Publication principles for statistics 

Statistics Finland publishes new statistical data at 8 am on weekdays in its web service. The statistics published in press conferences can be released at a different time of day. The release times of the statistics are listed in advance in the release calendar published in the web service. The data become public after they have been updated in the web service.

Publishing of statistical data

The statistics are published as database tables in the StatFin database. The database is the primary data publishing site. When statistical data are released, existing database tables can be updated with new data or completely new database tables can be published.

The statistical data published in the StatFin database are usually accompanied by a release on the key data published in the web service. In some cases, statistical data can also be published as database releases in the StatFin database. No releases or reviews are published in connection with these database releases.

The releases and database tables are published in Finnish, Swedish and English. The Swedish and English language versions of the releases may have limited content.

Information about changes in the publication schedules of releases and database tables and about corrections are given as change releases in the web service.

Release calendar of statistics

Statistics Finland always notifies in advance the publication times of releases, reviews and database releases in the release calendar available in the web service. The calendar is published by calendar year and it is updated when necessary. In addition, the web page of the statistics concerned gives the release dates and type of new publications.

Confidentiality of data prior to publication

Data are released to all users at the same time.

Statistical data may only be handled at Statistics Finland and information on them may be given before release only by persons involved in the production of the statistics concerned or who need the data of the statistics in their own work before the data are published.

In special cases data can be released before the official release under the so-called embargo principle. These situations are data releases based on EU regulations or agreements to Eurostat, the European Central Bank or the Bank of Finland, and releasing of data based on separate agreements to other authorities producing statistics and other producers of official statistics for the compilation of a publication that is released after Statistics Finland’s release, or for mandatory EU reporting. In such cases, the data must be indicated as confidential until their release (the embargo principle, i.e. the recipient may not publish the data before the agreed time).

Practices when changes are made to statistical data

Changes may be made to data that Statistics Finland has released after their initial publication. From the point of the usability of statistics, it is important that the users receive the necessary information about the reasons, magnitude and timing of the changes quickly and transparently.

The European statistical community has agreed on the practices that guide the making of changes to statistics and communicating about such changes. The objective is to facilitate easy evaluation of the reliability of the data statistical offices publish.