Statistics Finland

Information and Statistical Services, 

Economic Statistics, 

Energy, environment and greenhouse gases

FI-00022 Statistics Finland

Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) provide an aggregate overview, in thousand tonnes per year, of the material flows into and out of an economy. EW-MFA cover solid, gaseous, and liquid materials, except for bulk flows of water and air. Like the system of national accounts, EW-MFA constitute a multi-purpose information system. The detailed material flows provide a rich empirical database for numerous analytical purposes. Further, EW-MFA are used to derive various material flow indicators.

The National Statistical Institute (NSI) sent to Eurostat on yearly basis the EW-MFA. The accounts comprise the following reporting tables:

• Table A 'Domestic extraction (DE)': records material flows from the environment into the economy in a detailed breakdown by type of material
• Table B 'Imports - total imports (intra- and extra-EU) and Table D 'Exports – total exports (intra- and extra-EU)': These physical trade tables record the imports and exports of products in thousand tonnes and grouped by materials.
• Table F 'Domestic processed output (DPO)': records material flows from the economy to the domestic environment (e.g. emissions to air, water and soil)
• Table G 'Balancing items': reports some memorandum items which are necessary to have the full material balance related to a national economy
• Table H 'Indicators': presents the EW-MFA derived indicators which are automatically calculated from Table A to G

Table I 'Material flow accounts in raw material equivalents (RME)': records material flow accounts in raw material equivalents (MFA-RME). Some items are calculated automatically based on data reported in Table A and Table I

EW-MFA record physical flows of materials broken down by type of flow and by type of material.

The type of flow dimension corresponds to the EW-MFA questionnaire reporting tables and derived indicators, namely:

• domestic extraction (Table A)
• physical imports (Table B)
• physical exports (Table D)
• domestic processed output (Table F)
• balancing items (Table G)
• direct material input (indicator)
• domestic material consumption (indicator)
• physical trade balance (indicator)

The breakdown by type of material employs a classification of materials. This EW-MFA classification of materials is hierarchical with main material flow categories (1-digit level). Each main category is further broken down, maximal down to 4-digit-level:

    1-digit: material category;

    2-digit: material class;

    3-digit: material group;

    4-digit: material sub-group.

The data refer to national economies as defined in the system of national accounts.

Conceptually economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) belong to the international system of environmental economic accounting (SEEA-Central Framework). Furthermore, EW-MFA is one of several physical modules of Eurostat's programme on European environmental economic accounts. It is covered by Regulation (EU) No. 691/2011 on European environmental economic accounts.

EW-MFA are closely related to concepts and definitions of national accounts. Most notably they follow the residence principle, i.e. they record material flows related to resident unit's activities, regardless where those occur geographically.

Further methodological guidelines are provided in various publications by Eurostat (see Eurostat website > Environment > Methodology, heading: 'Material flows and resource productivity').

For more detailed information please see also 3.1.

Statistical units change according to the different data sources (e.g. agriculture, forestry and fishery statistics, production statistics, geological surveys, energy statistics, foreign trade statistics etc.) which EW-MFA are based on.

EW-MFA refer to the entire national economy of the reporting country (see also 3.3 'Coverage - sector')).

EW-MFA include all materials (excluding water and air) crossing the system boundary (between the environment and the economy) on the input side or on the output side. The economy is demarcated by the conventions of the national accounting system (resident units).

Material inputs to the economy cover extractions of natural resources (excluding water and air) from the natural environment and imports of material products (goods) from the rest of the world economy (ROW).

Material outputs are disposals of materials to the natural environment and exports of material products and waste to the ROW. Information on natural resources extracted and traded products is provided by different statistical units.

Finland

Please see the table in 3.8.1.

Not applicable because EW-MFA are not reported as indices.

The unit of measure is thousand tonnes.

The data refer to the calendar years.

Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) are legally covered by Regulation (EU) 691/2011 on European Environmental Economic Accounts.

Not applicable in national level this information is required at European level only.

Data under domestic extraction of some categories of metallic and non-metallic minerals is considered confidental due to low number of mines producing  those ores. Import of sub categories of coal and other solid energy materials are considered confidental due to low number of enteprises importing these materials. Export of crop residue in considered confidental due to very low number of enterprises exporting it.

Data under domestic extraction of some categories of metallic and non-metallic minerals is considered confidental due to low number of mines producing  those ores. Import of sub categories of coal and other solid energy materials are considered confidental due to low number of enteprises importing these materials. Export of crop residue in considered confidental due to very low number of enterprises exporting it.

