Reference metadata describe statistical concepts and methodologies used for the collection and generation of data. They provide information on data quality and, since they are strongly content-oriented, assist users in interpreting the data. Reference metadata, unlike structural metadata, can be decoupled from the data.
Data and metadata are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States in the framework of the Unified Demographic Data Collection which is in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 and their implementing regulations.
The regional breakdown of the Member States in the regional demographic tables is done under the most recent NUTS classification. There are agreements between Eurostat and Candidate countries as well as between Eurostat and EFTA countries, for which statistical regions have been coded in a way that resembles NUTS.
For more information on the versions in force, please see: Eurostat NUTS.
3.3. Coverage - sector
Not applicable.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
3.4.1 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
1.Usually Resident Population
2. Legal Residence Population
3. Registered Residence Population
4. Other
Population
X
Signs of Life analysis are being carried out through the whole legal residence population to exclude those foreign persons, who have failed to make emigration notification in the past.
Live births
X
Live births are defined by the legal place of residence of the mother at the moment when the child is born.
Deaths
X
Deaths are defined as the deaths of persons with legal residence in Finland at the moment of death.
Immigrants
X
Immigration consist of those persons who have arrived to Finland to stay at least 12 months, have been given place of residence in Finland, and have been given a PIN.
Emigrants
X
Signs of Life analysis are being carried out through the whole legal residence population to exclude those foreign persons, who have failed to make emigration notification in the past.
Acquisitions of citizenship
X
Loss of citizenship
Not applicable.
Legally induced abortions
X
Signs of Life analysis are being carried out through the whole legal residence population to exclude those foreign persons, who have failed to make emigration notification in the past.
Late foetal deaths
X
Infant deaths
X
Marriages
X
Divorces
X
3.4.2 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
Population
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Population includes those Finnish citizens and foreigners living permanently in Finland at the turn of the year even if temporarily residing abroad.
Foreign nationals are domiciled in Finland if their stay is intended to last or has lasted at least one year. The statistics do not include persons temporarily staying in Finland or asylum seekers, who have only a temporary residence permit or whose application for a residence permit is still under processing. An asylum seeker is included in the official population and other Statistics Finland’s statistics only if, in addition to a positive residence permit decision, he/she is granted a personal identity code and a municipality of residence. A person is not included in statistics if he/she does not have a personal identity code and/or a municipality of residence.
The staff of foreign embassies, trade missions and consulates, their family members and personal employees included, are not counted among the resident population unless they are Finnish citizens. On the other hand, the Finnish staff of Finland's embassies and trade missions abroad and persons serving in the UN peacekeeping forces are counted among the resident population. The citizens of Ukraine who have been granted temporary residence permit due to the War in Ukraine are allowed to apply for residence in Finland after they have stayed in Finland for at least 12 months.
A Finnish citizen having entered the country must notify the register office if his/her intended stay in the country exceeds three months. The register office will update his/her data in the Population Information System (Act 661/2009). A foreign citizen may enter Finland provided he/she holds a required valid visa, residence permit or residence permit for an employed or self-employed person, unless he/she is an EU or EEA citizen or unless otherwise provided by an international agreement binding Finland (Aliens Act 301/2004). An EU or EEA citizen may stay in the country without a separate permit for three months, after which his/her stay in the country requires justifications and registration with the register office. The register office enters the reported information about the domicile of a foreign citizen into the Population Information System if the person receives a municipality of domicile and a permanent place of residence in it in Finland as defined in the Act on the Municipality of Domicile (201/1994).
Signs of Life analysis are being carried out throught the whole legal residence population to exclude those foreign persons, who have failed to make emigration notification in the past.
Live births
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Only changes in the population resident in Finland on the day of the event are taken into account when compiling statistics of vital events.
’Liveborn’ is the term for a newborn who breaths or shows other signs of life after birth strictly speaking the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, which, after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached.
Same definition as in Article. 2e Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013.
Only liveborn children of women permanently resident in Finland are taken into account in the vital statistics.
Deaths
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Only changes in the population resident in Finland on the day of the event are taken into account when compiling statistics of vital events.
A person is dead if the police or physician doesn't see any signs of life. Same definition as in Article 2 (f) Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013.
Deaths have to be reported immediately either to a physician or to the police. The health care unit or the physician has to report the death to the Population Information System or its maintainer. (Act 1065/2009). A death certificate is issued by a physician.
Immigrants
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities. A person's move into Finland from elsewhere is regarded as immigration only if a notation has been made into the Population Information System that he/she has received a permanent place of residence in Finland.
A Finnish citizen having entered the country must notify the register office if his/her intended stay in the country exceeds three months. The register office will update his/her data in the Population Information System (Act 661/2009). A foreign citizen may enter Finland provided he/she holds a required valid visa, residence permit or residence permit for an employed or self-employed person, unless he/she is an EU or EEA citizen or unless otherwise provided by an international agreement binding Finland (Aliens Act 301/2004). An EU or EEA citizen may stay in the country without a separate permit for three months, after which his/her stay in the country requires justifications and registration with the register office. An intend of living a year in the country is a prerequisite for EU or EEA citizens to become registered as permanent residents in Finland and besides one year's living in the country is required also before this intended living. After a citizen of the third countries have travelled to Finland his or her work or studies must last or he or she must have a job contract at least one year before he or she can get right to the municipality of domicile in Finland. (399/2007) The register office enters the information about the domicile of a foreign citizen into the Population Information System if the person receives a municipality of domicile and a permanent place of residence in it in Finland as defined in the Act on the Municipality of Domicile (201/1994).
When a person moves from one Nordic country to Finland, he/she must report his/her move to the local register authority, which will decide on the bases of the mover's report whether or not the person is registered as resident in the country. When he/she reports of the move, at the same time he/she tells if the move is permanent or temporary. The move is permanent if it will last 12 months or more.
