News 20 Dec 2024
Changes in statistics production are visible in the Statistical Programme
The Statistical Programme brings together the changes and reforms of Finland's statistics production for 2025 and the main long-term development measures. Over the next few years, the balancing of general government finances and the resulting savings targets will have an effect on the way statistics are compiled and to some extent on the supply of statistics as well.
“In addition to making our activity more efficient, balancing in the midst of increasing statutory information demands and scarcer resources requires the discontinuation of some information products or making them chargeable. At the same time, new statistics production will also be initiated in the next few years based on the new requirements of European statistical regulations,” says Deputy Director General Mari Ylä-Jarkko from Statistics Finland.
When reforming statistics production, the aim is to pay attention to both international and domestic data needs, to publish data contents that meet users' needs and modernise statistics with the help of new data materials and methods. In the coming years, new data based on European statistical regulations will be produced on such as agriculture, forestry, households' assets, energy production and consumption, and the labour market.
The rationalisation of statistics production requires that the used technologies, operating modes and processes are reviewed. According to Ylä-Jarkko, Statistics Finland will implement an extensive change programme in the coming years, by which all information and service production will be based on common data resources currently under construction. As a result of the change, Statistics Finland's ability to offer statistics and research data will improve when data materials are better organised than before and thus more easily combinable.
Over the next few years, Statistics Finland will focus on the national economy, the environment, population and wellbeing in its development of the contents of statistics.
There will be significant changes in the statistics on national accounts and balance of payments due to international reforms and changes in the source data. The development of environmental statistics is needed to provide a sufficient data basis for monitoring climate measures and biodiversity loss. Population statistics will be developed so that more comprehensive information than before will be available for decision-making concerning immigrants, for example. It is also necessary to invest in measuring wellbeing in the coming years, because concerns for social inequality are growing.
Statistics are produced in Finland based on extensive cooperation. Official statistics are also produced outside Statistics Finland, altogether in 12 different organisations. The Statistical Programme covers all the statistics and services produced by Statistics Finland, as well as the statistics belonging to the European Statistical Programme produced by other producers of statistics, as well as the Official Statistics of Finland (OSF) and their development. The other producers of statistics are Finnish Customs, the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke), the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL), the Finnish Immigration Service, the Finnish Institute of Occupational Health (FIOH), the Finnish Centre for Pensions, the Finnish Meteorological Institute, the Social Insurance Institution (Kela), the National Land Survey of Finland, the Finnish Environment Institute (Syke), and the Ministry of Employment and the Economy.
Further information: Mari Ylä-Jarkko, Deputy Director General, Statistics Finland
Link to the Statistical Programme