Published: 11 April 2017
Preliminary data: Coalition Party the largest political party, Green League the biggest winners in Municipal elections 2017
The National Coalition Party retained its position as the largest party in the Municipal elections for the third time in a row. The Coalition Party gained 20.7 per cent of the votes, which is 1.2 percentage points down from the previous Municipal elections. The Coalition Party received a total of 531,000 votes, which is 15,000 down from 2012. The number of Coalition Party councillors elected to municipal councils decreased by 240 councillors. The data are based on Statistics Finland's statistics on the Municipal elections 2017.
Support for the parties in Municipal elections 2008, 2012 and 2017, %
Others in 2017: Communist Party of Finland (SKP), Communist Worker’s Party (Finland) – For Peace and Socialism (KTP),
Independence Party (IP), Pirate Party, Liberal Party – Freedom for Choice (LIBE), Animal Justice Party of Finland (EOP),, Feminist Party and Constituency associations
Others in 2012: Communist Party of Finland (SKP), Pirate Party,, Independence Party (IP), Communist Worker's Party (KTP), Change 2011, Finnish Labour Party (STP), For the Poor (KA), Liberty Party (Liberty Pty) and Constituency associations
Others in 2008: Communist Party of Finland (SKP), Independence Party (IP), Communist Worker's Party (KTP), Finnish Labour Party (STP), Finnish Seniors' Party (SSP), For the Poor (KA) and Constituency associations
The order of the three biggest parties did not change from the previous elections in the Municipal elections 2017. The Social Democratic Party retained its position as the second largest party. The party received 497,000 votes, or 19.4 per cent of votes cast, which is 0.2 percentage points fewer than in the previous elections. The Social Democratic Party gained 9,500 votes compared to the 2012 Municipal elections.
The Centre Party of Finland also retained its position and was the third largest party in these elections. The party received 450,000 votes (17.5 per cent of votes cast), which is 1.2 percentage points and around 15,000 votes fewer than in the previous Municipal elections.
The biggest winners in the elections was the Green League that gained 12.4 per cent of the votes and became the fourth largest party in the Municipal elections. The party’s share of the votes cast increased by 3.9 percentage points and the number of votes by 106,000 compared with the previous elections. The party increased its number of councillors in municipal councils by 200 compared with the previous Municipal elections.
The Left Alliance took 8.8 per cent of the votes and
increased its share of the votes by
0.8 percentage points. The party got 26,000 more votes
than in the 2012 Municipal elections.
In relative terms, the Finns Party lost most votes. The party
received 8.8 per cent of votes cast, which is
3.5 percentage points and 81,000 votes fewer than in
the previous elections. The party lost 420 councillor
seats.
The Swedish People's Party’s share of votes cast was
4.9 per cent, up by 0.2 percentage points from the
previous elections.
The Christian Democrats gained 4.1 per cent of votes,
which is 0.4 percentage points more than in 2012.
Voting turnout on level with previous Municipal elections
The voting turnout in the Municipal elections 2017 was
58.8 per cent, which is 0.5 percentage points
more than in the 2012 elections. Voting turnout increased most in
the constituency of Helsinki, where the voting percentage increased
by 4.2 percentage points from the previous elections. The
voting turnout also increased in the constituencies of
Varsinais-Suomi, Pirkanmaa, Uusimaa, Vaasa, Häme and Oulu.
The voting turnout was highest in the constituency of Vaasa, where
63.7 per cent of persons entitled to vote cast their
vote. The voting turnout was also higher than average in the
constituencies of Helsinki (61.6%), Varsinais-Suomi (60.1%),
Pirkanmaa (60.1%) and Satakunta (59.9%). The lowest voting
percentage among the constituencies was found in Savo-Karjala,
where 54.8 per cent of persons entitled to vote cast
their vote.
Among municipalities, Kinnula had the highest voting percentage
with 82.6 per cent of persons entitled to vote cast their
vote. The voting percentage was lowest in Kajaani, where
49.3 per cent of persons entitled to vote cast their
vote. The total number of persons entitled to vote was
4,391,558.
Voting turnout in Finland in Municipal elections 1950 to 2017, %
Turnout in Municipal elections 1950-2017, %
| Year | Total |
| 1950 | 63,0 |
| 1953 | 71,3 |
| 1956 | 66,2 |
| 1960 | 74,8 |
| 1964 | 79,3 |
| 1968 | 76,7 |
| 1972 | 75,6 |
| 1976 | 78,5 |
| 1980 | 78,1 |
| 1984 | 74,0 |
| 1988 | 70,5 |
| 1992 | 70,9 |
| 1996 | 61,3 |
| 2000 | 55,9 |
| 2004 | 58,6 |
| 2008 | 61,2 |
| 2012 | 58,3 |
| 2017 | 58,8 |
Statistics Finland's election result services
Before the elections, Statistics Finland released a review on 31 March 2017 on the background of municipal election candidates analysing the candidates' sex distribution, age, origin, education, employment, income level and family status in comparison to persons entitled to vote. The review will be updated on 27 April 2017 with background data on the elected councillors.
On 11 April 2017, Statistics Finland will open a free of charge election map service on the web containing data illustrated by maps and charts on the Municipal elections. The themes include voting turnout, the party with the most votes and support for parties and change in the support and the proportion of young, female and new councillors. The data can be browsed by various area categories such as municipalities, constituencies and the largest towns by voting district. The map data will be updated with the confirmed election results on 21 April 2017.
More detailed election result data are available in Statistics Finland's PX-Web database service where users can compile customised statistical tables on the elections. Database tables on the preliminary Municipal election data will be produced on 11 April 2017. Database tables according to the confirmed results of the Municipal elections will be released on 21 April 2017. .
Source: Municipal Elections 2017, preliminary data, Statistics Finland
Inquiries: Sami Fredriksson 029 551 2696, Jaana Asikainen 029 551 3506, vaalit@stat.fi
Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma
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Appendix tables
- Quality descriptions
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- Municipal elections, quality description (11.4.2017)
Updated 11.04.2017
Official Statistics of Finland (OSF):
Municipal elections [e-publication].
ISSN=2323-1114. nomination of candidates and background analysis of candidates 2017. Helsinki: Statistics Finland [referred: 22.12.2024].
Access method: http://www.stat.fi/til/kvaa/2017/02/kvaa_2017_02_2017-04-11_tie_001_en.html