First registrations of motor vehicles: documentation of statistics

Traficom's traffic affairs register from which data are drawn for Statistics Finland quarterly. 

Statistics Finland’s statistics on motor vehicles are based on the traffic affairs register of Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom), which contains data on all road transport vehicles liable for registration on Mainland Finland. Ålands Fordonsmyndigheten supplies to Statistics Finland annual statistics on first registrations on the Åland Islands, and these data are added to the long time series on first registrations. Vehicles in the separate register of the defence forces are not included in Statistics Finland’s statistics on motor vehicles.

Vehicles (automobiles, motorcycles, mopeds, snowmobiles, agricultural tractors, motor-driven machines and trailers) included in the vehicle register at the end of each quarter and first registrations of new motor vehicles monthly. Only year-end data from the separate register of the Åland Islands.

Vehicle in road traffic subject to registration.

Number of vehicles. The measurement units for the technical characteristics data of vehicles are, e.g. kilogramme, centimetre, g/km.

The relevant part of the statistics is the latest statistical reference period and the comparison with the corresponding period one year previously.

Motor vehicle stock data are drawn for Statistics Finland quarterly; 31st of March, 30th of June, 30th of September and 31st of December. First registrations of new motor vehicles from the previous month. 

The sum data of long time series by vehicle category are available on the level of the whole of Finland. More detailed data on vehicles are published for Mainland Finland and some of the data on the level of municipalities. Special compilations can be made case-specifically by postal code area.

The data contains all road transport vehicles liable for registration on Mainland Finland.

The longest table-specific time series of the vehicle statistics is vehicles entered in the register from 1922 to 2021. The available more detailed data cover the years 2001 to 2021.
 

Statistics on the vehicle stock at the turn of the year are available on Statistics Finland's web pages in February. Statistics on first registrations of motor vehicles are published on Statistics Finland's web pages on the fourth working day of each month. The published statistics contain data on new vehicles registered during the previous month.

Monthly statistics are exclusive of the vehicles on Åland. The data presented in the statistics are final.

The quality of the statistics is dependent on the quality of the data in the transport register. The quality of the data is at a good level at the level of main classifications. At a more detailed level, register data may contain missing and insufficient data.

Statistics on the motor vehicle stock at the turn of the year are available on Statistics Finland's web pages in February.

Statistics on first registrations of motor vehicles are published on Statistics Finland's web pages on the fourth working day of each month. The published statistics contain data on new vehicles registered during the previous month.
 

The data is submitted on the target day and there is no delay.

These are comprehensive register data, so in terms of the most important classifying data, the data of the vehicle statistics are comparable for Mainland Finland and also at the level of regions and municipalities. When comparing regional and municipality-specific data, consolidations of municipalities that have taken place should be taken into account, because municipality statistics are always compiled according to the classification of municipalities valid during the statistical reference year. In 2000 to 2006, the municipality of the vehicle was derived from the postal code of the holder. At other times, the municipality code used for the vehicle has been the municipality code according to the municipality of residence of the vehicle holder.

The total numbers of vehicles by vehicle category are comparable with earlier years. The vehicle stock contains vehicles temporarily decommissioned from traffic starting from 2007. When comparing regional and municipality-specific data, consolidations of municipalities that have taken place should be taken into account, because municipality statistics are always compiled according to the classification of municipalities valid during the statistical reference year. In 2000 to 2006, the municipality of the vehicle was derived from the postal code of the holder. At other times the municipality code used for the vehicle has been the municipality code according to the municipality of residence of the vehicle holder.

Statistics Finland's vehicle statistics are quite coherent on the total level when compared with statistics from other statistical areas.
 

The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) releases the data on vehicles in the transport register quarterly to Statistics Finland. Åland's vehicle register is maintained by Ålands Fordonsmyndighet, from which Statistics Finland receives annual summary data on vehicles in the register. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) releases data on new vehicles to Statistics Finland monthly for the compilation of statistics. Åland's vehicle register is maintained by Ålands Fordonsmyndighet, from which Statistics Finland receives annual summary data on first registrations.

The data derive from the controller.

The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) releases the data on vehicles in the transport register quarterly to Statistics Finland. Åland's vehicle register is maintained by Ålands Fordonsmyndighet, from which Statistics Finland receives annual summary data on vehicles in the register. The Finnish Transport and Communications Agency (Traficom) releases data on new vehicles to Statistics Finland monthly for the compilation of statistics. Åland's vehicle register is maintained by Ålands Fordonsmyndighet, from which Statistics Finland receives annual summary data on first registrations.

