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.
FI-00022 Statistics Finland / Työpajankatu 13, 00580 Helsinki, FINLAND.
1.6. Contact email address
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1.7. Contact phone number
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1.8. Contact fax number
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2.1. Metadata last certified
31 August 2025
2.2. Metadata last posted
31 August 2025
2.3. Metadata last update
31 August 2025
3.1. Data description
Statistics on industrial output describe industrial production as classified by the commodity classes of the PRODCOM list. The statistics are based on data reported by enterprises, their legal entities, or their local establishments. The statistics refer to annual output produced in Finland.
The statistics compiled comprise monetary value and physical quantity. The physical units are specific to commodity classes.
Industrial output is represented by the sold output and sub-contracted production in the commodity class. In classes where the output sold by the enterprises is likely to diverge significantly from their actual annual output, total physical output is also reported (in the case of larger vessels, its monetary value).
3.2. Classification system
In the PRODCOM classification products are grouped by the NACE Rev.2, 4-digits industrial sectors, in which they are primarily produced (i.e. characteristic products). NACE Rev. 2 is the EU system for classifying economic activities. The value and volume data shown for a product, therefore, includes not only the production by enterprises classified to the NACE sector where it is primarily produced but also its subsidiary production by enterprises classified to the other NACE Rev. 2 sectors.
Classification of Products The PRODCOM list is divided into “Classes” corresponding to the classes of NACE rev 2. Within the individual classes, the headings of the list are set out in ascending order of their PRODCOM codes. PRODCOM uses an eight-digit product code of the form XX.XX.XX.YY.
The first four digits of the code correspond to the 4-digit classes of NACE Rev. 2.
The first six digits are the Community Classification of Products by Activity (CPA) codes.
The CPA provides a detailed listing of the characteristic products for each 4-digit NACE Rev. 2 economic activity. The last two digits provide a more detailed breakdown of the CPA classes into PRODCOM product headings. There is a direct link between the PRODCOM classification and the EU foreign trade Combined Nomenclature (CN). Each PRODCOM 8-digit heading covers one or more CN 8-digit headings.
A National Version of the Classification: To view the partially more specific national classification with 10-digit subheadings and extra headings used in data collection, please see National classification.
3.3. Coverage - sector
The statistics on industrial output covers the broad NACE Rev 2 classes B (mining and quarrying), C (manufacturing industries) and for section E (Materials recovery) the division 38.32 Recovery of sorted materials. The required representativeness threshold is 90 per cent of the output for the detailed NACE Rev 2 classes.
In industrial output statistics, all the relevant enterprises with ten or more employees and some even smaller ones in certain branches of activity are included.
3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions
The statistics on industrial output are compiled for individual classes of commodities. A commodity is defined as a material or an immaterial medium that directly (consumer goods) or indirectly (capital goods) satisfies human needs. Commodities are yearly specified in the PRODCOM list provided by Eurostat in association with the national statistical offices. For national reasons, some supplementary commodity headings are included.
Industrial output also comprises industrial services. They are such as processing, re-modelling, processing, working and other such finishing, maintenance, repairs and installations.
The variables used for statistics on industrial output are the value (in euros) and the quantity (in physical units) of sold production, sub-contracting production and actual annual production. Sold production refers to domestic production sold to other firms or to other legal entities of the firm during the calendar year irrespective of the actual production date. Sold production also covers the sales of stored production. The sales of merchandise not reprocessed in the firm are not included in the value or quantity of sold production.
Subcontracting is an activity where the producer orders products from the subcontractor for whose (principal) planning and marketing the producer is responsible. In subcontracting the producer and subcontractor are always different legal units (Business ID). Subcontractors report the materials and supplies used in manufacturing production irrespective of who has purchased the raw materials (the principal or subcontractor). The subcontractor reports the material and supply data also when the producer is not a manufacturing enterprise or is not located in Finland.
Total production refers to domestic production during the calendar year. It encompasses the sold, the stored, and the intermediate products for reprocessing within the firm. Only quantity data are usually inquired on total production but in the case of larger vessels instead value data are. Data on total production are inquired about for complementary information in cases where sales are expected to diverge substantially from actual production.
3.5. Statistical unit
The observation unit is the local establishment.
The reporting unit varies and is either legal unit or local establisment.
3.6. Statistical population
For the statistics on industrial output, the survey population comprises the enterprises, legal entities and their local establishments from the Business Register of Statistics Finland conducting significant enough industrial business to fall under the representativeness requirements of the EU’s PRODCOM regulation: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197, EUR-Lex - 32020R1197 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu) and Regulation (EU) 2019/2152.