The register authority of the country of entry informs the person concerned and the register authority of the country of exit about its decision. The date when the person has been entered into the local population register of the country of entry is recorded as the date of emigration in the population register of the country of exit (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994, Decree and International Treaty 96/2006).
In accordance with an agreement between the Nordic countries, a temporary period of residence of less than six months is not usually regarded as a move (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994, Decree and Treaty 96/2006). The citizens of Ukraine who have been granted temporary residence permit due to the War in Ukraine are allowed to apply for residence in Finland after they have stayed in Finland for at least 12 months.
Emigrants
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Persons who move to live abroad for more than one year are primarily regarded as emigrants. An exception to this are Finnish diplomats and persons working in development co-operation, etc. (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994). In accordance with an agreement between the Nordic countries, a temporary period of residence of less than six months is not usually regarded as a move (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994, Decree and Treaty 96/2006). Register officials of other Nordic countries follow their own rules of the duration of move and that is why some Finnish moves are registered as permanent moves although intended duration of the move is shorter than one year.
When a Finn moves permanently to other Nordic country, he/she must report his/her move to the local register authority of the country of entry, which will decide whether or not the person is registered as resident in the country of entry. The register authority of the country of entry informs the person concerned and the register authority of the country of exit about its decision. The date when the person has been entered into the local population register of the country of entry is recorded as the date of emigration in the population register of the country of exit (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994, Decree and International Treaty 96/2006).
Acquisitions of citizenship
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Citizenship refers to a person's legal nationality in a certain country. Citizenship is usually determined at birth, but it may be changed upon moving to live in another country. A most important prequalification is that person has lived in Finland five years. A person may also be a citizen of more than one country (see Nationality Act, 359/2003). Persons with both Finnish and foreign citizenship will be entered in the statistics as Finnish nationals. If a foreign national living in Finland has several nationalities, that person will be entered in the statistics as a national of the country on whose passport he or she arrived in the country. Persons having received Finnish nationality by both proceedings initiated upon petition and by declaration procedure are included in statistics on recipients of Finnish nationality. The number of citizenships granted by the declaration procedure has been exceptionally big in 2004-2008 when extended possibility for receiving Finnish citizenship prevailed because the amendment of legislation in 2003.
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
Artificially induced termination of pregnancy which is not a birth and which results in the death of one or more foetuses (≥ 1) and in which there is no indication of intrauterine foetal death before the termination. See also web pages of the National Institution for Health and Welfare: abortions.
Late foetal deaths
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) definition, “stillborn” is the term for a newborn with a birth weight of at least 500 g or, if the birth weight is not available, a newborn born dead after a pregnancy lasting 22 weeks or more. The WHO definition has been in use since 1987. From the 2003 vital statistics onwards, the same national definition is used as in the cause-of-death statistics: “stillborn” is the term for a newborn with a birth weight of at least 500 g, or a newborn born dead after a pregnancy lasting 22 weeks or more.
Infant deaths
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Children who died before their first birthday are called infant dead.
Marriages
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
In 1980 to 2016, contracted marriages referred to marriages of women living permanently in Finland. Starting from the statistical reference year 2017, contracted marriages refer to marriages where at least one of the spouses has resided permanently in Finland on the day when the marriage was contracted. The amendment to the Marriage Act that entered into force on 1 March 2017 enabled same-sex couples to enter into marriage (156/2015). The number of marriages contracted annually is, thus, the number of marriages entered into by same-sex and opposite-sex spouses.
Divorces
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
The divorce statistics are based on data on granted decrees of divorce transmitted to the Population Information System by district courts. The statistics also include cases where a permanent resident of Finland is granted a divorce by a foreign court. If the divorce is granted abroad, it must be reported to the register keeper for registration of divorce. Exceptions are divorces granted to Finnish citizens in Sweden, on which the Swedish register keeper notifies the Finnish counterpart directly.
A divorce granted to a Finnish citizen abroad usually requires validation by the Helsinki Court of Appeal before registration. Divorce decisions given in the Nordic Countries and in the EU countries as of 1 March 2001 can be registered without validation.
In 1980 to 2016, divorces referred to divorces of women living permanently in Finland unless otherwise stated. Starting from the statistical reference year 2017, divorces where at least one of the spouses has resided permanently in Finland on the day the divorce was granted are included in the statistics as divorces. The amendment to the Marriage Act that entered into force on 1 March 2017 enabled same-sex couples to enter into marriage (156/2015).
Since 2017, the total number of divorces consists of the number of divorces of marriages between opposite-sex and same-sex couples.
3.4.3 Differences in statistical concepts and definitions between the statistics transmitted to Eurostat and those disseminated in the National Statistics Institute's website
Population
Not available.
Live births
A liveborn child of mother non-permanently resident but father permanently resident in Finland is not taken into account in the birth statistics. However this child is included in immigration statistics and thus in population.
Deaths
Not applicable.
Immigrants
A liveborn child of mother non-permanently resident but father permanently resident in Finland is not taken into account in the birth statistics. However this child is included in immigration statistics and thus in population.
Emigrants
Register officials of other Nordic countries follow their own rules of the duration of move and that is why some Finnish moves are registered as permanent moves although intended duration of the move is shorter than one year.
Acquisitions of citizenship
No differences.
Loss of citizenship
No differences.
Legally induced abortions
Not available.
Late foetal deaths
No deviations.
Infant deaths
No deviations.
Marriages
No deviations.
Divorces
No deviations.
3.5. Statistical unit
Number of persons.
3.6. Statistical population
Statistical population
Population
Not available.
Live births
Not available.
Deaths
Not available.
Immigrants
Not available.
Emigrants
Not available.
Acquisitions of citizenship
Not available.
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
Not available.
Late foetal deaths
Not available.
Infant deaths
Not available.
Marriages
Not available.
Divorces
Not available.
3.7. Reference area
Population, live births, deaths, acquisition of citizenship, immigration and emigration, marriages and divorces data are available at national and regional level of geographical detail.
3.8. Coverage - Time
Individual level data.
