Changes to legislation concerning Statistics Finland

Amendments are made to the Act on Statistics Finland and the Statistics Act and they enter into force on 1 March 2023. The amendments concern Statistics Finland's new tasks and right to collect data.

In the Act on Statistics Finland a new task has been added to Statistics Finland concerning the provision of research and data services. As a result of the legislative amendment, Statistics Finland may in future receive, compile and store for research and data services also such data that are necessary for establishing the data library, or so-called ready-made data, formed for research purposes and which are released for purposes of scientific research or for making statistical surveys describing social conditions.

The data supplement the datasets collected by Statistics Finland for statistical purposes. Ready-made data are pre-assembled and processed topic-specific datasets. Topic-specific datasets can be combined as needed in the research project and the datasets are available for research use faster than before.

“In future, the activity of the Research Services will be increasingly based on producing and providing ready-made data,” says Statistics Finland's Deputy Director General Ville Vertanen.

Obligation to provide data extended with regard to official data

The Statistics Act extends Statistics Finland's right to collect data to cover personal data on assets and debts held by central government authorities as well as contact information held by the Social Insurance Institution.

Authorities in wellbeing services counties and joint county authorities for wellbeing services will also be added to those with the obligation to provide data. The data describing their finances and activities are public even in the possession of Statistics Finland.

Further information: Johanna Rantanen, Head of Development,
tel. +358 29 551 2730