Parliamentary elections 1995 - The background of the candidates by party

Statistics Finland
Pekka Myrskylä

The candidates of the three largest parties and of the Swedish People's Party are clearly more often employed, have higher income, and are better educated than the average voter. In relation to these characteristics the candidates of the small parties have a greater similarity with the people entitled to vote.

The data on the candidates and on the people entitled to vote are retrieved from the data files of Statistics Finland's Regional Employment Statistics. The data show the situation at the end of 1993. The main type of activity, level of education, and incomes of the candidates

The employed

The candidates are strongly representative of Finland's employed labour force. A year ago 68% of them were employed, while the figure for all those entitled to vote was 47%. The Swedish People's Party (88%), the Center Party (86%), the National Coalition Party ( 84%), and the Social Democratic Party (83%) had the highest proportion of candidates employed. In the Finnish Pensioners' Party only one forth were employed. Of those elected 90.5% were employed a year ago.

The unemployed

Of those entitled to vote 13.4 % were unemployed. Of the candidates 12% were unemployed a year ago. Among the candidates of the Swedish People's Party and the Liberal Party there were no unemployed. Of the Center Party's candidates 2% had been unemployed, of the Coalition Party 3%, and of the Social Democrats 6%. Unemployment has effected mostly the candidates of the small parties, as 37% of the candidates of the Ecological Party have been or are unemployed, 29 % of the Joint Responsibility Party, 23% of the Women's Party, 21 % of the Natural Law Party and the Alliance for Free Finland as well as the Communist Party. For the Finnish Rural Party the percentage of unemployment was higher than average (17%). Of the Greens' candidates 14% were unemployed. Among those elected 1,5% were unemployed at end-year 1993.

Students

Of those entitled to vote 8.3% are students. The students are slightly over-represented among the candidates, especially among the Progressive Finnish Party and the Greens (16% each) while there are no students among the candidates of the Finnish Rural Party and the pensioner's parties. The Left no longer draws many student candidates: 7% of the Left Wing's candidates were students, and only 1% of the Communist's. In the large parties there are student candidates almost in the same proportion as there are students among those entitled to vote; that is 11% in the National Coalition Party, 10% in The Social Democratic Party, and 8% in the Swedish People's Party. Of the elected members of parliament 7.5% were students at the end of 1993.

Pensioners

Of those entitled to vote 25% are pensioners but only 6.9% of the candidates. In their own parties there are more pensioners than average , 71% and 46%. In the large parties pensioner candidates are rather uncommon: of the candidates of the National Coalition Party only 0.4%, of the Center Party 1.5%, of the Social Democratic Party 0.9% and of the Greens 2.6% are retired. Of the candidates of the Rural Party 9.4 % are pensioners. Among the new members of parliament 0,5% were pensioners at the end of 1993.

Educational level

The candidates have a very high level of education. Of the candidates 42.2 % held an tertiary educational qualification, while only 11.7 % of those entitled to vote have obtained the same level. The candidates and those entitled to vote have about the same proportion with only an upper secondary education. The National Coalition Party and the Liberals have the candidates with the highest education, 66% and 64% respectively with a degree on the third level, the Center Party 59%, and the Green League has 58%. Of the candidates of the Progressive Finnish Party 40% have a degree on the third level. Within the Communist Party and the Left Wing every other candidate has only a basic education. 71 % of those elected held an tertiary educational qualification, 20.5% an upper secondary qualification, while 7.5% have only a basic education. (Figure 1.). Of those holding a tertiary educational qualification 19 are Licenciates or Doctors.

Income

When it comes to income, the candidates of the different parties differ more clearly from those entitled to vote. The average income of those entitled to vote is 85 600 FIM, while the average for all the candidates is 149 100 FIM. The candidates of the Swedish People's Party had the highest income, with an average of 244 500 FIM. Following are the National Coalition Party, with 225 300 FIM; the Center Party, with 208 300 FIM; and the Social Democrats, with 200 600 FIM. The Progressive Finnish Party are with their average income of 133 900 FIM, closer to the Greens, whose average income is 126 900 FIM, than to the high income elite. Only the candidates of the Natural Law Party, the Ecological Party and the Joint Responsibility Party have average incomes lower that those entitled to vote.

Of those entitled to vote 2% earn 250 000 FIM or more. Of all the candidates 16.4 % belong to this class of high income. Of the candidates of the National Coalition Party 41% belong to this class, Of the Swedish People's Party 33.8%, of the Center Party 33.5% and of the Social Democratic Party 31.4%. The Progressive Finnish Party (12.2%), the Left Wing Alliance (10.05), the Greens (7.3%), and the Finnish Rural Party (4.7%) have a lower percentage than average of candidates with a high income. Of those elected 62.5% earn 250 000 FIM or more. Their average income is 294 000 FIM.

Figure 1. Candidates and elected members of parliament by level of education 1993

Figure 2. Candidates and elected members of parliament by income subject to state taxation 1993

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