Statistics Finland's operating principles

In its activity, Statistics Finland complies with the international principles of statistics. In addition, the activity is steered by the principles and guidelines based on the EU's General Data Protection Regulation and good service practices, for example.

Principles of official statistics

The principles approved by the United Nations Statistics Division define the rights and duties of producers of official statistics in society and the most important principles when compiling and publishing statistics, such as reliability and statistical data protection.

Professional ethics

Statistics Finland's principles of professional ethics comply with the Declaration on Professional Ethics of the International Statistical Institute (ISI), which contains the ethical obligations for all persons working in the field of statistics towards society, customers and partners. Statistics Finland's guide on professional ethics is based on the ISI declaration.

Publication principles for statistics

Publication principles for statistics at Statistics Finland apply, for example, to how and when statistics are published, as well as the confidentiality of data prior to publication.

Practices when changes are made to statistical data

The European statistical community has agreed on the practices that guide the making of changes to statistics and communicating about such changes.

On that basis, Statistics Finland has compiled detailed instructions on revisions made to statistical data.

Data protection principles

Statistics Finland's data protection principles ensure that data on individual data suppliers are confidential. Due to a revision of data protection legislation, Statistics Finland has updated its guidelines and compiled Statistics Finland's data protection strategy.

Principles of risk management

Statistics Finland's risk management adheres to the legislation, the risk management handbook for central government actors and the guidance on risk management for central government. Compliance with the principles of risk management ensures the continuity, timeliness and high quality of data production as well as the long-term storage and secondary use of data materials.

Customer service principles

  • We serve flexibly and proficiently
  • We are easy to approach
  • We operate fast and with precision
  • We keep data users up-to-date
  • We learn through interaction