Home > Statistics > Municipal elections > 2017 > confirmed result > Fourty-four per cent of elected councillors in Municipal elections 2017 are new municipal councillors

Published: 27 April 2017

Fourty-four per cent of elected councillors in Municipal elections 2017 are new municipal councillors

Altogether, 8,999 councillors were elected to municipal councils in the Municipal elections 2017. Of the elected councillors, 39.0 per cent were women, which is 0.9 percentage points fewer than among the candidates nominated by the parties. However, the share of women among those elected as councillors increased by 2.8 percentage points from the previous elections.

Share of women among elected councillors by party in Municipal elections 2008, 2012 and 2017, %

The average age of all councillors elected in the Municipal elections was 50.7 years. Current councillors made up 56.1 per cent of the elected councillors. Among the parliamentary parties, most current councillors were elected for another council term in relative terms among Finns Party candidates, 62.2 per cent. In relative terms, most new municipal councillors were, in turn, elected among Green League candidates, 65.7 per cent.

Of the elected councillors, 92.7 per cent were Finnish or Sami speakers, 6.5 per cent were Swedish speakers and 0.7 per cent had some other native language. Among the parliamentary parties, most foreign-language speakers, 1.9 per cent, were elected among Green League candidates in relative terms.

Based on the main type of activity, 80.6 per cent of all elected councillors in the Municipal elections were employed, 4.2 per cent were unemployed and 15.2 per cent were in the inactive population. Among the parliamentary parties, the Coalition Party (85.1%) has the most employed councillors in relative terms, and the Left Alliance has the least (70.8%).

Background analysis of elected councillors by party in the Municipal elections 2017

Party	Councillors in municipal councils (%)	Average age of candidates	Finnish and Sami speakers (%)	Swedish speakers (%)	Other language speakers (%)	Employed (%)	Unemployed (%)	In the inactive population (%)	Average income
Centre Party of Finland	58.4	50.6	99.6	0.1	0.2	84.8	3.0	12.2	45,543
National Coalition Party	56.2	49.7	97.9	1.5	0.5	85.1	2.3	12.6	67,152
Finns Party	62.2	49.3	98.8	0.4	0.8	73.6	8.8	17.6	39,580
Finnish Social Democratic Party	59.3	53.0	95.9	2.9	1.2	77.3	4.2	18.5	44,255
Green League	34.3	43.2	95.9	2.2	1.9	82.6	6.7	10.7	41,126
Left Alliance	56.8	53.6	97.7	1.1	1.2	70.8	6.7	22.5	39,897
Swedish People’s Party in Finland	54.6	50.1	5.1	93.4	1.5	82.8	2.1	15.1	53,998
Christian Democrats in Finland	44.0	53.2	88.6	11.1	0.3	74.4	5.4	20.3	45,538
Others	50.2	52.5	92.9	5.9	1.3	74.8	6.7	18.5	43,647
All elected councillors	56.1	50.7	92.7	6.5	0.7	80.6	4.2	15.2	48,087

The average income subject to state taxation of all elected councillors is EUR 48,087 per year. Among the parliamentary parties, the newly elected councillors of the Coalition Party have the highest average income, EUR 67,152, and the newly elected councillors of the Finns Party have the lowest, EUR 39,580.

More detailed data on the candidates and elected councillors of the Municipal elections can be found in the review: Background analysis of candidates and elected councillors in Municipal elections 2017.

Statistics Finland's election result services

Statistics Finland releases a review on the background of Municipal election candidates and elected councillors analysing the candidates' gender distribution, age, origin, education, employment, income level and family status in comparison to persons entitled to vote.

Statistics Finland's free of charge election map service on the web contains data illustrated by maps and charts on the Municipal election. 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.

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. .

Election map service

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Source: Municipal Elections 2017, background analysis of candidates and elected representatives, Statistics Finland

Inquiries: Sami Fredriksson 029 551 2696, Kaija Ruotsalainen 029 551 3599, Jaana Asikainen 029 551 3506, vaalit@stat.fi

Director in charge: Jari Tarkoma

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• 1. Background analysis of candidates and elected councillors in Municipal elections 2017 (27.4.2017)

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Updated 27.4.2017