The inquiry includes all enterprises with at least 10 employees and in certain cases smaller enterprises than this engaged in manufacturing activities (sections B and C of the Standard Industrial Classification (NACE)).
3.7. Reference area
The statistics on industrial output only encompasses domestic production, which is published without regional division.
In the statistics on industrial output the data on value are inquired in EUR 1,000 for Eurostat and the StatFin service. The data on quantity are inquired and published in the commodity-specific physical units defined in the PRODCOM list or by Statistics Finland for the national supplementary headings.
The physical unit for quantities refers to the weight, length, area, volume, number (pieces or pairs), gross tonnage, power and energy, gross calorific value or some comparable property of the commodity. Quantity information is not inquired about for services or variably quantified commodities.
The data are from the calendar year 2024.
6.1. Institutional Mandate - legal acts and other agreements
This survey is carried out in compliance with following regulations:
At the EU level:
Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council of 27 November 2019 on European business statistics.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197 of 30 July 2020 laying down technical specifications and arrangements under Regulation (EU) 2019/2152 of the European Parliament and of the Council on European business statistics.
Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2022/2552 of 12 December 2022 (PRODCOM List 2022).
Statistics Finland compiles statistics in line with the EU’s regulations applicable to statistics, which steer the statistical agencies of all EU Member States.
The statistics on industrial output are published annually in the StatFin database in at the turn of June and July. The corresponding data, though without those of the supplementary national headings are submitted to Eurostat at the same time. National accounts, index statistics and research services are accorded the data at the detailed level of statistical units.
7.1. Confidentiality - policy
The data protection of data collected for statistical purposes is guaranteed in accordance with the requirements of the Statistics Act (280/2004), the Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (EU) 2016/679 and the Data Protection Act (1050/2018). The data materials are protected at all stages of processing with the necessary physical and technical solutions. Statistics Finland has compiled detailed directions and instructions for confidential processing of the data. Employees have access only to the data essential for their duties. The premises where unit-level data are processed are not accessible to outsiders. Members of the personnel have signed a pledge of secrecy upon entering the service. Violation of data protection is punishable.
The data of a single code are suppressed as confidential if the following two conditions are simultaneously met: 1) An enterprise that has produced a product under the code has asked for confidentiality and besides 2) at most two enterprises have produced products under the code or production under the code is dominated by a single producer enterprise.
Requests for the data to be kept confidential are recorded in a separate register. The enterprises providing data for the statistics are informed of the rules of confidentiality in the cover letter of the inquiry and its description on the website. In all product classes, the number of the producer enterprises is kept confidential, as are naturally their names as well.
In order to enable the aggregate calculations concerning the EU, the data are submitted to Eurostat with confidential numbers included but supplied with confidentiality markings for taking national confidentiality criteria into account.
8.1. Release calendar
Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The release times of statistics are given in advance in the release calendar available in the web service. The data are public after they have been updated in the web service.
Data are released to all users at the same time. Statistical data may only be handled at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics concerned in their own work before the data are published.
Unless otherwise separately stated in connection with the product, data or service concerned, Statistics Finland is the producer of the data and the owner of the copyright. The terms of use for statistical data.
The statistics on industrial output are annual and published at the turn of July in the year following the statistical year, and updated in the coming December and at the corresponding times the next year.
The releases for the Statistics on industrial output: Releases
10.3. Dissemination format - online database
The database tables of the statistics can be found in the StatFin database.
Until 1997, the statistics on industrial output were only published in paper format as a book. From 1998 onwards the statistics have been made available in data files: PRODCOM 1998-2020 and PRODCOM 2021-2024.
10.4. Dissemination format - microdata access
A research laboratory micro-data is available for researchers with a user license. Anonymization of the data is done by encryption software on the identification information.
10.5. Dissemination format - other
The previous year's statistics is delivered to Eurostat in June, see Eurostat PRODCOM database. In cases of change in data an update is supplied to Eurostat.
A few customized data sets per year are prepared for clients, often subject to a fee.
For the latest quality report (2024) in English: Quality report.
11.1. Quality assurance
Quality management requires comprehensive guidance of activities. The quality management framework of the field of statistics is the European Statistics Code of Practice (CoP). The frameworks complement each other. The quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland are also compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.
Every year Statistics Finland conducts statistical auditing that aim to ensure the quality of statistics. The statistics on industrial output were audited in 2007.
