Basic data of the statistics
Data description
Traficom's traffic affairs register from which data are drawn for Statistics Finland quarterly.
Statistical presentation
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.
Statistical population
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.
Statistical unit
Vehicle in road traffic subject to registration.
Unit of measure
Number of vehicles. The measurement units for the technical characteristics data of vehicles are, e.g. kilogramme, centimetre, g/km.
Base period
The relevant part of the statistics is the latest statistical reference period and the comparison with the corresponding period one year previously.
Reference period
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.
Reference area
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.
Sector coverage
The data contains all road transport vehicles liable for registration on Mainland Finland.
Time coverage
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.
Frequency of dissemination
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.
Concepts
Length of time after the first registration of the road vehicle, irrespective of the registering country.
A type of motor energy other than the conventional fuels, petrol and diesel.
Goods road motor vehicle with trailer or trailers.
A road vehicle which has two or more wheels and generally is propelled solely by the muscular energy of the persons on that vehicle, in particular by means of a pedal system, lever or handle (e.g. bicycles, tricycles, quadricycles and invalid carriages).
Included are cycles with supportive power unit.
A camping vehicle is a passenger car or coach designed for a special purpose and equipped with an accommodation compartment with the following firmly attached minimum equipment:
- seats and a table (the table may be easily removable)
- beds that can be convertible from seats (sleeping accommodation must be dimensioned for adults)
- cooking facilities (allowed if firmly attached to accommodation compartment)
- stowage space (adequate for stowing camping equipment, kitchenware, etc.)
Towed vehicle built for touring purposes.
(NB. Data on the Region of Åland are not included as of 1990.)
A vehicle manufactured for the transportation of people. Space for 8 or more persons in addition to the driver.
The date of first registration of a motor vehicle is the first-time registration of the vehicle as new in a Motor Vehicle Register, irrespective of the nationality of the register.
First registration is the initial time the vehicle is registered in Finland.
A road vehicle registered in a country other than the reporting country and bearing registration plates of that foreign country.
Four-wheel vehicle (L7e) is a power-driven four-wheeled vehicle with unladen mass of no more than 400 kg when used for passenger transport or no more than 550 kg when used for goods transport, in both cases disregarding the mass of batteries of an electrically-drive vehicle, and maximum engine power output of no more than 15 kW.
Road vehicle designed, exclusively or primarily, to carry goods.
Included are:
a) Light goods road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight of not more than 3 500 kg, designed exclusively or primarily, to carry goods, e.g. vans and pick-ups
b) Heavy goods road vehicles with a gross vehicle weight above 3 500 kg, designed, exclusively or primarily, to carry goods
c) Road tractors
d) Agricultural tractors permitted to use roads open to public traffic.
Total of the weight of the vehicle (or combination of vehicles) including its load when stationary and ready for the road declared permissible by the competent authority of the country of registration.
This includes the weight of the driver and the maximum number of persons permitted to be carried.
Light four-wheel vehicle (L6e) is a power-driven four-wheeled vehicle with unladen mass of no more than 350 kg disregarding the mass of batteries of an electrically-powered vehicle and with the maximum design speed of 45 km/h. The maximum cylinder capacity of a vehicle of L6e category is 50 cc when driven by a positive ignition engine, or maximum power output of 4kW when driven by an internal combustion engine or by an electric motor.
Rigid road motor vehicle designed, exclusively or primarily, to carry goods. Gross weight in excess of 3,500 kg.
A two or three-wheeled power-driven vehicle with a design speed of no more than 45km/h.
A two-wheeled moped has a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cc when driven by an internal combustion engine, or net power output of no more than 4kW when driven by an electric motor. A low power moped is a two-wheeled moped equipped with pedals with a design speed of no more than 25 km/h and net power output of no more than 1kW. A three-wheeled moped has a cylinder capacity of no more than 50 cc when driven by a positive ignition engine, or net power output of no more than 4kW when driven an internal combustion engine or electric motor.
The principal type of motor energy used by the vehicle as certified by the competent authority of the country of registration.
