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Concepts and definitions

Building trade

Building trade refers to commercial building against payment. Cf. Independent building.

Floor area

The floor area of a dwelling is measured from the inner surfaces of its walls. The figure includes the floor areas of the utility room, walk-in cupboard, bathroom, hobby room, sauna, washroom and dressing room, as well as the floor areas of rooms used for working unless used by hired employees.

The following are not counted in the dwelling's floor area: garage, cellar, sauna facilities in an unfurnished basement, unheated storage space, balcony, porch, veranda and attic space unless used as a living space.

The floor area of a freetime residence refers to its gross floor area.

Independent building

Independent building refers to building projects undertaken by households themselves, which include new and renovation building of single-family houses, free-time residences, agricultural buildings and other domestic utility buildings without paid labour. Cf. Building trade.

Index

An index is a ratio describing the relative change in a variable (e.g. price, volume or value) compared to a certain base period (e.g. one year). The index point figure for each point in time tells what percentage the given examined variable is of its respective value or volume at the base point in time. The mean of the index point figures for the base period is 100.

Market price

The general actual selling price, or the price where supply and demand meet.

Nominal price index

Describes the change in prices relative to the base time period of the index (cf. real price index).

Point figure

Point figure is a change quantity used in price indices, which expresses the price, average price or index of the comparison period relative to the price, average price or index of the base period. The point figure of the base period is usually denoted by the number hundred. For example, if the point figure for a commodity at a certain point in time is 105.3, it means that the price of that commodity has risen by 5.3 per cent from the base period.

Quarterly change

Quarterly change refers to the relative change in the index of the quarter compared with the index of the previous quarter. The change is usually expressed in percentages.

Real estate

A real estate is a unit of ownership in a land or water area entered as real estate in the real estate register. Buildings and fixtures owned by the owner of a real estate and located on it belong to the real estate.

Real price

The price calculated with the prices of a certain base year, from which the effects of changes in the price level have been removed. In most cases the real price refers to the nominal price deflated with the Consumer Price Index.

Real price index

Indicates the change in real prices compared with the index base time period (e.g. 2000, 1983 or 1970). The real price index is derived by dividing the point figure of the nominal price index with the point figure of the Consumer Price Index of the corresponding time period and base year.

Weight structure

Describes what meaning each sub-index (commodity, employee group, etc.) belonging to the index has for total index.