We are currently developing the documentation of statistics. At the moment, the content is not necessarily up-to-date in all respects.
Environmental subsidies: documentation of statistics
The documentation of the statistics describes how the statistics were compiled and what methods were used in the compilation. The data help interpret the figures of the statistics and evaluate their reliability and comparability. The quality report is based on the EU's SIMS model. The documentation also contains change releases describing changes in the statistics and possible specifying methodological descriptions.
If you are looking for statistical figures for these statistics, go to the statistics page: Environmental subsidies
Quality report
Data description (SIMS 3.1)
The statistics on environmental subsidies describe the allocation and amount of environmental subsidies and other transfers paid by the state of Finland and foreign countries by sector and industry. Transfers are classified according to measures describing environmental protection and resource management activities.
Sector coverage (SIMS 3.3)
The statistics contain data on environmental subsidies and other current transfers paid by general government and the institutions of the European Union. The statistics cover all industries according to the industrial classification on the character level.
Statistical unit (SIMS 3.5)
The data of the statistics are produced from the data of Statistics Finland's national accounts and European Union statistics. The data from the statistics’ different data sources are linked to the classifications required by the statistics.
Statistical population (SIMS 3.6)
The statistics are based on register data. The statistical population consists of units engaged in economic activity in Finland. The units are aggregated so that they can no longer be separated in the statistics. Institutional sectors (non-financial corporations, non-profit institutions, households, the public sector and rest of the world) are also aggregated.
Reference area (SIMS 3.7)
The statistics cover the whole of Finland as a single area. The statistics do not include regional classifications.
Time coverage (SIMS 3.8)
The statistics cover the period 2014 to 2024.
Base period (SIMS 3.9)
The base year for the time series is 2014 (2014=100).
Unit of measure (SIMS 4)
The subsidies and transfers described in the statistics are given in millions of euros.
Reference period (SIMS 5)
The reference period of the statistics is a calendar year.
Classifications (SIMS 3.2)
The following classifications are used in the statistics:
- Standard Industrial Classification 2008
- Classification of Environmental Purposes
Concepts and definitions (SIMS 3.4)
Environment
The concept of environment refers to the physical, social and cultural factors that are present in the natural or built environment and with which humans have an interactive relationship. The environment is perceived above all as the human living environment on the state and quality of which human activity has a positive or negative impact.
Environmental protection
Measures taken by an enterprise whose primary aim is to collect, process, reduce, prevent or eliminate the emissions, waste or other environmental hazards caused by its activity.
Environmental subsidy
An environmental subsidy is a subsidy paid by the public sector to help economic actors switch to activities that are less environmentally damaging or that regulate natural resources. The definition of an environmental subsidy is based on the above-mentioned objective and on the classifications of environmental activities in environmental and economic accounting. Environmental and economic accounting defines subsidies more widely than national accounts, because in addition to subsidies on production, capital transfers and other current transfers are included.
Production based on saving natural resources
Production based on saving natural resources may include products, technologies or techniques, or services which focus on the saving of natural resources and their effective use either in the production process or utilisation process. Such production may consist of, or be connected to, activity which involves measuring, monitoring, prevention, reduction of use, re-use, recycling, repair, restoration, research, development or awareness raising.
System of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA)
The System of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting (SEEA) is a systematic description of the relationship between the environment and the economy. The accounts comprise of accounts and balances that describe the use volumes of natural resources, the loading caused by the use of natural resources, and the economy and business activity of environmental protection. The statistics of the System of Integrated Environmental and Economic Accounting are compiled in the framework of national accounts in compliance with their key characteristics, such as the industrial classification and the classification of sectors and the domicile principle of economic units.
Institutional mandate (SIMS 6)
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
Legal acts and other agreements (SIMS 6.1)
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
Data sharing (SIMS 6.2)
The results of the statistics on the environmental subsidies are published on the home page of the statistics on the predefined date. The links on the home page lead to the description of the statistics, concepts and definitions as well as statistical database tables (StatFin), which are free of charge.
Source data (SIMS 18.1)
The statistics are based on administrative sources. The most significant source is Statistics Finland's data. Of Statistics Finland’s data, the annual national accounts are used not only as a source of data, but also as a framework for the statistics. The data used for the statistics are based on the data of the national accounts, published some three months before.
Frequency of data collection (SIMS 18.2)
The basic data are collected once a year.
Data collection (SIMS 18.3)
Nearly all data in the statistics are composed of data supplied by Statistics Finland, which are collected from the databases of Statistics Finland. The remaining data consist of individual pieces of external data collected from Internet sources.
Data validation (SIMS 18.4)
The received data are compared to previous data with the same content and any data related to the same topic.
Data compilation (SIMS 18.5)
The share of environmental subsidies is estimated from subsidies, capital transfers and other current transfers reported in the national accounts.
User needs (SIMS 12.1)
Overall accuracy (SIMS 13.1)
The statistics are compiled in accordance with the principles of national accounts, due to which these statistics are subject to the same requirements on overall accuracy. The main uncertainty in the statistics is related to expert estimates describing the environmental share of subsidies and current transfers.
Quality assurance (SIMS 11.1)
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:
Quality assessment (SIMS 11.2)
Data revision - policy (SIMS 17.1)
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.
Timeliness (SIMS 14.1)
The statistics on environmental subsidies are produced each year approximately 24 months after the end of the statistical year.
Punctuality (SIMS 14.2)
The statistics are published in accordance with the release calendar.
Comparability - geographical (SIMS 15.1)
Due to compliance with uniform statistical principles prepared by Eurostat, the statistics are comparable with statistics of other EU Member States.
Comparability - over time (SIMS 15.2)
The statistics are comparable from 2014 onwards.
Coherence – cross domain (SIMS 15.3)
The statistics are compiled in accordance with the national accounts framework, using consistent concepts, classifications and delineations, which supports coherence across statistical domains.
Coherence - internal (SIMS 15.4)
There are no other statistics which would release data corresponding with the data in the statistics on environmental subsidies.
Release calendar (SIMS 8.1)
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
Release calendar access (SIMS 8.2)
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
User access (SIMS 8.3)
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.
Further information: The terms of use for statistical data
Frequency of dissemination (SIMS 9)
The statistics are disseminated annually.
News release (SIMS 10.1)
The release is published annually.
Online database (SIMS 10.3)
The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database.
Confidentiality - policy (SIMS 7.1)
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 (eur-lex.europa.eu) and the Finnish Data Protection Act (Finlex.fi) 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 (Finlex.fi).
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
Confidentiality - data treatment (SIMS 7.2)
According to the Statistics Act (280/2004), the data of the statistics are in the public domain.
The tables in the statistics are produced by using/editing a table’s classification on a level high or general enough to prevent the emergence of small cell frequencies.
The Statistics Act (280/2004) defines the data on the number of enterprises as being in the public domain, which is why even small cell frequencies do not need to be protected. In quantity tables, cells containing only a small number of observations (threshold value) or dominated by one or two units (dominance rule) are protected by suppressing the value of the cell to prevent the data of an individual enterprise being revealed. In addition, other cells have been suppressed to prevent the calculation of the primarily suppressing cell values with the aid of marginal sums. The suppressed cells in released tables are marked by single quotation marks ’..’. Further information on suppression can be found in the Handbook on Statistical Disclosure Control (2026).
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 application for licence to use statistical data and in unidentifiable form. Further information about licences.
Revisions in statistics
Contact information
Service email
ymparistotilinpito@stat.fiInquiries primarily
Nina Hiltunen
Senior Statistician
029 551 3089