Population structure since 1990;
Live births since 1990;
Deaths since 1990;
Immigration since 1990;
Emigration since 1990;
Acquisition of citizenship since 1990;
Marriages opposite-sex couples since 1990, same-sex couples since 2017;
Divorces opposite-sex couples since 1990, same-sex couples since 2017.
3.9. Base period
Not applicable.
Data is collected at unit (person) level.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December). The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year in which the migration occurred.
The reference period for vital events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. Due to short waiting time, one month or end of January, some events are lacking from the data. This is the reason to estimate those lacking events by including data relating to the years t-4, t-3, t-2 and t-1 and reported between February year t and January year t+1. See below a table “Vital events of prior years included in the data for 2023”.
Vital events of prior years included in the data for 2023 by type of event
Type of event/Year of event
Total
2022
2021
2020
2019
Live births
96
75
14
3
4
Death
150
135
7
6
2
Immigration
465
457
6
2
0
Emigration
213
159
38
11
5
Marriages
1491
1036
312
76
67
Divorces
272
158
74
30
10
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
The country of residence (in its current borders, if the information is available) of the mother at the time of the birth. The country of the birth for persons born in former Soviet Union is former Soviet Union. If the person have changed this information about their COB by the acceptance of authorities of the country (current borders) and this changed COB is available in the official documents such as passport, then it can be used (e.g. COB of the person is changed from former Soviet Union to Russia or Estonia).
Country of birth of the mother
For Finnish born mothers it is the country of residence at the time of the birth. For others the definition of the concept is not known – in practice, COB is taken from the available official documents such as passport.
Country of previous usual residence
Yes.
Country of next usual residence
Yes.
Deaths
Yes.
Divorce
Yes.
Emigrants
Yes, except moves to Denmark, Iceland and Norway. These countries apply the rule from three to six months to register a move as a permanent move.
First-time marrying person
Yes.
First-time registering partner
Yes.
Foetal death
Yes.
Foreign-born
Yes.
Immigrants
Yes.
Infant death
Yes.
Late foetal death
Yes.
Legally induced abortions
Yes.
Level of development
Yes.
Live birth
Yes. Note: The new Maternity Act entered into force on 1 April 2019, according to which a child can have two mothers (253/2018). As a result of the act starting from the year 2020 it is possible that data contains children who have two mothers, biologigal mother and confirmed mother.
Live birth order
Yes.
Marriage
Yes.
Native born
Yes.
Person contracting legal union for first-time
Yes.
Regional
Yes.
Registered partnership
Yes. Note: the possibility to register same-sex partnership in Finland ended on the last day of February 2017. Starting from the beginning of March 2017, same-sex couples have been able to enter into marriage.
Registered partnership legally dissolved
Yes.
Separation
Not applicable.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
11.2.1. Quality assessment: Type of duration of stay used when counting a person as a migrant according to Art. 2(b) of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007
1. Actual duration of stay of at least 12 months
2. Intended duration of stay of at least 12 months
3. Actual and intended duration of stay of at least 12 months
4. Other. Please specify
Nationals
Immigrants
X
Emigrants
X
In accordance with an agreement between the Nordic countries, the local register authority of the Nordic country of entry decides whether the person is registered as resident in the country of entry or not. The register authority of the country of entry informs the person concerned and the Finnish register authority about its decision. This way the double counting is prevented between the two countries. Denmark, Iceland and Norway apply the rule from three to six months to register a move as a permanent move.
EEA citizens
Immigrants
X
Emigrants
X
In accordance with an agreement between the Nordic countries, the local register authority of the Nordic country of entry decides whether the person is registered as resident in the country of entry or not. The register authority of the country of entry informs the person concerned and the Finnish register authority about its decision. This way the double counting is prevented between the two countries. Denmark, Iceland and Norway apply the rule from three to six months to register a move as a permanent move.
Non EEA citizens
Immigrants
X
Emigrants
X
11.2.2. Quality assessment of the definition of acquisitions of citizenship according to Art. 3(d) of Regulation (EC) No 862/2007
1. Acquisitions of citizenship granted to persons having their usual residence in the territory of the Member State
2.Other. Please specify
Acquisitions of citizenship
X
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
Not available.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
Not available.
12.3. Completeness
Not available.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
Overall accuracy and special cases (Inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees, persons living on unauthorised or irregular basis, international students, persons who do not register/deregister,...)
Population
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services agency is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Information of asulym seekers is lacking from the source data: population information system (register). Citizens of Ukraine with temporary residence permit are included if they have applied for legal residency in Finland. A person with temporary residence permit can apply for legal residency in Finland only after a one year (12 months) of stay.
Live births
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Information of asulym seekers is lacking from the source data: population information system (register). Unknown: birth weight, duration of gestation. Information is lacking from the source data population information system but is received from the Finnish instute for health and wellfare.
Deaths
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Information of asulym seekers is lacking from the source data: population information system (register).
Immigrants
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Information of asulym seekers is lacking from the source data: population information system (register). Citizens of Citizens of Ukraine with temporary residence permit are included if they have applied for legal residency in Finland. A person with temporary residence permit can apply for legal residency in Finland only after a one year (12 months) of stay.
Emigrants
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Based on signs of life analysis (yearly basis) some persons are added to emigration statistics as they have failed to make notification of their emigration.
Acquisitions of citizenship
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Category unknown: previous citizenship. Information is lacking from the source data: population information system (register).
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
Data quality of the Birth register of the National Institute for Health and Welfare is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Category unknown: parity. Information is lacking from the source data but received from the Finnish institute for health and welfare.
Late foetal deaths
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included.
Infant deaths
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included.
Marriages
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Category unknown: country of birth, citizenship. Information is lacking from the source data: population information system (register).
Divorces
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Category unknown: country of birth, citizenship, duration of marriage. Information is lacking from the source data: population. information system (register).
According to Art 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata ( In the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
Population: about 4 months.
Live births: about 4 months.
Deaths: about 4 months.
Immigration and emigration: about 5 months.
