News 18.12.2014
Changes to the production of statistics and products in 2015
Many changes will take place in Statistics Finland's statistics production, and product and service selections from the beginning of 2015. A total of 14 statistics will be discontinued and the published content of some statistics will change. In addition, the publication activity will be reduced and the opening hours of the Library of Statistics will change.
The changes are based on the tightening economy. Stakeholders have been heard during autumn 2014 concerning planned reductions in order to ensure that the measures would cause as little harm as possible to users.
Currently, 14 sets of statistics are planned to be discontinued and the data content produced by four statistics will be reduced. Some of the data will in future be available as chargeable information products. The known changes are described below. More detailed information about the changes will be published on the home page of the statistics.
The production of the other statistics that were included on the list that was commented on by users in autumn 2014 will continue without changes, apart from the following justice statistics concerning which the analysing work is still ongoing: Decisions by administrative courts, Decisions by courts of appeal, Public legal aid, Decisions by the Supreme Administrative Court, Decisions by district courts in criminal cases, Decisions by district courts in civil case, and Decisions by the prosecutor.
Discontinuations of and changes to statistics
The production of the following statistics will end in 2015:
- Public sector environmental protection expenditure. The latest data concerning 2012 were published in April 2014. New-format statistics on environmental protection expenditure will be published in 2017.
- Statistics on local government productivity. The latest data concerning 2012 were published in 2013.
- Regional economic agricultural accounts. The latest data concerning 2013 were published in November 2014.
- Tourism account. Data were last published in 2009.
- Forest accounts. The latest data concerning 2013 will be published in December 2014.
- Patenting. The latest data concerning 2013 were published in October 2014. In future, patenting data are available from the Board of Patents and Registration.
- Human resources of science and technology. The last data concerning 2012 were published in spring 2014.
- Income and expenditure of foreign sea transport. The latest data concerning 2013 were published in October 2014.
- Statistics on central government productivity. The last data concerning 2012 were published in 2013.
The production of the following statistics as general social statistics will be discontinued. The last data, concerning December 2014, will be published in January to February 2015. The corresponding data will in future be produced as a chargeable service. More information will be provided in early 2015.
- Cost index of road transport of goods
- Cost index of bus and motor-coach traffic
- Cost index for earth movers
- Cost index of forest machinery and vehicles
- Cost index of taxi and ambulance transport.
Reductions will take place in the production of the following statistics:
- Statistics on the finances of agricultural and forestry enterprises. The data content of the statistics will be reduced. Users will be informed of the changes on the home page of the statistics and in connection with the release on 2 April 2015.
- Index of purchase prices of the means of agricultural production and index of producer prices of agricultural products. In future, data will be published only quarterly. In connection with the quarterly publication, monthly data will also be published, for example, in connection with the first quarter, monthly data for January to March are also published.
- Environmental taxes. The data content produced by the statistics will change. The separate publication "Total environmental taxes" will be discontinued. Some of the corresponding data will in future be published as part of the Environmental taxes by industry release.
In addition, the statistics on Offences known to the police and on Coercive measures will be combined into the new Statistics on offences and coercive measures.
Reductions also in compilation publications, language selection and information service
The production of the following compilation publications will end:
- Finnish Mass Media
- Transport and Communications Statistical Yearbook for Finland
- Cultural Statistics
- Thematic publication on equality statistics
- Road traffic accidents publication
- Environment Statistics Yearbook
Corresponding data will in future be available, for example, on the home pages of various organisations, the home page of the statistics, and in databases. Electronic releasing of data will be developed and expanded resources permitting. Data describing equality will in future be found, for example, on Statistics Finland's web pages as statistical tables, articles and blog texts.
The service selection in Swedish and English will be reduced. In future, only a short summary on statistical releases will be produced in Swedish containing the main data. For some sets of statistics, the full version will still be available in Swedish. Tighter needs assessment will be applied to English language material. The descriptions of statistics and database tables will still be produced in three languages.
The opening hours of information services provided on site at Statistics Finland will be shortened. From the beginning of 2015, the information service point and the collections of the Library of Statistics will be open at Kalasatama on weekdays between noon and 2 pm, or as agreed. The information service point at the Helsinki University Library was closed down on 12 December 2014. Information service is still available by telephone, email and online on weekdays between 9 am and 4 pm.
Decisions are based on the tightening economic situation
The resources available to Statistics Finland's activity will decrease considerably in 2015, and it is necessary to reduce our operations. The savings requirement is approximately EUR four million compared with 2014. The entire activity of Statistics Finland is being analysed to cut costs. In December 2014, Statistics Finland announced that it will start co-operation negotiations that concern the entire personnel in order to attain the necessary savings.
Links
- Press release on 09/12/2014: Statistics Finland starts co-operation negotiations
- Press release on 10 November 2014: Election statistics, statistics on economic trends and justice statistics off the list of statistics under threat
- Press release on 26/09/2014: Data users are heard about changes to statistics
- Press release on 19/09/2014: Budget cuts force to reduce statistics production
- Opening hours and contact information of information service
- List of statistics
Inquiries:
Jarmo Hyrkkö, Deputy Director General, tel. +358 29 551 3473
Timo Koskimäki, Deputy Director General of Statistics Production, tel. +358 29 551 3495
Hannele Orjala, Director, Business Statistics, tel. +358 29 551 3582
Leena Storgårds, Director, Economic and Environmental Statistics, tel. +358 29 551 2257
Riitta Harala, Director, Population and Social Statistics, tel. +358 29 551 3604
Heli Mikkelä, Director of Information Services, tel. +358 29 551 3200