News 22 Apr 2020

Statistics Finland will release exceptional rapid estimate statistics on the number of deaths

During the coronavirus epidemic, a need has arisen in European countries to monitor the development of the number of deaths almost in real time. Eurostat, the statistical office of the European Union, approached the Member States and asked them, if possible, to take part in voluntary production of statistics on the weekly number of deaths to support monitoring the pandemic. Statistics Finland participates in this project.

Preliminary data on population change events are normally published monthly in the preliminary population statistics. Starting from 24 April, Statistics Finland will release the weekly number of deaths at a delay of two weeks for the time being. The statistics provide a rapid estimate on the development of the number of deaths. The two-week delay in the statistics is caused by the information on deaths being stored at a delay in the Population Information System maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency.

The numbers of deaths in the table published are based on final statistics for 1990 to 2019 and on preliminary data for 2020. Preliminary data for 2020 will be revised whenever data for the following week are published. Due to the short waiting period, data for the most recent weeks are incomplete and they are supplemented at each update round.

The number of deaths varies much by week. There are customarily more deaths in winter months than in other seasons. The number of deaths over one week has varied between 800 to 1,300 in 1990 to 2019.

The table includes data from the beginning of 1990, in total for over 1,500 weeks.

The figures in the table have not been proportioned, so conclusions should not be made from them on the development of mortality. As the population ages, the number of deaths grows, although in relative terms, mortality will decrease and life expectancy will lengthen.

The data are published

Release schedule:

  • In week 17, on Friday 24 April 2020 data are published until week 14/2020.
  • In week 19, on Thursday 7 May 2020 data are published until week 17/2020.
  • In week 20, on Thursday 14 May 2020 data are published until week 18/2020.
  • In week 21, on Wednesday 20 May 2020 data are published until week 19/2020.
  • In week 22, on Thursday 28 May 2020 data are published until week 20/2020.

After this, data for two preceding weeks are published weekly on Thursdays.

The publication of the rapid estimate will cease when there is no longer need for it.

Further information: vaesto.tilasto@stat.fi