Acquisitions of citizenship: about 5 months.
Marriage: about 4 months.
Divorce: about 4 months.
14.2. Punctuality
No time lag.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
Fully comparable.
15.2. Comparability - over time
Comparability - over time
Population
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Live births
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Deaths
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Immigrants
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Emigrants
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Acquisitions of citizenship
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
Whole country since 1994.
Late foetal deaths
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Infant deaths
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Marriages
Whole country and NUTS since 2017, opposite-sex couples, woman/man residing permanently in Finland on the wedding day since 1990. See 3.4.2. about new concept and how to calculate the number of marriages contracted annually. If needed it's possible to update whole country and NUTS totals for opposite-sex couples from 1990 to 2017 by applying the new rule.
Divorces
Whole country and NUTS since 2017, opposite-sex couples, woman/man residing permanently in Finland on the day divorce was granted since 1990. See 3.4.2. about new concept and how to calculate annual number of divorces. It's possible to update whole country and NUTS totals for opposite-sex couples from 1990 to 2017 by applying the new rule.
Surface in km2
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
Population: Digital and population data services agency picks information of all persons living permanently in Finland 31 Dec at the beginning of February in next year but does not publish statistics of that material on internet. DVV asks Statistics Finland for statistics of population at the end of the year to publish it on its webpages. Statistics Finland does not know how its aggregate statistics is used in other organisations or in Statistics Finland.
Births: The Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare keeps medical register of births of all deliveries in Finnish hospitals and publishes statistics of that material. The difference compared to the material of Statistics Finland is that their material also contains information of deliveries of women (mothers) living permanently abroad.
Deaths: Cause of death statistics of Statistics Finland also produces statistics of deaths and publishes it on webpages of Statistics Finland. The difference compared to the material of Population statistics is that cause of deaths statistics waiting time is longer, about 11 months, than that of Population statistics. Population statistics takes into account late reported notifications of deaths into statistics of next statistical year.
Emigration, Immigration: About differences and comparability of residence permits statistics and migration statistics. Here follows an account of difficulties to identify third-country nationals, who have got residence permit for at least 12 months, in immigration data.
In Finland Finnish Immigration Service (FIS) is responsible for granting residence permits. With the residence permit FIS can give a person a PIN on condition that person's documents are sufficient, if not he/she has to visit DPDSA to appy for it. For our perspective this is a problem for a comparative study between resident permit data and immigration data. Report of this follows. FIS is also responsible for producing residence permit statistics for Eurostat. These statistics are based on FIS database on residence permits.
Statistics Finland is responsible for producing migration statistics. Migration statistics are based on data provided by Digital and population data services agency (DPDSA).
In order that a person of third-country national is counted as an immigrant in migration statistics there are certain conditions to be fulfilled. One condition is the personal identification number (PIN), and the second is the place of residence (municipality). These are granted to a person by Digital and population data services agency only, if the person has legal right to stay in Finland (residence permit) and the person is going to stay permanently (or at least 12 months) in Finland.
In principle, all third-country nationals who have got residence permit for at leat 12 months, PIN and domicile are registered in DPDSA, which also means that these people are counted as immigrants. However, from an annual statistic's point of view they are not necessarily in the immigration statistics in the same year the residence permit was granted. One reason for this is bureaucratic delay, which occurs in between the granting of residence permit by FIS and granting PIN and place of residence by DPDSA. For example a person can get residence permit late this year and is not able to get PIN and place of residence during the same year. There might be other reasons as well. Such a reason might be that a person with a resident permit don't apply for the domicile or their is, for some unknown reason, a delay to apply for it.
In 2021 we had a possibility to match residence permit data to immigration data 2020 at the individula level. This was data which FIS had transferred to the population information system (register) of DPDSA. The combined data revealed that only two thirds of third-country nationals data records contained informations about their residence permits. For some reason (such as insufficient information or details in documents) FIS could not give person a PIN (which they can get from DPDSA) after they had made the positive decision to give her/him a residence permit. This means that the comparison of FIS data to our immigration data is not perfect at all.
As described above persons who have not got PIN with the residence permit have to visit DPDSA and apply for it and after have got it, apply for the domicile. From our angle the problem is that after third-country nationals have got PIN the DPDSA is not asking FIS to send these peoples information about residence permits to population information system of DPDSA. Only after DPDSA asks FIS to send these peoples information about residence permit we can make a detailed comparison between the residence permit statistics and the immigration statistics for some specific statistical year.
Citizens of Ukraine with temporary residence permit are included if they have applied for legal residency in Finland. A person with temporary residence permit can apply for legal residency in Finland only after a one year (12 months) of stay. This results to difference in the residence permit statistics compared to immigtation statistis. A citizen of Ukraine can apply and is granted a temporary residence permit by the reason of temporary protection in the year 2022. This person can apply for legal residence in Finland no sooner than one year later (in 2023). Into migration statistics this persons can be included after the legal residence in Finland is granted. As a result citizens of Ukraine will show up into immigraion statistics one year later than their temporary residence permit has been granted.
Acquisition of citizenship: not applicable.
Marriage: not applicable.
Divorces: not applicable.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Population structure statistics are coherent with population change statistics. This is shown by population correction. The population correction variable indicates mainly late reported notifications of immigrations/emigrations which are not included in population change statistics.
All population data is free of charge except population structure data: data picking cost is 20 000 EUR per year.
To produce population structure statistics requires around 7 to 8 work months (collecting, processing and releasing). There is no burden on respondents as data is totally derived from register.
To produce population change statistics (births, deaths, migration) requires around 10 work months (collecting, processing and releasing). There is no burden on respondents as data is totally derived from register.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Not applicable.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Not applicable.
18.1. Source data
List of data sources
Population
Population information system (register) of the Digital and population data services agency.
Live births
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Deaths
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Immigrants
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Emigrants
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Acquisitions of citizenship
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
The Register of induced abortions of the Finnis institute for health and welfare.
Late foetal deaths
Late foetal death certificates.
