Preliminary population statistics: 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: Preliminary population statistics
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
Preliminary population statistics describe population changes and population structure. Concerning population changes, data are available on liveborn and deaths in Finland, migration and changes in marital status. Data are obtained from the Population Information System and published monthly.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
Data on population changes are total data and include all data relevant to the occurrence. Population changes concerning all persons permanently resident in Finland have been drawn from the Population Information System. In general terms, the Population Information System maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the State Department of Åland can be regarded as very exhaustive in terms of persons. The preliminary population statistics cover population changes in accordance with international recommendations.
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
Person in the preliminary structure and event in population changes. Each person has his/her own person number with which combinations with other individual-based data can be made. Data can be combined reliably if the data to be combined include the same personal identifier as the data of the preliminary population statistics.
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
Population permanently resident in Finland at the time of the event.
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
Data are available on Finland on the level of the whole country and by various regional divisions based on the division of municipalities in Finland.
The classification into regions and the statistical grouping of municipalities have been used since 1997. The respective categories used prior to this were province and type of municipality. Since 2000, the regional division of the statistical reference year has been used in the preliminary population statistics.
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
After the end of the statistical reference year, preliminary data are available until the final data are completed. During the year, preliminary data are updated for all months of the current statistical reference year. Final data are completed by the end of June of the year following the statistical reference year. Preliminary data should no longer be used when final data are completed.
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
In the preliminary population structure the number of persons and in preliminary population changes the number of population changes.
Reference period (SIMS 5)
In the preliminary population structure the last day of the statistical reference month and in preliminary population changes from the beginning of January to the end of the statistical reference month.
Classifications (SIMS 3.2)
The statistics use the regional division effective as of the beginning of the statistical year. The data are available by various regional divisions based on the division of municipalities. Citizenship, country of birth, language and country of departure have been classified according to ISO standards as of 1999. The categories previously used were Statistics Finland’s own categories. Age is classified into one-year or five-year categories.
The classifications of region and the statistical grouping of municipalities have been used as of 1997. The respective categories used prior to this were province and type of municipality.
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.
Change of population
Change of population is defined as increase of population added up with register corrections.
Deaths
Persons permanently resident in Finland on the day of their death are recorded in the statistics as deaths. Data on deaths are obtained from the Digital and Population Data Services Agency’s Population Information System. The number of deaths may differ somewhat from each other in different statistics. The difference is due to the different compilation times of the statistics. The official number of deaths in Finland is derived from the deaths in the population statistics.
Divorce
The divorce statistics are based on data on granted decrees of divorce transmitted to the Digital and Population Services Agency (former Population Register Centre) by courts of law. The statistics also include cases where a permanent resident of Finland is granted a divorce by a foreign court. If the divorce is granted abroad, it must be reported to the register keeper for registration of divorce. Exceptions are divorces granted to Finnish citizens in Sweden, on which the Swedish register keeper notifies the Finnish counterpart directly. In 1980 to 2016, divorces referred to divorces of women living permanently in Finland unless otherwise stated. Starting from the statistical reference year 2017, divorces where at least one of the spouses has resided permanently in Finland on the day the divorce was granted are included in the statistics as divorces. The amendment to the Marriage Act that entered into force on 1 March 2017 enabled same-sex couples to enter into marriage (156/2015). Since 2017, the total number of divorces consists of the number of divorces of marriages between opposite-sex and same-sex couples. The amendment to the Marriage Act (411/1987), effective from 1 January 1988, simplified divorce proceedings. Divorce figures began to rise towards the end of 1988, when the first divorces (after a reconsideration period of six months) became effective under the new legislation. The Marriage Act no longer has regulations on 'cancellation of marriage' or 'nullification of marriage'. Before the new act came into force in 1988 these were in separate groups, now among divorces.
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).
Excess of births
The excess of births, that is, the natural population increase, refers to the difference between livebirths and deaths.
Liveborn
Liveborn is the term for a newborn who breaths or shows other signs of life after birth. Only liveborn children of women living permanently in Finland are taken into account in the population statistics.
