Koodistoissa

Koodistoissa refers to multiple code lists used in Finnish public administration and data exchange to standardize the representation of data elements across information systems. A koodisto (code list) is a controlled collection of codes, each paired with a human-readable display name and often translations in multiple languages. Koodistoissa serve to ensure interoperability, data quality, and long-term comparability by providing consistent values for common data elements such as geographic areas, classifications, or statuses.

Each koodisto has meta information, including a unique identifier, a version number, validity dates, and a management status. Codes within a koodisto have their own code value and display text; some versions may include hierarchies, provenance, or relationships to other codes. The structure supports search, filtering, and mapping between different code sets, facilitating data exchange between systems.

Governance and maintenance are centralized in Finland. Koodistopalvelu, a central repository and API, stores and distributes koodistot. It is maintained by the Digital and Population Data Services Agency and other government bodies. Updates are versioned to preserve data compatibility; new codes can be added or deprecated, but older versions remain available for existing data flows.

Examples of commonly used koodistot include disease classifications, administrative territorial codes, educational qualifications, and occupations. In practice, organizations reference koodistoissa to encode data fields such as patient diagnoses, municipal identifiers, or degree titles, enabling consistent interpretation across agencies and over time.

Access is typically via machine-readable formats, with APIs providing retrieval by koodisto identifier, language, or specific codes. The use of koodistoissa supports better data sharing, statistics, e-services, and public data reuse across the Finnish public sector and beyond. See also koodisto and Koodistopalvelu for related concepts and infrastructure.