Measurement unit

The measurement units for volume data (of them 0 to 2 per product heading) are visible in the StatFin database tables right after the product heading text in brackets, in the form (primary measurement unit / secondary measurement unit), e.g. (kg / m2 or (kg / -).

In the commodity inquiry, volume data can be asked on the commodity heading for one or two measurement units or no volume data at all. If two items of volume data are asked, data suppliers should reply to both of them.

Nearly 40 different measurement units are in use. Therefore, there are great restrictions to summing up volume data.

Measurement units can describe weight or gross tonnage, length, area, capacity, number (item or pair), power and energy, gross caloric value, etc.

In the product data, the primary measurement unit is the measurement unit required by the EU. This also concerns both the volume of sold production and total production.

The secondary measurement unit in the product data is the measurement unit used for national needs. The motive is often that data suppliers can give volume data precisely for that measurement unit. This also concerns the volume data of both sold production and total production. If secondary volume data are not inquired, the corresponding measurement unit is indicated with a hyphen (-).

If the primary measurement unit is indicated with a hyphen (-), volume data are not inquired at all for the product heading concerned. Then it is either a question of a service heading or a heading with a very heterogenic content, such as a residual category heading on which data cannot be asked only for one measurement unit.

For a small number of production headings the primary and/or secondary measurement unit changes compared with the year before. Measurement units may change places or a new measurement unit may take the place of a missing secondary measurement unit.

The measurement unit in materials and supplies data: Only one measurement unit (and one item of volume data) per commodity heading is used in these data. The measurement units were selected based on Statistics Finland's needs. The measurement units in the volume data of materials and supplies do not vary as much as in the product data (production data).