Marriage
Starting from the statistical reference year 2017, contracted marriages refer to marriages where at least one of the spouses has resided permanently in Finland on the day when the marriage was contracted. The amendment to the Marriage Act that entered into force on 1 March 2017 enabled same-sex couples to enter into marriage (156/2015). The number of marriages contracted annually is, thus, the number of marriages entered into by same-sex and opposite-sex spouses. In 1980 to 2016, contracted marriages referred to marriages of women living permanently in Finland unless otherwise stated. As a result of the amendment to the Marriage Act, starting from 1 June 2019, a person under 18 years of age shall not marry in Finland (351/ 2019).
Population
Population
The resident population of Finland on 31 December is derived from the Population Information System maintained by the Population Register Centre. Since the data for 1993, Statistics Finland and the Population Register Centre have had the same reference period, the turn of the year at midnight, which means that the number of population has been the same.
Population
The population refers to the permanent resident population of an area (e.g. entire country, province, municipality). Those persons who according to the Population Information System had a legal domicile in Finland on 31 December belong to the permanent resident population in the country regardless of their nationality, as do Finnish nationals residing temporarily abroad. Foreign nationals are domiciled in Finland if their stay is intended to last or has lasted at least one year. An asylum-seeker is not granted a legal domicile until his/her application has been approved. The staff of foreign embassies, trade missions and consulates, their family members and personal employees included, are not counted among the resident population unless they are Finnish citizens. On the other hand, the Finnish staff of Finland´s embassies and trade missions abroad and persons serving in the UN peacekeeping forces are counted among the resident population.
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 change
Total change is increase of population added up with register corrections of population. Increase of population is the sum of excess of births and total 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
Data sharing (SIMS 6.2)
The preliminary population data are available in the StatFin statistical database after the release. In addition, data on population changes by month of the event and municipality-based regional divisions are available as a charged service. A separate compound statistics on population changes are produced annually from final data. Data on preliminary population statistics are also delivered annually to Eurostat.
Cost and burden (SIMS 16)
The Digital and Population Data Services Agency does not charge Statistics Finland for the delivery of the data. There is no response burden because the source is register data. The compilation of monthly statistics takes around one and a half person-weeks in respect of one month.
Source data (SIMS 18.1)
Data on population changes are total data. Finnish population statistics are based on the Population Information System maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the State Department of Åland. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency updates data on population changes concerning persons permanently resident in Finland in the Population Information System. District courts update data on divorce decisions and divorce decisions of registered couples in the Population Information System, and the Finnish Immigration Service updates data on granted Finnish citizenships. The population includes those Finnish and foreign citizens living permanently in Finland even if they are temporarily abroad. After the end of each statistical month, Statistics Finland waits for notifications of changes for about 10 days before compiling the preliminary statistics. Notifications of changes that arrive later are included in the next monthly statistics at the actual time when they occurred. Thus, the published figures for previous statistical reference months may change.
Frequency of data collection (SIMS 18.2)
The data are collected weekly.
Data collection (SIMS 18.3)
Since 1975, Statistics Finland has obtained population data from the Population Information System maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and the State Department of Åland. Statistics Finland started using the Digital and Population Data Services Agency's PIS modified data interface in 2024. The acquisition of data is based on Statistics Finland's position as a statistical authority as decreed in law.
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
It is checked that there are no duplicate rows in the data. Missing or invalid values of background variables can be imputed.
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
The data contain background variables where missing or invalid values may occur. The data are imputed from other population data. Cases are not imputed.
User needs (SIMS 12.1)
The preliminary population statistics are used widely. The data of the preliminary population statistics are also used in the production of other statistics. The general government sector, enterprises, and national and international organisations use the data of the preliminary population statistics as help in planning and decision-making. The final data on population changes and the population structure are completed during the year following the statistical year. Users nevertheless need the data before this. The preliminary population statistics respond to users’ need to get information quickly.
User satisfaction (SIMS 12.2)
Feedback on Statistics Finland’s statistics and data, operating methods, products and services can be submitted by completing the feedback form. Customers may also send feedback to the email address of the population statistics: vaesto.tilasto@stat.fi.
