News 10 Dec 2024
Statistics Finland will make changes to statistics production in 2025
Statistics Finland has decided to cut down statistics production because of central government savings. Statistics Finland will discontinue four sets of statistics and reduce the production of 12 statistics. Further analysis is ongoing concerning two sets of statistics. The changes will enter into force during 2025.
Comments were requested in the Lausuntopalvelu.fi service between 2 and 20 September 2024 concerning the changes planned by Statistics Finland and the Natural Resources Institute Finland (LUKE). A total of 183 comments were received. The comments stressed the importance of autonomous, independent and freely accessible data production in society. LUKE reported about the reductions in its statistics production in October.
“We thank all those who commented. Based on the feedback received, we made amendments to the originally proposed changes. Pressures to cut down general government spending and reduced resources unfortunately force us to discontinue part of the statistics, the production of which is not mandatory according to EU regulations,” says Deputy Director General Mari Ylä-Jarkko from Statistics Finland.
Due to the cuts in budget funding, Statistics Finland has to focus on securing high-quality and expanding statutory statistics production in the coming years. For example, the statutory data contents of environmental economic accounts, households' assets, energy statistics and labour market statistics will be extended significantly over the next few years, but no new funding has been allocated for producing them in Finland.
Statistics Finland's appropriations will be reduced by approximately EUR four million by 2027. The changes made now cover less than 10 per cent of the savings needed. The rest of the required balancing of finances is to be attained by making our activity more efficient, reducing rent expenses and improving the cost coverage of charged activities.
“In the next few years, we aim to change our activity in a controlled manner so that personnel reductions will take place through natural wastage,” says Statistics Finland's Director General Markus Sovala.
Changes in Statistics Finland's production
Comments were requested on Lausuntopalvelu concerning changes to a total of 20 sets of statistics produced by Statistics Finland. After analysing the comments, Statistics Finland has decided to carry out the changes in production as follows:
| Statistics to be discontinued | Longer publication interval |
|---|---|
| Value of household production | Growth and productivity measures |
| Enterprise openings and closures | Taxes and tax-like payments |
| Mass media statistics | Bankruptcies and business restructuring proceedings |
| Participation in leisure activities | Merchant fleet |
| Domestic waterborne traffic | |
| Foreign shipping traffic |
| Reducing the data content | Separate funding is explored |
| Price index of public expenditure | Cultural statistics |
| Finances of agricultural and forestry enterprises | Quality of Work Life Survey |
| Local government sector wages and salaries | |
| Central government monthly salaries | |
| Private sector monthly salaries | |
| Private sector hourly wages |
|
The changes will be implemented for 15 sets of statistics as indicated in the request for comments. Negotiations are currently underway to continue collecting and publishing data for the cultural statistics and the Quality of Work Life Survey with separate funding. Statistics Finland is also prepared to negotiate the production of data from other statistics to be discontinued as chargeable service products in future.
The suggestions will not be implemented as originally planned concerning three sets of statistics, as the estimated savings would be minor relative to the resulting drawbacks:
- Cost index of civil engineering works
- Statistics on the finances of agricultural and forestry enterprises
- Energy prices
Of these, the compilation of statistics on the cost index of civil engineering works and energy prices will continue unchanged. In future, the statistics on the finances of agricultural and forestry enterprises will be published with more limited data content than before.
We will provide further information about content changes on the web pages of each set of statistics closer to the time of the change.
Further information: Mari Ylä-Jarkko, Deputy Director General