Yrityskanta

Yrityskanta is a statistical term used in Finland to describe the stock of active enterprises within a defined geographic area and time period. It comprises the total number of businesses recorded as active in the national business register and can be broken down by region, sector, and size class. The concept is central to analyses of the business environment and entrepreneurial activity.

Measurement and data sources: The enterprise stock is compiled from official business registers maintained by authorities such as the Finnish Patent and Registration Office and Statistics Finland. Data are typically reported as end-of-year counts and classified by sector (often using the NACE or equivalent classifications) and by company size (employees or turnover). Changes in the stock from year to year reflect new startups, closures, mergers, and splits.

Applications: Yrityskanta serves as a key indicator in regional and national economic analysis, informing policy planning, regional development studies, and research on entrepreneurship, firm dynamics, and employment generation. It is used to examine market concentration, industry structure, and the resilience of local economies.

Limitations and notes: As with any register-based measure, the enterprise stock depends on coverage and definitional choices of “active” status, which can vary by form of enterprise and regulator. There may be data lags or revisions, and informal or unregistered businesses are typically not captured. Comparisons over time and across countries require consistent methodology.

See also: Business demography, Firm dynamics, Regional economy, NACE classification.