tilastokeskuksen

Tilastokeskus, known in English as Statistics Finland, is the Finnish national statistical authority. It is an independent public agency responsible for producing and disseminating official statistics and analyses about Finland’s population, economy, and society. Its mandate is to provide objective, timely, and reliable statistics to support public governance, research, and decision-making in various sectors.

The agency collects data through censuses, surveys, and administrative registers, applying standardized methods to ensure comparability across time and topics. Key areas include demography, labor market, prices and inflation (consumer price index), national accounts, trade, education, health, environment, and housing. Data are published on its website and in regular statistical releases. Statistics Finland also participates in EU statistical work through Eurostat and engages in international statistical cooperation to harmonize standards and practices.

Legal framework and privacy are central to its work. Statistics Finland operates under Finnish law with strict confidentiality of individual data and compliance with data protection rules, including the General Data Protection Regulation. It maintains quality standards, provides methodological documentation, and offers metadata to support interpretation of its statistics. The agency supports open data and, where appropriate, access to microdata for research under safeguards. It collaborates with ministries, researchers, businesses, and international organizations to improve the evidence base used in policy and planning.

Historically, Tilastokeskus has roots in Finland’s statistical administration dating back to the 19th century and has evolved through reforms to its current form and name. Today, it remains a central institution for official statistics, data-driven policymaking, and evidence-based public discourse in Finland.