, etc. all require a personal identity code.
Following the discontinuation of census registration as of 1989, the Population Information System has been maintained solely with reports on population changes. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency has commissioned sample surveys on the accuracy of addresses from Statistics Finland. The survey contacts approximately 11,000 individuals to inquire whether their address in the Population Information System is accurate. In the latest survey, in 2012, the address of 98.9 per cent of the respondents was correct.
Inaccurate addresses impact municipality-specific migration data only if the inaccurate address is in a municipality other than the accurate address. Only some of the inaccurate addresses are in a wrong municipality.
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)
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF) are a comprehensive collection of statistics describing the development and state of society. They comprise nearly 300 sets of statistics on 26 different topics. The producers of Official Statistics of Finland have approved a common quality assurance in which they commit to common quality criteria and quality assurance measures. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice. The good practices followed in the statistics are presented in Statistics Finland’s Quality Guidelines for Official Statistics handbook. The quality criteria of the Official Statistics of Finland, on the other hand, can be found here.
The statistics on migration have not been thoroughly audited.
A point of reference for the statistics on migration is provided by the statistics on population structure, to whose population increases the number of moves are compared. This contributes to an improvement in the quality of the statistics on migration.
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 final data are published approximately five months after the reference period. Preliminary data on moves are available monthly and with further details, every three months. The preliminary data are released less than a month after the reference period in question.
Punctuality (SIMS 14.2)
The Digital and Population Data Services Agency has delivered migration data to Statistics Finland on a regular basis, so there has been no time delay in the provision of the data.
The statistics on migration are almost invariably released on the target date, due to which there has been no time delay. If the release of statistical data is significantly delayed from the announced point of time, information about the delay is posted on the statistics’ home page.
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
The numbers of moves within the country can be compared regionally. The database tables always indicate the regional division used. It is common practice for an entire time series to be updated to the temporally latest regional division.
The regional concepts and definitions of the statistics on migration comply with international recommendations. This improves the migration data’s international comparability.
https://unstats.un.org/unsd/publication/seriesm/seriesm_58rev1e.pdf
https://ec.europa.eu/knowledge4policy/dataset/ds00026_en
The consistency of the statistics between countries has been studied in the Nordic countries with the Mirror analysis, which includes a comparison of the statistical authorities’ data on migration between the countries. In recent years, differences between the migration figures of the Nordic countries have increased slightly.
Despite international recommendations, the time for which a person must reside in a country before being included in its population varies in the statistical systems of some countries. This is why it is difficult to compare countries’ statistics on international migration with each other.
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
Temporal comparisons based on the number of moves can be made, because the impact of area incorporations has been accounted for in the database tables, with the exception of partial incorporations. The impact that partial incorporations have on migration figures is nevertheless small and significant partial incorporations occur very seldom. It is common practice for an entire time series to be updated to the latest regional division. The database tables always indicate the regional division used. As a special service, migration data can also be produced with the regional division of each year.
The definitions of the statistics on international migration accord with the international recommendations. In Finland, the statistics have been produced according to the recommendations since the 1970s. This increases the statistics’ temporal comparability.
The statistics on internal migration are primarily comparable between the statistical reference years. However, there is a break in the time series between 1993 and 1994, when the entry into force of the Municipality of Residence Act resulted in changes in the internal migration figures. Internal migration grew for a period of about five years, partly due to changes in the way in which the statistics on students’ moves were compiled.
The database tables of the statistics on migration do not account for age structure’s impact on the number of migrations or propensity for migration. Age standardisation allows for improving the comparability of migration figures in a long time series or in the comparison of areas with differing age structures.
Coherence – cross domain (SIMS 15.3)
The data of the population statistics are used as basic data for population in the other statistics of Statistics Finland. This means that the various statistics produced by Statistics Finland are coherent in terms of their population data.
The definitions of the statistics on migration accord with the international recommendations. The statistics on migration are largely coherent with the statistics produced by the statistical offices of other countries as long as the statistical authority of a country complies with the international recommendations in their corresponding statistics.
The preliminary and final migration data compiled by the statistical authorities may contain minor quantitative differences. Various organisations have commissioned data on population changes from the Population Information System and produce monthly migration data on the basis of these data. The figures depart from the monthly preliminary data of Statistics Finland. The difference is attributable to different processing methods and to the organisations producing the data tabulating the data of the registration situation when a month changes into the next, whereas Statistics Finland waits for notifications on vital events for a week and a half after the end of a month before producing preliminary statistics on the previous month’s situation.
The final statistics on international migration do not generally suffer from incoherence problems in respect of the data compiled by the statistics offices of EU countries, given that Eurostat requires the international comparability of migration data and definitions from the Member States. Statistics Finland is the sole authority producing statistics on migration in Finland. The Finnish Immigration Service produces statistics on third-country nationals being granted residence permits in Finland. In terms of their quantity, the data are fairly similar to the data in Statistics Finland’s statistics on the migration of third-country nationals who have moved to Finland.
Coherence - internal (SIMS 15.4)
Preliminary data on vital events in the population statistics, including preliminary data on migration, have been published since the 1970s. The preliminary statistics on population serve as an important point of reference with regard to the final statistics. However, the preliminary statistics’ emigration figures are not comparable with the final emigration figures of the previous year. The final statistics on emigration include generated emigrations (usually more than a thousand moves) resulting from deletions in the data on population structure. The number of emigrations in the statistics on migration may be somewhat higher than in the preliminary population statistics (no more than a good 10 per cent).
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
Released statistics on migration are available on the Releases page of the statistics’ website. Information on future releases can also be found on the statistics’ website.
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 final statistics on migration are published once or twice a year. The first release is published in the spring of the calendar year following each statistical reference year and the possible second release in the autumn.
Preliminary data on migration are published monthly on the page Preliminary population statistics. Municipality-specific data on migration are published every three months in the Preliminary population statistics and monthly in the population statistics service, which is subject to a charge. Preliminary data concerning previous months during a statistical reference year are revised monthly, in connection with the latest release.
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)
In the production process of population statistics, an individual’s identifier is pseudonymised. This means that an individual’s data can no longer be linked to a particular individual without further information.
The data released on the statistics on migration describe moves, not the individuals who move. Furthermore, the released statistics include solely aggregated data, rather than data on an individual level.
In accordance with data protection practices, regional migration data comply with aggregation rules if a table includes variables defined as sensitive. In such cases, figures remaining below the limit value are not reported or divided into the classes of the sensitive variable.
According to the Statistics Act, data disclosed for research purposes is rendered into a form from which the statistical units cannot be directly or indirectly identified. To prevent indirect identification, variables key to identification must be modified with statistical data protection methods suitable for the situation.
The most important data protection method is the disclosure of sample data rather than the total data. In addition to samples, the data limiting methods used by Statistics Finland include aggregating the classification of variables, removing variables and suppressing the variable values of a single unit.