Infant deaths
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Marriages
Population information system of Digital and population data services agency.
Divorces
Population information system of Digital and population data services agency.
Surface in km2
National land survey of Finland.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
Yearly.
18.3. Data collection
Population structure: Data is ordered by Statistics Finland in December from Digital and population data services agency. After the one month waiting period data is created during first week of February and transferred in electronical form to Statistics Finland.
Population change data: Every saturday Digital and population data services agency picks all demographic notifications that have been registered into population information system during the last calendar week. Then data is transferred in electronic form to Statistics Finland.
18.4. Data validation
Population structure: Main critical variables are logically cross-checked, e.g. age, marital status, age of mother/father. Also citizenship, country of birth, mother tongue are checked against ISO-standards.
Population change:
Births: Main critical variables are logically cross-checked, e.g. mother has a place of domicile in Finland at the time of delivery, marital status of mother at the time of delivery, extreme ages of mother/father. Also citizenship, country of birth, mother tongue are checked against ISO-standards.
Deaths: Main critical variables are logically cross-checked, e.g. dead person has a place of domicile in Finland at the time of death, marital status of dead person at the time of death, extreme ages of dead person. Also citizenship, country of birth, mother tongue are checked against ISO-standards.
Migration: Main critical variables are logically cross-checked, e.g. migrated person has a place of domicile in Finland at the time of move, marital status of migrated person at the time of move, extreme ages of migrated person. Also country of destination/departure, citizenship, country of birth, mother tongue are checked against ISO-standards. Immigration record is generated if person doesn't belong to population data in the beginning of the year when he/she moves for the first time in statistical year inside the country.
The Digital and population data services agency has charged Statistics Finland with the task of conducting a sample survey on correctness of address information. Around 11 000 people are asked whether their address in the Population Information System (register) is correct. In the most recent survey in 2012, the address was correct for 98.9 per cent of the respondents.
18.5. Data compilation
In May 2020, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency changed the municipality of residence into unknown for around 10,000 persons. These were persons whose location had been unspecified for at least two years and who have had no known place of residence since 1 January 2017. These persons have failed to make notification of emigration and have been excluded from the population statistics.
When compiling the official population, Statistics Finland has made removals to the population with a municipality of residence from the data of the Population Information System since 2010. A total of 15,555 persons who have probably moved abroad were removed after analyses from the population data derived from the Population Information System for the end of 2019.
In 2022, altogether 13,717 persons were removed from the population with a municipality of residence when compiling the official population. The number is lower than in the previous years due to a correction made to the household-dwelling population by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in May 2020. The removed persons are mainly foreign citizens whose address was unknown and who have not received earned income, capital income, entrepreneurial income, unemployment benefit, pension income, income support or compensation from sickness insurance between 2020 and 2021. They do not have earned income recordings in the Incomes Register for 2022 either.
In 2023, altogether 13,484 persons were removed from the population with a municipality of residence when compiling the official population. The removed persons are mainly foreign citizens whose address was unknown and who have not received earned income, capital income, entrepreneurial income, unemployment benefit, pension income, income support or compensation from sickness insurance between 2021 and 2023. They do not have earned income recordings in the Incomes Register for 2023 either.
In 2023 the Population Information System included 137,000 persons without data on marital status. They are immigrants whose marital status could not be ascertained. The Population Information Act requires storing of data on marital status in the Population Information System only as concerns Finnish citizens. In the statistics childless persons were coded as unmarried and if they had children, their absent marital status was changed into divorced.
For those babies born at the end of the year, for whom no name, language and religion have been registered in the Population Information System during January, the mother’s language and religion are entered in the statistics for the end of the year.
Population changes: In all population change data record is deleted if person does not live permanently in Finland at the time of event. In the tables delivered to Eurostat the year of birth of persons with the late notifications is edited as if the notifications had been received during the statistical year (population changes+marriages, divorces, less than one per cent off all notifications).
Births: For those babies born for whom no language has been registered in the Population Information System, the mother’s language is entered in the statistics.
Immigration: We do not do imputations for the country of departure.
A liveborn child of mother non-permanently resident but father permanently resident in Finland is not taken into account in the birth statistics. However this child is included in immigration statistics and thus in population.
Emigration: We do not do any imputations for the country of destinations. If the record of the person is taken away of the raw material of the population data then the record is included in the data of emigration.
18.6. Adjustment
Population correction (immigration/emigration):
Population correction is the difference of total change and population increase. Corrections are mainly adjustments made later to errors occurring in handling of notices of removal.
In general, the move has taken place a very long time ago, in which case changing the information by a notice of removal would not make sense, or the person is known to have moved at some point but no information has been obtained on the target domicile.
No comments.
Data and metadata are transmitted to Eurostat by the Member States in the framework of the Unified Demographic Data Collection which is in accordance with Regulation (EC) No 862/2007 and Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013 and their implementing regulations.
3.4.1 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics transmitted to Eurostat
1.Usually Resident Population
2. Legal Residence Population
3. Registered Residence Population
4. Other
Population
X
Signs of Life analysis are being carried out through the whole legal residence population to exclude those foreign persons, who have failed to make emigration notification in the past.
Live births
X
Live births are defined by the legal place of residence of the mother at the moment when the child is born.
Deaths
X
Deaths are defined as the deaths of persons with legal residence in Finland at the moment of death.
Immigrants
X
Immigration consist of those persons who have arrived to Finland to stay at least 12 months, have been given place of residence in Finland, and have been given a PIN.
Emigrants
X
Signs of Life analysis are being carried out through the whole legal residence population to exclude those foreign persons, who have failed to make emigration notification in the past.
Acquisitions of citizenship
X
Loss of citizenship
Not applicable.
Legally induced abortions
X
Signs of Life analysis are being carried out through the whole legal residence population to exclude those foreign persons, who have failed to make emigration notification in the past.