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 be regarded as very exhaustive in terms of persons. To obtain a personal identity code, a person has to be registered in the Population Information System. It is practically impossible to live in Finland without a personal identity code. A personal identity code is needed in order to work legally, open a bank account, attend to matters with authorities, and so on.
Since the discontinuation of yearly checking of domicile registers in 1989, the Population Information System has been maintained only by notifications of population changes. The Digital and Population Data Services Agency has requested Statistics Finland to carry out a sample survey on the correctness of address data. Around 11,000 persons are asked whether their address in the Population Information System is correct. In the latest survey 2012, the address was correct for 98.9 per cent of the respondents.
Incorrect addresses influence population statistics by municipality only if the incorrect address is in a different municipality than the correct one. Only part of the incorrect addresses are in the wrong municipality.
Processing error (SIMS 13.3.4)
Examples of possible errors in statistical releases include erroneous figures in release texts, figures or tables, or use of incorrect concepts. Unlike revisions, error situations are unexpected deviations in the normal production of statistics. Errors are corrected and users are informed about them as quickly as possible. Statistics Finland informs about significant errors to the same extent and through the same channels as in the releasing of the original data. Notes about corrections and their dates are added to the corrected releases. If possible, the original, erroneous data are also left visible. Typographical and other form errors in statistics are corrected as fast and flexibly as possible and no separate notifications are made of them on the web pages. Only the latest data are updated in databases. Deviations from timetables are also regarded as errors. If the release of statistical data is significantly delayed from the announced point of time, information about the delay is posted on Statistics Finland's home page.
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 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 preliminary population statistics and their production process were audited in 2020.
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.
Data revision - practice (SIMS 17.2)
The preliminary population statistics by month of occurrence are cumulative statistics in which the data of the latest month also include cases from the previous months. The figures of previous months may also change in connection with the latest release. The magnitude of the revisions varies in different population changes.
Timeliness (SIMS 14.1)
The data are published in the latter half of the month following the statistical reference month.
Punctuality (SIMS 14.2)
The data have been published almost without exception on the target date, so there has been no time lag. If the release of statistical data is significantly delayed from the announced point of time, information about the delay is posted on the home page of the statistics.
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
Comparisons based on numbers can be made because the effect of regional mergers has been considered. It is common practice that the entire time series is updated with the temporally latest change. When population changes are proportioned to the population it is possible to make regional comparisons.
The regional division of the first day of the statistical reference year is used in the preliminary population statistics. The final population statistics of the previous year are, in turn, produced with the regional division of the year following the statistical reference year. Thus, the data of the preliminary statistics concerning regional mergers are directly comparable with the final figures of the previous year, not with the preliminary figures of the previous year.
The concepts of the preliminary population statistics do not differ from the concepts and classifications of international recommendations.
The time a person must live in the country before being accepted as an immigrant varies in the statistical systems of different countries. Therefore, it is difficult to compare the statistics on international migration in different countries to each other.
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
On the level of the whole country, the preliminary population statistics are comparable with the preliminary data of the previous year.
The regional division of the first day of the statistical reference year is used in the preliminary population statistics. The final population statistics of the previous year are, in turn, produced with the regional division of the year following the statistical reference year. Thus, the data of the preliminary statistics concerning regional mergers are directly comparable with the final figures of the previous year, and not with the preliminary figures of the previous year.
In emigration, there is a difference in the number of cases between the preliminary statistics and the final statistics. In the final statistics, individuals who, based on a “signs of life approach”, can be said to be highly likely to have moved abroad are added to emigration. Such individuals are primarily foreign citizens who have not submitted a statutory emigration notification, and regarding whom registers contain no indications of them factually residing in Finland.
Coherence – cross domain (SIMS 15.3)
Statistics Finland’s other statistics use the data of population statistics as basic information on population. Thus, different statistics of Statistics Finland are consistent with each other as regards population data.
Data tabulated by other organisations than Statistics Finland are also produced monthly for different organisations from the Population Information System. The figures differ from Statistics Finland’s monthly preliminary data. The difference is due to different processing methods and the fact that the organisations producing the data tabulate data according to the register situation at the turn of the month, while Statistics Finland waits about 10 days from the end of the month for notifications of changes before producing preliminary statistics on the situation at the end of the previous month.