11.2. Quality management - assessment
Correctness of the data is verified at the level of single observations. The observations to be individually checked are chosen with the help of a computer program. The data are also compared to relevant data from other sources.
The data quality of the statistics on industrial output is monitored by scrutiny of the data accumulated throughout the process of data collecting by using aggregate-level measures. The important baselines are the corresponding statistics for the previous year, and to some extent the other statistics for the current year, specifically those concerning industrial growth.
12.1. Relevance - User Needs
The statistics on industrial output is widely utilized within Statistics Finland: in national accounts, volume index of industrial output, producer price index, and other indices. External users include: research institutes, universities, labor market organizations, market researchers, international organizations (EU, United Nations, OECD) and various kinds of project researchers.
12.2. Relevance - User Satisfaction
No special user satisfaction survey has been conducted. A general web-based feedback channel is in use. Direct user feedback is encouraged in customized service.
12.3. Completeness
The statistics on industrial output in principle covers all the industrial production in Finland. However, the share of the smallest manufacturers is left out as no statistical method enables a reliable estimation of it at the detailed level of product classes, which makes the figures slight underestimates.
13.1. Accuracy - overall
The statistics on industrial output describe industrial production at the detailed level of product classes. Adjacent or otherwise alike product headings may differ very little from each other, which makes misplacement of observations to unintended product classes a typical error.
The response burden in the inquiry on industrial output is significant. This leads to errors and omissions in reporting, especially in the case of smaller enterprises. Using complementary sources, it is often possible to compensate for the lack of data, but non-response is clearly detrimental to statistical quality.
The statistics being product heading-specific, there are often only one or two producers per product class, making non-response cases very local and thus methodological or manual supplementation of the data is not possible in all cases. The statistics on industrial output should not be interpreted as statistics on the total industrial output but on individual product classes.
13.2. Sampling error
The inquiry of industrial output is a total survey on manufacturing in Finland. However, the sample does not include the smallest producers, mainly enterprises with under ten employees. Because their commodity-specific shares of production cannot be estimated, for some commodities the statistics slightly underestimate production. Two separate groups of enterprises with 10 to 19 employees are used in sampling in alternate years. In intervening years estimated data are used for these enterprises.
13.3. Non-sampling error
The survey population is based on the generally reliable Statistical Business Register database. To avoid undercoverage, estimates have been substituted for the actual figures for a sizeable fraction of the firms obliged to respond to the survey. A few of them has to be left out of the statistics because of there being no reliable basis for calculating estimates. Being harder to obtain than value information, quantity information is in much greater need of estimation. Where feasible, it is done on the basis of prices calculated from other producers' information.
Overall response rate in the calendar year 2024 was 68,3 % (of the data providers), response rate weighted by the value of production was 89,1 %.
Data are only biennially inquired of enterprises (legal units) with less than 20 employees. In the fallow years their data are estimated by means of imputation on the basis of their previous year's data and the general industrial trend.
The imputation rates in the calendar year 2024 were: by value of total production 8,2 % (of items), 1,2 % (weighted by the value of total production); by quantity of total production 6,9 % (of items), 0,9 % (weighted by the value of total production); by quantity of actual production 3,0 % (of items), 0,1 % (weighted by the value of total production).
Missing data are estimated primarily using program code but also manually. The estimation rates for non-respondents (unit non-response) the calendar year 2024 were:
by value of total production 15,9 % (of items), 8,3 % (weighted by the value of total production);
by quantity of total production 14,4 % (of items), 8,3% (weighted by the value of total production);
by quantity of actual production 5,3 % (of items), 1,5 % (weighted by the value of total production).
The estimation rates for partially incomplete answers (item non-response) were:
by value of total production 6,9 % (of items), 5,2,% (weighted by the value of total production);
by quantity of total production 5,5 % (of items), 1,2 % (weighted by the value of total production);
by quantity of actual production 1,5 % (of items), 0,19 % (weighted by the value of total production).
14.1. Timeliness
The statistics on industrial output are nationally published and submitted to Eurostat for publication six months after the end of the statistical year at the turn of June and July.
14.2. Punctuality
There is no time lag between the release calendar and the actual release date.
15.1. Comparability - geographical
The statistics on industrial output only concern Finland as a single geographic area. The data submitted to Eurostat accord with the EU standards and are fully comparable with the data from the other EU countries.
15.2. Comparability - over time
The statistics on industrial production have used the PRODCOM nomenclature for the classification of industrial products with national additions and/or clarifications since the statistical year 1997. As a result of the revised industrial classification 2008 and annual or periodic corrections and reforms of the underlying CN and CPA nomenclature, the comparability between different years has in places weakened at the most accurate heading level.
