Statistics on business subsidies: documentation of statistics

The statistics contain data on business subsidies granted and paid by institutions that finance business subsidies. Subsidies are granted by the Housing Finance and Development Centre of Finland, Business Finland, the Development and Administration Centre (KEHA Centre) for Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Employment and Economic Development Offices, the Energy Authority, Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Employment and Economic Development Offices, Finnvera, the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, the Ministry of Education and Culture, the Ministry of Transport and Communications, the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, the Ministry for Foreign Affairs, the Finnish Food Authority, the State Treasury, the Ministry of the Environment, and a number of smaller grantors, such as the Finnish Film Foundation.

However, the statistics on business subsidies do not cover all subsidies, such as tax subsidies and business subsidies granted by municipalities if financing for them comes from the municipalities themselves.

Earlier, before the statistical year 2022, the statistics contained data on the direct business subsidies paid by the institutions financing such subsidies (Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, Business Finland, Finnvera, and the Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry).

For 2020 to 2021, the statistics included special subsidies paid due to the corona pandemic: Business Finland's funding and loans in disruptive circumstances, disruptive funding by the Centres for Economic Development, Transport and the Environment, Finnvera's loans and guarantees due to the economic downturn, and the subsidies granted by the KEHA centres to food service enterprises. Included are also the State Treasury's business cost support, compensations for closures, event guarantee and support for uncovered fixed expenses.

Recipient of business subsidy, which is a legal unit.

Enterprises operating in Finland that are entitled to business subsidies comprise the statistical population.

Business subsidies are examined at the level of the whole country. Direct subsidies and guarantees are tabulated on the regional level. As a rule, the region is determined based on where the work meeting the requirements for business subsidies has been carried out. Where this cannot be determined, the municipality of domicile of the legal unit has been used.

The statistics have been published since the calendar year 2008 (statistical year 2006). Data are available from the statistical year 2004 onwards. Due to the change in the dataset, the data are not comparable from 2022 onwards with the years preceding it.

The subsidies are given in euros and the recipients are examined on the basis of numbers and ratios.

The reference period of the statistics is a calendar year.

The data are grouped in the statistics mainly based on the type of subsidy (direct subsidy, loan and guarantee) and the industry, size category, region and purpose of subsidy of the enterprises that have received subsidies. Standard Industrial Classification (TOL2008) New Standard Industrial Classification (TOL2025) used from 2025 onwards. The classification of regions is obtained from the 2025 classification of municipalities and regions.

In the statistics, enterprises are classified into size categories, which is consistent with the classification of the European Union: A micro enterprise has fewer than 10 employees and its turnover or balance sheet total is below EUR two million. A small enterprise has fewer than 50 employees and its turnover or balance sheet total is below EUR 10 million. A medium-sized enterprise has fewer than 250 employees and its turnover is below EUR 50 million or its balance sheet total is below EUR 43 million. A large enterprise has at least 250 employees and its turnover is EUR 50 million or its balance sheet total is over EUR 43 million.

The classification of the purpose of business subsidies (Purpose of business subsidies 2022) is based on the classification of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment, but the classifications differ to some extent.

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 business subsidies data are available to researchers in the business subsidy database of Statistics Finland’s Research Services, and it can also be accessed remotely.

The statistics are based on administrative data obtained from the register of business subsidies, the customer database of business services maintained by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. Data on business subsidies have also been supplemented by means of other administrative registers.

Data suppliers submit the data to Statistics Finland each year.

The providers of the subsidies transfer the data to Statistics Finland as a line transfer.

The accuracy of the incoming data is checked. The form of the variables is checked and unnecessary variables are removed. Every effort is made to ensure that the Business Identity Codes have been given in correct format. If necessary, the data are edited so that different types of subsidy can be specified. Any subsidies for public activities are removed and if the same subsidy appears more than once, unnecessary repetitions are removed. Logicality checks are made for subsidy events.

Data on different subsidy providers are combined by enterprise. Data from the Business Register, such as the number of employees and turnover, are added to the data. The data for the Business Register are mostly from the Finnish Tax Administration registers and the inquiries carried out by Statistics Finland.

The statistics were originally established for national user needs. The data are used by the general government sector and researchers.

User satisfaction has not been measured, but the development of the statistics has been planned together with the users.

The statistics from 2022 are mainly based on a new data source, the register of business subsidies of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment. The register does not yet cover all subsidy programmes, such as those related to wage and start-up subsidies. Wage subsidies were added to the statistics by a separate data request for year 2022. The register does not contain payment data on subsidies granted before 2020. There have also been shortcomings in the data related to the purpose of subsidy and its date of granting, but these have been corrected manually when the statistics were compiled.

The figures calculated by industry and enterprise size category contain inaccuracies because there is no background information on all enterprises included in the statistics.

Values that occur two or more times are removed from the data.

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 statistics are in accordance with the quality criteria of the Official Statistics of Finland. No separate quality assessments are carried out.

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 concerning the statistical reference year are released at a time lag of around five months.

The statistics have been published on schedule.

There are no international guidelines, rules or recommendations for compiling statistics on business subsidies. Business subsidies are defined and measured differently in different countries. Therefore, the statistics published by different countries are not directly comparable.

New data were taken into use from the statistical reference year 2022 and at the same time, the definition of business subsidies was expanded to cover more subsidy programmes than before. Thus, the data are not comparable with past years.

Every effort has been made to prepare a comparable time series of the data contained in the statistics of previous years from 2004 onwards. The key data contained in the time series are always published in connection with the new statistics released annually.

No international comparison data on the statistics are available.

The energy subsidies paid by the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Employment have been included in direct subsidies since 2013. In 2020 to 2021, special subsidies were granted due to the corona pandemic.

Enterprises granted R&D subsidies by Business Finland are included in the statistics on research and development compiled by Statistics Finland. These subsidies are part of the data used in the statistics on business subsidies.

The business subsidy database covers the direct subsidies, loans and guarantees paid and granted during the statistical year. The annual totals of granted and paid subsidies differ from each other because granted subsidies may be paid over a period of several years or they may not necessarily be paid in full. The subsidies may also be recovered if the recipient fails to meet or is in breach of the terms and conditions imposed by the institution granting the subsidies or its own pledges.

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 statistics are published annually.

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

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

The unit-level data of the statistics are available through Statistics Finland’s Research Services. The Business IDs in the Research Services’ data are confidential.

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)

The data are reported in such a format that individual subsidy recipients cannot be identified. The data are processed only by persons that need business subsidy data in their work. The Business Identity Codes contained in the material supplied to researcher services are encrypted.