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Data is published once a year.

https://stat.fi/en/statistics/kanma

https://stat.fi/en/statistics/kanma#pastPublications

https://stat.fi/en/statistics/kanma#cubes

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

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Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

All data is coming from regular, official statistics production thus the accuracy of data quality depends on quality of these statistics. Thus Economic-wide Material Flow Accounts is a so called macro-statistics, a basic data collection has not been used for compiling the account. However, a unit level data has been used in some cases, in particular, the data collection concerning mining. The biggest part of data has been received from statistics which have already been published or are going to be published, or from the experts of the Finnish research institutes.

In the data collection the statistical counting has been divided into five parts according to sectors which are 

agriculture

forest economy

mining and quarring

construction

import – export

We can assess that agriculture and forest statistics have compiled very carefully in Finland, mining and quarrying precisely and import – export according all international instruction.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

It is possible that some estimations can be found in basic statistics, but in the present MFA there are only some little details which are estimated. The sources and quality of statistics concerning biomass, metal ores, fossil energy, and trade products are on the contrary very reliable. A two-side accounting has been used in counting numbers concerning non metallic minerals in construction. The amount of non metallic minerals has been counted on one side from production, on the other, from usage.

The data has been collected and handled with the quidelines of the manual and the numbers are comparable with other EU countries.

It is possible that some estimations can be found in basic statistics, but in the present MFA there are only some little details which are estimated. The sources and quality of statistics concerning biomass, metal ores, fossil energy, and trade products are on the contrary very reliable. A two-side accounting has been used in counting numbers concerning non metallic minerals in construction. The amount of non metallic minerals has been counted on one side from production, on the other, from usage.

Economy-wide material flow accounts (EW-MFA) provide a rich empirical database for numerous purposes. In Finland it has provide good ground to calculate the use of biological resource and define the uses. Bio-based economy is one of the most important subset in the government policy. Nowadays there in Finland are many research institutes (in particular The Finnish Innovation Fund Sitra, Finnish Environment Institute and Natural Resources Institute Finland), which deal with extraction of natural resource and with ministries develop indicators for circular economy, sustainable development, resource efficiency etc.  EW-MFA provides excellent framework for these activity.

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Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Please use Annex 3 for providing an assessment of the overall quality of the reported data. 

 An assessment of the overall quality of the reported data: Good Minus. The mining data plays a big role in this statistics and that data source has a good quality. Some reported number in MFA are based on expert evaluation but the impact to the whole picture is minor. Hopefully we have opportunity to get these number even more better.

Not applicable because data are not based on a sample survey.

Not applicable because data are not based on a sample survey.

Not applicable.

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Not applicable.

Not applicable.

All data were delivered on time.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Data on EW-MFA are compiled according to harmonised guidelines provided by Eurostat and hence comparable across European countries reporting EW-MFA data to Eurostat.

Not applicable because physical imports and exports as recorded in EW-MFA are not specified by origin and/or destination.

Please see the table in 15.2.1.1.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Please use below table for explaining b)-flags (breaks in time series):

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Not applicable; reported EW-MFA data are only annual.

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This statistics require approx. four man-month for calculation.

The data is revised max 2 years backwards if needed. 

Statistics Finland has participated in a large national project aimed at providing tools to evaluate and support a strategic program to promote a circular economy. As part of this project, figures related to domestic extraction were revised and updated in 2022 for period 2010-2020.

Will be calculated and provided by EUROSTAT.

Data sources used to produce economy-wide material flow accounts are described in the sub-concepts 18.1.1 (and Annex) and 18.1.2.

Please use Annex 1 to report the detailed data sources for questionnaire tables A, B, D, F and G.

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Once a year.

Statistics Finland receive data for EW-MFA throughout the year.

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Estimation has been used only for the households’ own account uses of some agricultural products. This has been based on monetary data from National Accounts. Some conversion factors from pieces and hectares to tonnes of agricultural product and wild plants and game have been used.

It is possible that some estimations can be found in basic statistics, but in the present MFA there are only some little details which are estimated. The sources and quality of statistics concerning biomass, metal ores, fossil energy, and trade products are on the contrary very reliable. Data for use of non-metallic minerals in construction is obtained from Infra Contractors Association in Finland.

Not applicable.

Please use Annex 2 to describe estimation approaches for specific items.

Grazed biomass: We use coefficient (based on an expert evaluation) for calculate the estimate.
Data for sand and gravel used in construction is obtained from Infra Contractors Association in Finland. This data was revised in 2022 and after discussions with experts, own use of sand and gravel at the construction sites was included it the domestic extraction of sand and gravel.

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Not applicable; i.e. in EW-MFA no time series adjustment necessary.

Not applicable.