A motor sledge is an off road vehicle fitted with runners or tracks. A snowmobile is a motor sledge on tracks which has seats for not more than two passengers in addition to the driver and the unladen mass of which does not exceed 500 kg.
A motorised work machine is a vehicle constructed to operate as a working machine. Motorised work machines include scoop loaders, jib cranes and sweeping machines. A motorised work machine has a design speed of no more than 40 km/h. However, a motorised work machine used in road maintenance may travel at a speed exceeding 40 km/h. A further exclusion are terminal pulltractors which may not travel at a speed exceeding 50 km/h.
A motorcar is a power-driven vehicle with at least four wheels or tracks constructed for carrying persons or goods or performing a specific function and having a maximum design speed exceeding 25 km/h.
A two-wheeled power-driven vehicle with or without a sidecar. The cylinder capacity of its internal combustion engine is over 50 cc or its design speed is over 45 km/h.
A road vehicle registered in the reporting country and bearing registration plates of that country or having been separately registered (trams, trolleybuses, etc.).
Where registration of a road vehicle does not apply in a specifi c country, a national road vehicle is a vehicle owned or leased by a person or company tax resident in that country
Road motor vehicle, other than a moped or a motor cycle,
intended for the carriage of passengers and designed to seat no more than nine persons (including the driver).
A road motor vehicle, exclusively designed or primarily, to carry one or more persons.
A road vehicle designed, exclusively or primarily, to carry one or more persons.
A road vehicle fi tted with an engine whence it derives its sole means of propulsion, which is normally used for carrying persons or goods or for drawing, on the road, vehicles used for the carriage of persons or goods.
Any movement of a road vehicle on a given road network.
A vehicle running on wheels and intended for use on roads.
Goods road vehicle with no front axle designed in such way that part of the vehicle and a substantial part of its loaded weight rests on a road tractor.
Licensed passenger car for hire with driver without predetermined routes.
Three-wheel vehicle (L5e) is a power-driven vehicle with the wheels arranged symmetrically in relation to the longitudinal centre axis and eqipped with a power source with a cylinder capacity exceeding 50 cc in the case of an internal combustion engine or with the maximum design speed exceeding 45 km/h whatever the means of propulsion.
A vehicle specifically designed for agricultural and forestry work to run implements of haul trailers coupled to it. Special forestry machines such as logging tractors or forwarders, or forestry machines built on earthmoving machines are not classified as tractors but as motorised work machines.
A trailer of a motor vehicle is a hauled vehicle constructed for the transportation of goods or for tourism purposes.
Weight of vehicle (or combination of vehicles) excluding its load when stationary and ready for the road, as determined by the competent authority of the country of registration.
A vehicle manufactured for the transportation of goods. Total weight of no more than 3,500 kg.
Number of road vehicles registered at a given date in a country and licensed to use roads open to public traffic. This includes road vehicles exempted from annual taxes or license fees; it also includes imported second-hand vehicles and other road vehicles according to national practices. The statistics should exclude military vehicles.
Unit of measurement representing the movement of a road vehicle over one kilometre.
Accuracy, reliability and timeliness
Overall accuracy
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.
Timeliness
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.
Punctuality
The data is submitted on the target day and there is no delay.
Comparability
Comparability - geographical
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.
Comparability - over time
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.
Coherence - cross domain
Statistics Finland's vehicle statistics are quite coherent on the total level when compared with statistics from other statistical areas.
Source data and data collections
Source data
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.
Data collection
The data derive from the controller.
Frequency of data collection
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.
Methods
Data compilation
In the production process the source data are edited according to the processing rules and new data variables are derived.
Data validation
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.
Principles and outlines
Contact organisation
Statistics Finland
Contact organisation unit
Information and Statistical Services
Legal acts and other agreements
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
Confidentiality - policy
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)
Confidentiality - data treatment
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.
Release policy
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 Finland
Data sharing
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.
Accessibility and clarity
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.
Data revision - policy
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.
Quality assessment
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 assurance
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)
User access
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 statistics
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 use for statistical data.
