A total of 38,509 candidates in the Municipal elections 2008

Correction to the statistical release dated 30 September 2008. The corrections are indicated in red, previously 7,982 and 137.

All of the 14 political parties registered in the register of political parties nominated candidates. The total number of candidates in the 332 municipalities was 38,509, of whom 1,129 were nominated by constituency associations. Of the candidates 22,935 were men and 15,574 were women. Of the candidates 8,258 are current councillors in municipal councils and 155 are Members of Parliament.

The proportion of female candidates rose slightly, by 0.5 percentage points, from the previous Municipal elections and stood at 40.4 per cent. Women's proportion of the candidates in different elections has exceeded the current one only once, in the Parliamentary elections of 1991, when female candidates made up 41.2 per cent of all candidates. The proportion of women of the candidates of the five largest parties in the current elections are: the Green League 56.8 per cent, the Social Democratic party of Finland 40.8 per cent, the National Coalition Party 40.3 per cent, the Centre Party of Finland 40.3 per cent and the Left Alliance 36.6 per cent.

The age structure of the candidates is very similar to that of the previous Municipal elections. The majority of all candidates, or 72 per cent, are aged 40 or over. The proportion of young candidates aged under 30 is 10.7 per cent. The corresponding percentages in the previous Municipal elections were 71.3 and 11 per cent. Although the proportion of over 40-year-olds is nearly the same in the current elections, the proportion of the oldest candidates, the over 55-year-olds, among them increased by 4 percentage points from the previous Municipal elections. Their total number in the current elections is some 1,000 more than in 2004. The average age of candidates also rose by one year and stands at 48 years.

Women and men as a proportion of candidates Municipal elections 2008

In Municipal elections candidates can be nominated by registered political parties and constituency associations established by persons entitled to vote. Parties can form electoral alliances and voters’ associations can form joint lists. Each party or electoral alliance may nominate at most one and a half times the number of candidates as the number of elected councillors in the municipality.

An analysis of the candidates’ background will be published on the home page of the statistics on the election night (26 October at 8 pm). Data on the elected councillors will be added to this analysis during the election night.

Source: Municipal Elections 2008, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Eeva Heinonen 09 1734 3268, Kimmo Moisio 09 1734 3239

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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Quality descriptions

Municipal elections, quality description (30.9.2008)

Updated 30.9.2008

Referencing instructions:

Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Municipal elections [e-publication].
ISSN=2323-1114. Nomination of candidates 2008. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 21.11.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/kvaa/2008/01/kvaa_2008_01_2008-09-30_tie_001_en.html