From the statistical year 2021, the distinction between subcontracting production and sold production makes it difficult to compare the value of sold production before the statistical year 2021. In 2020 and before that, subcontracting production was also included in the value of sold production. The change in the comparison of production volumes has no impact in different years.
15.3. Coherence - cross domain
The six-digit level of the PRODCOM classification mainly concurs with the CPA nomenclature in use in the compilation of the producer price index though in places they only match at the five-digit PRODCOM level. The 8-digit PRODCOM level mainly corresponds to the nomenclature used for compiling the volume index of industrial output.
15.4. Coherence - internal
Since the statistical year 2021, own sold production and subcontracting production produced for others have been broken down in the statistics on industrial production. Subcontracting production was included in the value of own production sold in the statistical year 2020 and before that. At the time, the value of subcontracting production was an estimate of the market value of production. Since the statistical year 2021, the value of subcontracting production has been reported according to the actual fee received from production. Since the definition of the value of sold production is changing fundamentally, a new time series has been set up for industrial production since 2021.
From the statistical year 2021 onwards, the production volumes are broken down into the volumes of own production and subcontracting production. However, the sum of these variables is comparable to the volumes for previous years.
Changes in the PRODCOM nomenclature weaken the consistency of time series data on the most accurate level.
For the respondent enterprises, the yearly costs of the inquiry on the statistics of industrial output are estimated to be roughly 200 000 euros. The estimate is based on response burden surveys. The response burden and its costs are likely somewhat lower now after questionnaire reform.
The yearly costs for Statistics Finland of producing the statistics on industrial output are in the order of 4 person-years or 200 000 euros.
17.1. Data revision - policy
Data are usually revised at several headings after the initial publication as the general revision principle is perpetual revision.
17.2. Data revision - practice
Data are revised after the initial publication. The first updated data are published in the statistical database approximately six months after the initial publication, and the second update simultaneously with the statistical publication of the following year (T+12).
Subsequent revisions may be made whenever it is considered that the changes are significant enough to mandate a revised submission.
18.1. Source data
Data for the statistics on industrial output are annually inquired directly from enterprises engaged in manufacturing activities, their legal entities, or their local establishments or combinations thereof. In principle, the statistics are a total survey but the smallest entities of the population, mostly enterprises of 10 to 19 employees, are only inquired every second year and in the intervening years the data concerning them are represented by calculations based on their previous year’s data and the general industrial trend.
18.2. Frequency of data collection
The inquiry for the statistics on industrial output concerning the previous calendar year is annually carried out during the first half-year.
18.3. Data collection
The data for the statistics on industrial output are collected through the web questionnaire devised at Statistics Finland and integrated into its overall information system.
18.4. Data validation
The data collected on the web-questionnaire are transmitted to the enterprise information system of Statistics Finland where for every respondent’s data an error score is calculated. Depending on the score, an individual scrutiny may be in order. In these cases, contacting the respondent is often necessary. The corrected data can be resent through the questionnaire.
18.5. Data compilation
The data assessed to be reliable through detailed or mass scrutiny are accepted as a part of the database for the statistics on industrial output. The omissions are compensated for by calculated or, more rarely, judged estimates based on the data of the other firms. The data for the smallest firms, mostly those of 10-19 employees, are in their biennial fallow years estimated on the basis of their previous year’s data and the general industrial trend.
18.6. Adjustment
None.
None.
Statistics on industrial output describe industrial production as classified by the commodity classes of the PRODCOM list. The statistics are based on data reported by enterprises, their legal entities, or their local establishments. The statistics refer to annual output produced in Finland.
The statistics compiled comprise monetary value and physical quantity. The physical units are specific to commodity classes.
Industrial output is represented by the sold output and sub-contracted production in the commodity class. In classes where the output sold by the enterprises is likely to diverge significantly from their actual annual output, total physical output is also reported (in the case of larger vessels, its monetary value).
31 August 2025
The statistics on industrial output are compiled for individual classes of commodities. A commodity is defined as a material or an immaterial medium that directly (consumer goods) or indirectly (capital goods) satisfies human needs. Commodities are yearly specified in the PRODCOM list provided by Eurostat in association with the national statistical offices. For national reasons, some supplementary commodity headings are included.
Industrial output also comprises industrial services. They are such as processing, re-modelling, processing, working and other such finishing, maintenance, repairs and installations.