Late foetal deaths
X
Infant deaths
X
Marriages
X
Divorces
X
3.4.2 Statistical concepts and definitions used in the statistics disseminated in the National Statistical Institute's website
Population
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Population includes those Finnish citizens and foreigners living permanently in Finland at the turn of the year even if temporarily residing abroad.
Foreign nationals are domiciled in Finland if their stay is intended to last or has lasted at least one year. The statistics do not include persons temporarily staying in Finland or asylum seekers, who have only a temporary residence permit or whose application for a residence permit is still under processing. An asylum seeker is included in the official population and other Statistics Finland’s statistics only if, in addition to a positive residence permit decision, he/she is granted a personal identity code and a municipality of residence. A person is not included in statistics if he/she does not have a personal identity code and/or a municipality of residence.
The staff of foreign embassies, trade missions and consulates, their family members and personal employees included, are not counted among the resident population unless they are Finnish citizens. On the other hand, the Finnish staff of Finland's embassies and trade missions abroad and persons serving in the UN peacekeeping forces are counted among the resident population. The citizens of Ukraine who have been granted temporary residence permit due to the War in Ukraine are allowed to apply for residence in Finland after they have stayed in Finland for at least 12 months.
A Finnish citizen having entered the country must notify the register office if his/her intended stay in the country exceeds three months. The register office will update his/her data in the Population Information System (Act 661/2009). A foreign citizen may enter Finland provided he/she holds a required valid visa, residence permit or residence permit for an employed or self-employed person, unless he/she is an EU or EEA citizen or unless otherwise provided by an international agreement binding Finland (Aliens Act 301/2004). An EU or EEA citizen may stay in the country without a separate permit for three months, after which his/her stay in the country requires justifications and registration with the register office. The register office enters the reported information about the domicile of a foreign citizen into the Population Information System if the person receives a municipality of domicile and a permanent place of residence in it in Finland as defined in the Act on the Municipality of Domicile (201/1994).
Signs of Life analysis are being carried out throught the whole legal residence population to exclude those foreign persons, who have failed to make emigration notification in the past.
Live births
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Only changes in the population resident in Finland on the day of the event are taken into account when compiling statistics of vital events.
’Liveborn’ is the term for a newborn who breaths or shows other signs of life after birth strictly speaking the complete expulsion or extraction from its mother of a product of conception, irrespective of the duration of the pregnancy, which, after such separation, breathes or shows any other evidence of life, such as beating of heart, pulsation of the umbilical cord, or definite movement of voluntary muscles, whether or not the umbilical cord has been cut or the placenta is attached.
Same definition as in Article. 2e Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013.
Only liveborn children of women permanently resident in Finland are taken into account in the vital statistics.
Deaths
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Only changes in the population resident in Finland on the day of the event are taken into account when compiling statistics of vital events.
A person is dead if the police or physician doesn't see any signs of life. Same definition as in Article 2 (f) Regulation (EU) No 1260/2013.
Deaths have to be reported immediately either to a physician or to the police. The health care unit or the physician has to report the death to the Population Information System or its maintainer. (Act 1065/2009). A death certificate is issued by a physician.
Immigrants
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities. A person's move into Finland from elsewhere is regarded as immigration only if a notation has been made into the Population Information System that he/she has received a permanent place of residence in Finland.
A Finnish citizen having entered the country must notify the register office if his/her intended stay in the country exceeds three months. The register office will update his/her data in the Population Information System (Act 661/2009). A foreign citizen may enter Finland provided he/she holds a required valid visa, residence permit or residence permit for an employed or self-employed person, unless he/she is an EU or EEA citizen or unless otherwise provided by an international agreement binding Finland (Aliens Act 301/2004). An EU or EEA citizen may stay in the country without a separate permit for three months, after which his/her stay in the country requires justifications and registration with the register office. An intend of living a year in the country is a prerequisite for EU or EEA citizens to become registered as permanent residents in Finland and besides one year's living in the country is required also before this intended living. After a citizen of the third countries have travelled to Finland his or her work or studies must last or he or she must have a job contract at least one year before he or she can get right to the municipality of domicile in Finland. (399/2007) The register office enters the information about the domicile of a foreign citizen into the Population Information System if the person receives a municipality of domicile and a permanent place of residence in it in Finland as defined in the Act on the Municipality of Domicile (201/1994).
When a person moves from one Nordic country to Finland, he/she must report his/her move to the local register authority, which will decide on the bases of the mover's report whether or not the person is registered as resident in the country. When he/she reports of the move, at the same time he/she tells if the move is permanent or temporary. The move is permanent if it will last 12 months or more.
The register authority of the country of entry informs the person concerned and the register authority of the country of exit about its decision. The date when the person has been entered into the local population register of the country of entry is recorded as the date of emigration in the population register of the country of exit (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994, Decree and International Treaty 96/2006).
In accordance with an agreement between the Nordic countries, a temporary period of residence of less than six months is not usually regarded as a move (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994, Decree and Treaty 96/2006). The citizens of Ukraine who have been granted temporary residence permit due to the War in Ukraine are allowed to apply for residence in Finland after they have stayed in Finland for at least 12 months.
Emigrants
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Persons who move to live abroad for more than one year are primarily regarded as emigrants. An exception to this are Finnish diplomats and persons working in development co-operation, etc. (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994). In accordance with an agreement between the Nordic countries, a temporary period of residence of less than six months is not usually regarded as a move (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994, Decree and Treaty 96/2006). Register officials of other Nordic countries follow their own rules of the duration of move and that is why some Finnish moves are registered as permanent moves although intended duration of the move is shorter than one year.
When a Finn moves permanently to other Nordic country, he/she must report his/her move to the local register authority of the country of entry, which will decide whether or not the person is registered as resident in the country of entry. The register authority of the country of entry informs the person concerned and the register authority of the country of exit about its decision. The date when the person has been entered into the local population register of the country of entry is recorded as the date of emigration in the population register of the country of exit (Act on the Municipality of Domicile 201/1994, Decree and International Treaty 96/2006).
