Asukasmäärä

Asukasmäärä is the number of inhabitants in a given geographic area, such as a country, region, municipality, or urban area. It reflects how many people are resident in the area and is commonly used in demographic and planning contexts. The concept is based on population registers and official statistics.

In Finland, asukasmäärää are derived from the Population Information System and are published by Statistics Finland (Tilastokeskus) in cooperation with the Digital and Population Data Services Agency (DVV). The figures are typically reported as the resident population and are updated regularly, with most official releases focusing on year-end counts. Depending on the dataset, counts may be presented for municipalities, regions, or larger aggregates.

Usage of asukasmäärä includes informing public service planning, budgeting, and infrastructure development, as well as electoral districting and regional policy. It also serves as a key indicator of demographic trends, urbanization, and market size for local administrations and businesses.

Limitations and considerations include definitional differences (who is counted as an inhabitant, such as permanent residents versus temporary residents), data lag and revision cycles, and administrative changes like municipal mergers. Movements across borders, student mobility, and seasonal migration can also affect comparability over time and between areas.

See also: population, demography, Statistics Finland, Digital and Population Data Services Agency.