We publish new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in Statistics Finland's web service. The data published in press conferences can be released at a different time of day. The data become public after they have been updated in the web service.
Data are released to all users at the same time.
Statistical data may be handled at Statistics Finland only by persons who are involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics in their own work before the data are published.
In special cases data can be released before the official release time under the embargo principle. In accordance with the embargo principle, the recipient undertakes to keep the data confidential and indicate them as confidential until they are published.
The embargo principle is applied to situations where we provide data based on regulations or agreements to Eurostat, the European Central Bank or the Bank of Finland. The principle also applies when we deliver data to other authorities producing statistics or producers of official statistics for mandatory EU reporting or for the advance completion of a publication that is released after Statistics Finland's data are published.
We always notify in advance the publication times of releases, reviews and database releases in the release calendar available in our website. The calendar is published by calendar year and it is updated when necessary.
In addition, the web page of the statistics concerned gives the release dates and type of publication.
The statistical data are published in the StatFin interface service and in the StatFin database. When statistical data are released, existing database tables are updated with new data or completely new database tables can be published.
The statistical data published in the StatFin database are accompanied by a release on the key data published in the web service. In some cases, statistical data can be published without a release merely as database releases in the StatFin database.
The releases and database tables are published in three languages, Finnish, Swedish and English. The Swedish and English language versions of the releases may contain less information than the Finnish ones.
Information on changes and corrections in the release schedules and database tables is given as change releases published in the web service.
Changes may be made to the statistical data we publish after their initial release. We swiftly inform about the reasons, size and timing of the changes. In change situations we follow the practices agreed on in the European statistical community.
The released statistical data can be changed for two reasons: the data become revised or an error has been detected in the published data.
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. Information about revisions is communicated as openly as possible in advance so that users can prepare for them.
Revisions are made regularly in some statistics. The reasons for revisions in statistics are explained in more detail in the documentation of the statistics. The description also explains the usual magnitude of the revisions, how long the data will be subject to revisions after their initial release, and whether certain data are subject to larger revisions than others.
The reason why statistical data become revised is mostly caused by 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.
Seasonally adjusted data in statistics on economic trends become revised because of the calculation method used. Additional information from a new time series observation is exploited in model-based calculation methods and this is reflected as changes in previously released data. Revisions of the latest figures to be seasonally adjusted are explained in connection with statistical releases and in the documentation of the statistics.
If statistical data are revised substantially more than usual, the reasons for it are separately explained in the release.
A summary table of the revisions that have taken place is also published in connection with key statistics on economic trends and other statistics. The table shows how the data for the statistical reference periods have changed between the first and the most recent statistical releases.
Examples of errors in statistical data include erroneous numbers in release texts, figures or tables, or use of incorrect concepts. Unlike revisions, error situations are unexpected deviations from normal.
We correct the errors and inform about them as quickly as possible. We publish a change release on the corrections.
Typographical and other form errors are corrected as fast as possible and no separate notifications are made of them on the web pages.
In addition, we communicate about the changes that will be made and have been made to the StatFin database on the Changes in the StatFin statistical database page.