In the production process the source data are edited according to the processing rules and new data variables are derived.

The source data are checked in the production process with respect to the most important data variables and the results are compared with earlier data. If differences are detected, the reasons for them are determined with the help of the data or by contacting the controller of the register.

Statistics Finland

Information and Statistical Services

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 legislationExternal link

The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed in accordance with the requirements of the Statistics Act (280/2004), the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the Data Protection Act (1050/2018). The data materials are protected at all stages of processing with the necessary physical and technical solutions. Statistics Finland has compiled detailed directions and instructions for confidential processing of the data. Employees have access only to the data essential for their duties. The premises where unit-level data are processed are not accessible to outsiders. Members of the personnel have signed a pledge of secrecy upon entering the service. Violation of data protection is punishable. 

Further information: Data protection | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)External link

The main purpose of data protection is to avoid publishing statistical data in a form from which an individual person or enterprise can be identified. The statistical unit of motor vehicle statistics is a vehicle and in the tables to be published it should be assessed case-specifically that data on an individual vehicle are not presented on an excessively accurate level in the tables.
The statistics on motor vehicles do not contain unit-level data decreed public by law, so the disclosure risk must be considered when creating tables. The most sensitive data in the statistics are related to the vehicle holder and/or owner.

Whereas the basic data of the statistics on motor vehicles contain a lot of sensitive data relating to persons and enterprises, the actual data published in the statistics relate to vehicles and their technical characteristics. Technical data on vehicles can be published according to the municipality of residence of the holder and/or the owner of the vehicle. Enterprises have their own postal code areas according to their name, so the statistics cannot always be classified according to all postal code areas.
Mere technical data on vehicles can be published at unit level also. In relation to several data variables concerning the holder and/or owner of the vehicle the threshold value cannot be used, because even if the threshold value is exceeded, the observations relate to the same enterprise, for example, when it comes to enterprises' own postal code areas. Then the data are not published at all at that level of accuracy. Otherwise, the threshold value used is three statistical units. The threshold value rule is used in primary and secondary protection. In primary protection, data are suppressed if the cell in the table is based only on one or two observations. In secondary suppression, either the data of the upper group or those of the sub-group should be suppressed if the sub-group or the difference between the upper group and the sub-group consists of one or two observations.

In customer-specific assignments concerning motor vehicle statistics the previously described protection principles are applied at the defining and planning stages of the assignment. Statistics Finland is obliged to provide information on the impact of the data protection regulations on the compiled statistics at the determination stage of the assignment. At the determination stage, Statistics Finland plans together with the customer such statistics that aim to meet the customer's data needs within the framework of the conditions set by data protection. The release of unit-level motor vehicle data for research use is decided on by the Social Statistics Department case-specifically after the application for licence to use statistical data.

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 are public after they have been updated in the web service. 

Further information: Publication principles for statistics at Statistics FinlandExternal link 

The data of the statistics on vehicles are available in Statistics Finland's StatFin database and on the home page of the statistics from the date of their release.

Statistical data are published as database tables in the StatFin database. The database is the primary publishing site of data, and new data are updated first there. When releasing statistical data, existing database tables can be updated with new data or completely new database tables can be published.   

In addition to statistical data published in the StatFin database, a release on the key data is usually published in the web service. If the release contains data concerning several reference periods (e.g. monthly and annual data), a review bringing together these data is published in the web service. Database tables updated at the time of publication are listed both in the release and in the review. In some cases, statistical data can also be published as mere database releases in the StatFin database. No release or review is published in connection with these database releases. 

Releases and database tables are published in three languages, in Finnish, Swedish and English. The language versions of releases may have more limited content than in Finnish.   

Information about changes in the publication schedules of releases and database tables and about corrections are given as change releases in the web service. 

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. 

The quality of the statistics is dependent on the quality of the data in the transport register and the quality of the data is examined regularly together with the controller.

Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The quality management framework of the field of statistics is the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP). The frameworks complement each other. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are also compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice. 

Further information: Quality management | Statistics Finland (stat.fi)External link 

Data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may only be handled 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 statisticsExternal link 

Unless otherwise separately stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer of the data and the owner of the copyright. The terms of useExternal link for statistical data.