Väestönlaskennan

Väestönlaskennan (population census) refers to the systematic enumeration of a country’s population at a given point in time. The main purpose is to produce official statistics on the size, distribution and characteristics of the population to support government planning, policy making and the allocation of public resources. A census typically covers all residents and, depending on the country, may include non-residents who are present for a period. Data collected can include age, sex, marital status, household composition and housing conditions, and, in some contexts, education, occupation, language and ethnicity. The data are usually gathered at regular intervals, commonly every ten years, using methods such as door-to-door enumeration, mail, phone or online questionnaires, and increasingly the use of administrative records to improve coverage and accuracy. Privacy and data protection are essential, and results are published in aggregated form to protect individual confidentiality.

In the Finnish context, väestönlaskennan denotes the census as used in Finland. The operation has historically been conducted by the national statistical authority, currently Tilastokeskus (Statistics Finland). In recent decades Finland has increasingly relied on population registers and administrative data to maintain up-to-date population statistics, reducing the need for a full stand-alone census. Nevertheless, census-like surveys or supplementary rounds may be conducted to capture information not available in registers or to meet international statistical standards and to provide cross-checks for data quality.

Census data underpin a wide range of planning, including electoral district boundaries, social welfare provisioning, and economic analysis. The results are typically released as aggregated statistics in public datasets and reports, with strict privacy safeguards.