Debtors in enforcement: documentation of statistics

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7.11.2024 valid documentation

Basic data of the statistics

Data description

The data content of the statistics on debtors in enforcement concerns the numbers of debtors and their enforcement matters, as well as the euro-denominated value of enforcement debt. The numbers are classified by pendency of the matter, type of person, age, sex and certain socio-economic variables.

Statistics Finland publishes statistics on debtors in enforcement connected to enforcement matters. Data by enforcement district were published until 2019, until the enforcement district system was dissolved. Data on type of enforcement matters were published in 2008 to 2022. In 2008 to 2023, the name of the statistics was enforcement matters, and on 26 April 2024 the name changed into debtors in enforcement.

Enforcement matters refer to enforcement proceedings pending and concluded during the calendar year. Enforcement cases are classified as open or closed according to whether they are still pending after the end of the calendar year. The number of debtors in enforcement cases concerns debtors who have enforcement matters pending on the last day of the statistical reference year and debtors whose pendency of enforcement matters has ended during the statistical reference year.

Statistical population

The statistics are formed from enforcement cases recorded in the Ministry of Justice's Enforcement Information System (dwUljas). The population of the statistics comprises natural and juridical persons subjected to a measure by the enforcement authority and the recovery or measure subject to the measure.

Statistical unit

The key observation units of the statistics are debtor in enforcement matters and enforcement matter. Debtors in enforcement matters are debtors who have enforcement matters pending on the last day of the statistical reference year or whose pendency of enforcement matters has ended during the statistical reference year. The debtor in enforcement can be a natural or legal person.

Unit of measure

The measurement units of the data published in the statistics are number and euro.

Base period

Reference period

The reference period of the statistics is a statistical reference year. The data are usually published three to four months from the end of the statistical period.

Reference area

The statistics cover the data recorded by the enforcement authority operating in Finland.

Sector coverage

The data materials cover the data included in the national enforcement data.

Time coverage

The statistics start from 2008. These are annual statistics and the published data are final. Data by enforcement district were published for 2008 to 2019 and data on types of enforcement matters for 2008 to 2022.

Frequency of dissemination

The statistics are published annually.

Concepts

Applicant for enforcement

Applicant refers to a person who has applied for enforcement in order to recover a receivable. A receivable refers to the capital established in the grounds for enforcement, the interest to be calculated on the capital and the costs with interest judged in the grounds for enforcement. The applicant for enforcement can be a natural or legal person.

Debtor in enforcement

Debtor in enforcement refers to the respondent in the enforcement of a payment obligation. The debtor in enforcement can be a natural or legal person.

Pendency of an enforcement matter

An enforcement matter becomes pending when the enforcement application arrives at the local enforcement authority or in the Enforcement Information System. When the enforcement has arrived at the enforcement authority the authority must notify the debtor of the pendency without delay.

The pendency of an enforcement matter relating to a payment liability ends when the bailiff remits the collected funds (closing remittance). If full payment has not been collected for the receivable (impediment for lack of means) or if the whereabouts of the debtor are unknown (impediment of lack of means and unknown whereabouts), a certificate to this effect must be issued to the applicant. The pendency of the enforcement matter ends on the date of issue of the impediment certificate. When bankruptcy proceedings are initiated, an enforcement matter relating to a payment liability that cannot be enforced because of the bankruptcy remains pending at most for six months following the initiation of the bankruptcy proceedings.

Private receivables in enforcement matters

Private receivables are receivables based on agreements, commitments or other liabilities under private law. Examples of these include bank loans, other credits, purchase money claims, fees or payments for services and work performances, insurance premiums, guarantee liabilities and indemnity liabilities.

Public receivables in enforcement matters

Public receivables are receivables of municipalities and other public corporations. Examples of these include charges for health care, children's day care and fees for the performances of municipal authorities, such as permits, registrations, inspections and control.

Accuracy, reliability and timeliness

Overall accuracy

The statistics describe the examined phenomenon as it is stored in the system on which the statistics are based. The main sources of error in the statistics are possible errors in the basic data or errors caused in the processing of the data.

A key means of assessing the accuracy of the data is to examine statistical data relative to the source data. Another way is to examine the data relative to data from earlier years.

Timeliness

The statistics are released yearly approximately four months from the end of the statistical reference year. The release dates can be found in Statistics Finland's release calendar.

Punctuality

There is no delay between the release calendar and the release date for the statistics.

Comparability

Comparability - geographical

The statistics are comparable regionally for the entire time series.

Comparability - over time

The time series of the statistics are comparable from one year to the next.

Coherence - cross domain

The statistics on enforcement matters do not have direct contact areas with other data of Statistics Finland's justice statistics. The Enforcement Unit of the judicial administration produces an annual publication on enforcement matters. The statistics in the publication are not fully congruent with Statistics Finland's statistics on enforcement matters. However, the differences between the statistics are assumed to be minor.

Coherence - internal

The number of enforcement matters directed to debtors may be slightly higher than the total number of enforcement matters, because one enforcement matter may involve more than one debtor in enforcement In the data on debtors the enforcement matter directed at the debtor is always counted as one regardless of the number of debtors involved in the enforcement matter.

Source data and data collections

Source data

The Enforcement Unit of the Department of Judicial Administration of the Ministry of Justice annually sends to Statistics Finland statistical data on numbers of cases and euro amounts. The data represent total data.

Data collection

The data are received once a year as a line transfer coordinated by the Legal Register Centre. The delivery of the data and the practices of the following year are agreed on once a year (towards the end of the year).

Frequency of data collection

The basic data are collected once a year.

Methods

Data compilation

The received data are processed yearly in accordance with the same process. Data from Statistics Finland's population statistics are combined with the data. Possible shortcomings in the basic data are examined with the Legal Register Centre.

Data validation

The data are validated in connection with the compilation of the statistics by means of established review routines.

Principles and outlines

Contact organisation

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Contact organisation unit

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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

According to the Statistics Act (280/2004), the data of the statistics are public.

The data of the statistics are not released in identifiable form outside Statistics Finland. The use of the data for scientific research and statistical surveys is possible only on the basis of a separate decision on user licence and in unidentifiable form.

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 are not shared between other statistical offices or units. There are thus no established procedures or arrangements for the sharing of data.

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

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.

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 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.