News 3 Dec 2020
Data protection is a fundamental principle in statistics production
It is safe to respond to Statistics Finland's inquiries and release data. We always handle your data with due care for data protection.
“Statistics Finland has a statutory obligation to protect personal data and enterprise data released for statistical purposes,” says Deputy Director General Johanna Laiho-Kauranne. “We use methods that enable us to protect confidential data. The data are used for statistical purposes in accordance with the Statistics Act.”
In statistics production we primarily use data collected by other authorities. Statistics Finland has extensive rights based on legislation to obtain data for statistics compilation from different authorities and from enterprises and corporations. We receive data from the Digital and Population Data Agency, the Tax Administration, the Social Insurance Institution of Finland and the Finnish Centre for Pensions, for instance. In order to produce some statistics we also collect data with questionnaire surveys and interviews from enterprises, corporations and people resident in Finland.
The data given by the data providers are appropriately protected at all stages of statistics production. The data are handled at Statistics Finland only by those persons who need them in their work. All our employees have signed a pledge of secrecy.
Individuals cannot be identified from statistical data
We approach respondents with inquiries only when data are not available elsewhere. Enterprises have a statutory obligation to provide data, and we annually conduct around one hundred data collections from enterprises and corporations.
The inquiries directed to persons concern work, studying, housing, time use and consumption, for example. If you have been selected, you will receive an accompanying letter in advance. At each work stage we take data protection into account. Participation in individual-based data collections is voluntary.
According to the Statistics Act, Statistics Finland has the right to release confidential data to another statistical authority for statistical purposes. They include the National Institute for Health and Welfare, Finnish Customs and the Natural Resources Institute Finland. Data are also released to the Statistical Office of the European Union, Eurostat.
Statistics Finland can release confidential data collected for statistical purposes for economic and social research and statistical surveys. The data are most commonly processed in our remote access system, when the data are held by Statistics Finland and a researcher processes the data through remote access. Individual persons cannot be identified directly from the data. Researchers handling Statistics Finland's data also sign a pledge of secrecy.
Data collected for statistical purposes may never be released for use in administrative decision-making, investigation, surveillance, legal proceedings or similar purposes.
Further information: Johanna Leivo, Group Manager, +358 29 551 3397