Acquisitions of citizenship
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Citizenship refers to a person's legal nationality in a certain country. Citizenship is usually determined at birth, but it may be changed upon moving to live in another country. A most important prequalification is that person has lived in Finland five years. A person may also be a citizen of more than one country (see Nationality Act, 359/2003). Persons with both Finnish and foreign citizenship will be entered in the statistics as Finnish nationals. If a foreign national living in Finland has several nationalities, that person will be entered in the statistics as a national of the country on whose passport he or she arrived in the country. Persons having received Finnish nationality by both proceedings initiated upon petition and by declaration procedure are included in statistics on recipients of Finnish nationality. The number of citizenships granted by the declaration procedure has been exceptionally big in 2004-2008 when extended possibility for receiving Finnish citizenship prevailed because the amendment of legislation in 2003.
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
Artificially induced termination of pregnancy which is not a birth and which results in the death of one or more foetuses (≥ 1) and in which there is no indication of intrauterine foetal death before the termination. See also web pages of the National Institution for Health and Welfare: abortions.
Late foetal deaths
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) definition, “stillborn” is the term for a newborn with a birth weight of at least 500 g or, if the birth weight is not available, a newborn born dead after a pregnancy lasting 22 weeks or more. The WHO definition has been in use since 1987. From the 2003 vital statistics onwards, the same national definition is used as in the cause-of-death statistics: “stillborn” is the term for a newborn with a birth weight of at least 500 g, or a newborn born dead after a pregnancy lasting 22 weeks or more.
Infant deaths
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
Children who died before their first birthday are called infant dead.
Marriages
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
In 1980 to 2016, contracted marriages referred to marriages of women living permanently in Finland. Starting from the statistical reference year 2017, contracted marriages refer to marriages where at least one of the spouses has resided permanently in Finland on the day when the marriage was contracted. The amendment to the Marriage Act that entered into force on 1 March 2017 enabled same-sex couples to enter into marriage (156/2015). The number of marriages contracted annually is, thus, the number of marriages entered into by same-sex and opposite-sex spouses.
Divorces
The main source used when producing Finnish population statistics is the Population Information System of the Digital and population data services agency. Changes in the data on the vital events of the resident population are updated into the Population Information System continuously by local population register authorities.
The divorce statistics are based on data on granted decrees of divorce transmitted to the Population Information System by district courts. The statistics also include cases where a permanent resident of Finland is granted a divorce by a foreign court. If the divorce is granted abroad, it must be reported to the register keeper for registration of divorce. Exceptions are divorces granted to Finnish citizens in Sweden, on which the Swedish register keeper notifies the Finnish counterpart directly.
A divorce granted to a Finnish citizen abroad usually requires validation by the Helsinki Court of Appeal before registration. Divorce decisions given in the Nordic Countries and in the EU countries as of 1 March 2001 can be registered without validation.
In 1980 to 2016, divorces referred to divorces of women living permanently in Finland unless otherwise stated. Starting from the statistical reference year 2017, divorces where at least one of the spouses has resided permanently in Finland on the day the divorce was granted are included in the statistics as divorces. The amendment to the Marriage Act that entered into force on 1 March 2017 enabled same-sex couples to enter into marriage (156/2015).
Since 2017, the total number of divorces consists of the number of divorces of marriages between opposite-sex and same-sex couples.
3.4.3 Differences in statistical concepts and definitions between the statistics transmitted to Eurostat and those disseminated in the National Statistics Institute's website
Population
Not available.
Live births
A liveborn child of mother non-permanently resident but father permanently resident in Finland is not taken into account in the birth statistics. However this child is included in immigration statistics and thus in population.
Deaths
Not applicable.
Immigrants
A liveborn child of mother non-permanently resident but father permanently resident in Finland is not taken into account in the birth statistics. However this child is included in immigration statistics and thus in population.
Emigrants
Register officials of other Nordic countries follow their own rules of the duration of move and that is why some Finnish moves are registered as permanent moves although intended duration of the move is shorter than one year.
Acquisitions of citizenship
No differences.
Loss of citizenship
No differences.
Legally induced abortions
Not available.
Late foetal deaths
No deviations.
Infant deaths
No deviations.
Marriages
No deviations.
Divorces
No deviations.
Number of persons.
Statistical population
Population
Not available.
Live births
Not available.
Deaths
Not available.
Immigrants
Not available.
Emigrants
Not available.
Acquisitions of citizenship
Not available.
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
Not available.
Late foetal deaths
Not available.
Infant deaths
Not available.
Marriages
Not available.
Divorces
Not available.
Population, live births, deaths, acquisition of citizenship, immigration and emigration, marriages and divorces data are available at national and regional level of geographical detail.
The reference date for population data is the end of the reference period (midnight of 31 December). The reference period for vital and dual events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. The reference period for migration flow data is the calendar year in which the migration occurred.
The reference period for vital events data is the calendar year in which the events occurred. Due to short waiting time, one month or end of January, some events are lacking from the data. This is the reason to estimate those lacking events by including data relating to the years t-4, t-3, t-2 and t-1 and reported between February year t and January year t+1. See below a table “Vital events of prior years included in the data for 2023”.
Vital events of prior years included in the data for 2023 by type of event
Type of event/Year of event
Total
2022
2021
2020
2019
Live births
96
75
14
3
4
Death
150
135
7
6
2
Immigration
465
457
6
2
0
Emigration
213
159
38
11
5
Marriages
1491
1036
312
76
67
Divorces
272
158
74
30
10
Overall accuracy and special cases (Inclusion/exclusion of asylum seekers and refugees, persons living on unauthorised or irregular basis, international students, persons who do not register/deregister,...)
Population
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services agency is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Information of asulym seekers is lacking from the source data: population information system (register). Citizens of Ukraine with temporary residence permit are included if they have applied for legal residency in Finland. A person with temporary residence permit can apply for legal residency in Finland only after a one year (12 months) of stay.