Coherence - sub-annual and annual statistics (SIMS 15.3.1)
The data for earlier months of the statistical year are also updated in connection with the release of the data of the most recent statistical month of the preliminary population statistics. The figures may change because the data on population changes are stored in the Population Information System with a delay.
The final statistics on population structure are completed annually by the end of March and the final statistics on population changes in April to June. The total figures of the final population changes and year-end preliminary statistics differ slightly. The difference is usually relatively biggest in net immigration, mainly due to the difference in the migration figures of the final statistics and the preliminary statistics. The difference between the net immigration figures also increases the relative difference of the total change in the figures of the final statistics and the preliminary statistics.
When the numbers of population changes are compared over the same period in the annual and preliminary statistics, the migration generated in the final statistics must be taken into account in international migration. The final statistics include generated immigrations for persons for whom no notification on immigration has been received but who have been registered as permanently resident in Finland. In the final statistics, emigrations have been generated for persons who, after examining signs of activity, have been deduced as having probably moved abroad. As a rule, these are persons born abroad without address data and who do not have economic activity in Finland. Because no generations are made in the preliminary population statistics, they increase the difference between the figures of the preliminary and final statistics.
Coherence - internal (SIMS 15.4)
Preliminary data on population changes have been published from the population statistics since the 1970s. The preliminary population statistics are an important point of reference for the final statistics. The final statistics on population changes do not usually differ significantly from the preliminary statistics. On the one hand, preliminary data are sought after for monitoring development of a phenomenon, and on the other hand, many municipalities and organisations use the data in their activities. The final statistics differ from the preliminary statistics mainly in that the data of final statistics are checked more closely than those of preliminary statistics and the final statistics contain more variables to describe the phenomenon.
The final emigration statistics include generated emigration (usually over one thousand cases) which derive from removals in the data on population structure. Persons without any signs of activity in any register are removed annually from the population structure data.
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 preliminary population statistics are published monthly on Statistics Finland's web pages. Preliminary data from previous months of the statistical reference year are revised monthly in connection with the latest release.
News release (SIMS 10.1)
The release is published monthly 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.
Micro-data access (SIMS 10.4)
Statistics Finland’s Research Services offer unit-level data (i.e. microdata) for scientific research and statistical surveys. We recommend getting in touch with the Research Services as early as during the research planning phase for information on the data available and access to them. The Research Services can be contacted by sending an email to tutkijapalvelut@stat.fi or by submitting a call back request via email, including your contact details and a note on what the call back request concerns.
The formats for data delivery are the data use through a remote access service and the sample data handover to the researcher. The compilation and handover of the data take place in accordance with the legislation governing statistics and the data protection and secrecy policies defined therein. The handover of any data requires a user licence.
Documentation on methodology (SIMS 10.6)
The statistical data of the preliminary population statistics are total data. Data on the population changes of all individuals residing permanently in Finland are drawn into the population change data from the Population Information System. The 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.
The Population Information System is maintained by storing in the system data on all population changes occurring in the population residing in the country. Information on decisions made by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency may be added to the data. Statistics Finland receives the population change data from the Population Information System.
After the end of the statistical reference month, notifications of changes are still waited for about 10 days before the preliminary statistics are produced. The production of preliminary population statistics is started in the week after the week including the 10th day of the month following the statistical reference month.
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 population statistics, the identification data of an individual are pseudonymised, that is, the data of a person can no longer be linked to a specific person without additional information.
In accordance with data protection practices, rules concerning less detailed data are applied when distributing data by area if the table contains variables specified as sensitive. Then figures below the threshold value are not reported or they are not divided into categories of sensitive variables.
According to the Statistics Act, data released for research use must be edited into a form from which statistical units cannot be identified directly or indirectly. In order to prevent indirect identification, the key variables in terms of identification must be edited using statistical data protection methods suitable for the situation.
Releasing the sample instead of the total data is the main data protection method. In addition to sampling, Statistics Finland has used, for example, less detailed classification of variables, removal of variables or suppression of the variable values received by an individual unit as data limiting methods.