The variables used for statistics on industrial output are the value (in euros) and the quantity (in physical units) of sold production, sub-contracting production and actual annual production. Sold production refers to domestic production sold to other firms or to other legal entities of the firm during the calendar year irrespective of the actual production date. Sold production also covers the sales of stored production. The sales of merchandise not reprocessed in the firm are not included in the value or quantity of sold production.
Subcontracting is an activity where the producer orders products from the subcontractor for whose (principal) planning and marketing the producer is responsible. In subcontracting the producer and subcontractor are always different legal units (Business ID). Subcontractors report the materials and supplies used in manufacturing production irrespective of who has purchased the raw materials (the principal or subcontractor). The subcontractor reports the material and supply data also when the producer is not a manufacturing enterprise or is not located in Finland.
Total production refers to domestic production during the calendar year. It encompasses the sold, the stored, and the intermediate products for reprocessing within the firm. Only quantity data are usually inquired on total production but in the case of larger vessels instead value data are. Data on total production are inquired about for complementary information in cases where sales are expected to diverge substantially from actual production.
The observation unit is the local establishment.
The reporting unit varies and is either legal unit or local establisment.
For the statistics on industrial output, the survey population comprises the enterprises, legal entities and their local establishments from the Business Register of Statistics Finland conducting significant enough industrial business to fall under the representativeness requirements of the EU’s PRODCOM regulation: Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1197, EUR-Lex - 32020R1197 - EN - EUR-Lex (europa.eu) and Regulation (EU) 2019/2152.
The inquiry includes all enterprises with at least 10 employees and in certain cases smaller enterprises than this engaged in manufacturing activities (sections B and C of the Standard Industrial Classification (NACE)).
The statistics on industrial output only encompasses domestic production, which is published without regional division.
The data are from the calendar year 2024.
The statistics on industrial output describe industrial production at the detailed level of product classes. Adjacent or otherwise alike product headings may differ very little from each other, which makes misplacement of observations to unintended product classes a typical error.
The response burden in the inquiry on industrial output is significant. This leads to errors and omissions in reporting, especially in the case of smaller enterprises. Using complementary sources, it is often possible to compensate for the lack of data, but non-response is clearly detrimental to statistical quality.
The statistics being product heading-specific, there are often only one or two producers per product class, making non-response cases very local and thus methodological or manual supplementation of the data is not possible in all cases. The statistics on industrial output should not be interpreted as statistics on the total industrial output but on individual product classes.
In the statistics on industrial output the data on value are inquired in EUR 1,000 for Eurostat and the StatFin service. The data on quantity are inquired and published in the commodity-specific physical units defined in the PRODCOM list or by Statistics Finland for the national supplementary headings.
The physical unit for quantities refers to the weight, length, area, volume, number (pieces or pairs), gross tonnage, power and energy, gross calorific value or some comparable property of the commodity. Quantity information is not inquired about for services or variably quantified commodities.
The data assessed to be reliable through detailed or mass scrutiny are accepted as a part of the database for the statistics on industrial output. The omissions are compensated for by calculated or, more rarely, judged estimates based on the data of the other firms. The data for the smallest firms, mostly those of 10-19 employees, are in their biennial fallow years estimated on the basis of their previous year’s data and the general industrial trend.
Data for the statistics on industrial output are annually inquired directly from enterprises engaged in manufacturing activities, their legal entities, or their local establishments or combinations thereof. In principle, the statistics are a total survey but the smallest entities of the population, mostly enterprises of 10 to 19 employees, are only inquired every second year and in the intervening years the data concerning them are represented by calculations based on their previous year’s data and the general industrial trend.
The statistics on industrial output are annual and published at the turn of July in the year following the statistical year, and updated in the coming December and at the corresponding times the next year.
The statistics on industrial output are nationally published and submitted to Eurostat for publication six months after the end of the statistical year at the turn of June and July.
The statistics on industrial output only concern Finland as a single geographic area. The data submitted to Eurostat accord with the EU standards and are fully comparable with the data from the other EU countries.
The statistics on industrial production have used the PRODCOM nomenclature for the classification of industrial products with national additions and/or clarifications since the statistical year 1997. As a result of the revised industrial classification 2008 and annual or periodic corrections and reforms of the underlying CN and CPA nomenclature, the comparability between different years has in places weakened at the most accurate heading level.
From the statistical year 2021, the distinction between subcontracting production and sold production makes it difficult to compare the value of sold production before the statistical year 2021. In 2020 and before that, subcontracting production was also included in the value of sold production. The change in the comparison of production volumes has no impact in different years.