Live births
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Information of asulym seekers is lacking from the source data: population information system (register). Unknown: birth weight, duration of gestation. Information is lacking from the source data population information system but is received from the Finnish instute for health and wellfare.
Deaths
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Information of asulym seekers is lacking from the source data: population information system (register).
Immigrants
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Information of asulym seekers is lacking from the source data: population information system (register). Citizens of Citizens of Ukraine with temporary residence permit are included if they have applied for legal residency in Finland. A person with temporary residence permit can apply for legal residency in Finland only after a one year (12 months) of stay.
Emigrants
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Based on signs of life analysis (yearly basis) some persons are added to emigration statistics as they have failed to make notification of their emigration.
Acquisitions of citizenship
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Category unknown: previous citizenship. Information is lacking from the source data: population information system (register).
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
Data quality of the Birth register of the National Institute for Health and Welfare is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Category unknown: parity. Information is lacking from the source data but received from the Finnish institute for health and welfare.
Late foetal deaths
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included.
Infant deaths
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included.
Marriages
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Category unknown: country of birth, citizenship. Information is lacking from the source data: population information system (register).
Divorces
Data quality of the Population Information System of Digital and population data services is excellent. Asylum seekers are excluded, refugees are included. Category unknown: country of birth, citizenship, duration of marriage. Information is lacking from the source data: population. information system (register).
Data is collected at unit (person) level.
In May 2020, the Digital and Population Data Services Agency changed the municipality of residence into unknown for around 10,000 persons. These were persons whose location had been unspecified for at least two years and who have had no known place of residence since 1 January 2017. These persons have failed to make notification of emigration and have been excluded from the population statistics.
When compiling the official population, Statistics Finland has made removals to the population with a municipality of residence from the data of the Population Information System since 2010. A total of 15,555 persons who have probably moved abroad were removed after analyses from the population data derived from the Population Information System for the end of 2019.
In 2022, altogether 13,717 persons were removed from the population with a municipality of residence when compiling the official population. The number is lower than in the previous years due to a correction made to the household-dwelling population by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency in May 2020. The removed persons are mainly foreign citizens whose address was unknown and who have not received earned income, capital income, entrepreneurial income, unemployment benefit, pension income, income support or compensation from sickness insurance between 2020 and 2021. They do not have earned income recordings in the Incomes Register for 2022 either.
In 2023, altogether 13,484 persons were removed from the population with a municipality of residence when compiling the official population. The removed persons are mainly foreign citizens whose address was unknown and who have not received earned income, capital income, entrepreneurial income, unemployment benefit, pension income, income support or compensation from sickness insurance between 2021 and 2023. They do not have earned income recordings in the Incomes Register for 2023 either.
In 2023 the Population Information System included 137,000 persons without data on marital status. They are immigrants whose marital status could not be ascertained. The Population Information Act requires storing of data on marital status in the Population Information System only as concerns Finnish citizens. In the statistics childless persons were coded as unmarried and if they had children, their absent marital status was changed into divorced.
For those babies born at the end of the year, for whom no name, language and religion have been registered in the Population Information System during January, the mother’s language and religion are entered in the statistics for the end of the year.
Population changes: In all population change data record is deleted if person does not live permanently in Finland at the time of event. In the tables delivered to Eurostat the year of birth of persons with the late notifications is edited as if the notifications had been received during the statistical year (population changes+marriages, divorces, less than one per cent off all notifications).
Births: For those babies born for whom no language has been registered in the Population Information System, the mother’s language is entered in the statistics.
Immigration: We do not do imputations for the country of departure.
A liveborn child of mother non-permanently resident but father permanently resident in Finland is not taken into account in the birth statistics. However this child is included in immigration statistics and thus in population.
Emigration: We do not do any imputations for the country of destinations. If the record of the person is taken away of the raw material of the population data then the record is included in the data of emigration.
List of data sources
Population
Population information system (register) of the Digital and population data services agency.
Live births
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Deaths
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Immigrants
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Emigrants
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Acquisitions of citizenship
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
The Register of induced abortions of the Finnis institute for health and welfare.
Late foetal deaths
Late foetal death certificates.
Infant deaths
Population information system of the Digital and population data services agency.
Marriages
Population information system of Digital and population data services agency.
Divorces
Population information system of Digital and population data services agency.
Surface in km2
National land survey of Finland.
Yearly.
According to Art 4 (2) of the Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) No 205/2014, each year Member States shall provide the Commission (Eurostat) with data at national and regional level as described in Annex II and related standard reference metadata ( In the metadata structure definition defined for the Euro SDMX Metadata Structure) for the reference year within 12 months of the end of the reference year. According to Article 3 (2) of the Commission Regulation (EC) No 862/2007, Statistics on international migration, usually resident population and acquisition of citizenship shall be supplied to the Commission (Eurostat) within 12 months of the end of the reference year.
Population: about 4 months.
Live births: about 4 months.
Deaths: about 4 months.
Immigration and emigration: about 5 months.
Acquisitions of citizenship: about 5 months.
Marriage: about 4 months.
Divorce: about 4 months.
Fully comparable.
Comparability - over time
Population
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Live births
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Deaths
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Immigrants
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Emigrants
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Acquisitions of citizenship
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Loss of citizenship
Not available.
Legally induced abortions
Whole country since 1994.
Late foetal deaths
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Infant deaths
Whole country and NUTS since 1990.
Marriages
Whole country and NUTS since 2017, opposite-sex couples, woman/man residing permanently in Finland on the wedding day since 1990. See 3.4.2. about new concept and how to calculate the number of marriages contracted annually. If needed it's possible to update whole country and NUTS totals for opposite-sex couples from 1990 to 2017 by applying the new rule.
Divorces
Whole country and NUTS since 2017, opposite-sex couples, woman/man residing permanently in Finland on the day divorce was granted since 1990. See 3.4.2. about new concept and how to calculate annual number of divorces. It's possible to update whole country and NUTS totals for opposite-sex couples from 1990 to 2017 by applying the new rule.
