Access to microdata for scientific purposes
in European countries
Access to microdata for scientific purposes in Finland

Contact
Name of the microdata access service
Tilastokeskus (Statistics Finland)
Postal address
FI-00022 Statistics Finland (Finland)
Website
Access conditions
General conditions
Statistics Finland provides microdata for research use. Data with possibility for indirect identification are available only for secure remote access or use at the onsite safe centre (Research Laboratory). Licences, the data, their tailoring and remote access are subject to charge. Statistics Finland's Research Services grant licences for micro data.
It is possible to release to an organisation cause of death data (data derived from the death certificate) or data on age, sex, education, occupation and socio-economic group. The condition for releasing data is that releasing of data in identifiable form is necessary for the research and a data protection description concerning the data must be submitted to Statistics Finland for viewing (account/description of the processing of the data).
Service data files in which the possibility for indirect identification has been removed can also be released to an organisation.
Conditions for non-resident researchers
Researcher from EU and non-EU countries whose level of data protection has been recognised as sufficient by the European Commission can apply for a licence to use data. For remote access use from abroad, the research project must be connected with a Finnish organisation. In addition, it must be mentioned in the user licence that use takes place abroad. For the released data, the personal identity codes are never released abroad.
Conditions for students
Students can obtain microdata for statistical analyses.
Legal framework
Statistics Act 280/2004, Act on the Openness of Government Activities (621/1999), General Data Protection Regulation (EU 2016/679), Data protection Act (1050/2018) and Statistics Finland Act (48/1992).
How much does it cost?
See Pricing of research data and services: https://stat.fi/tup/tutkijapalvelut/tutkimusaineistojen-ja-palveluiden-…
How long does it take to obtain data?
The time of processing depends on the extent and complexity of the data used in the research project. In simpler cases, such as in applications for ready-made and cause of death data, the processing of a user licence takes one to two weeks. Tailoring is more complex and will take longer to process. In more demanding cases several months must be reserved for processing. In demanding cases the application for a user licence may be referred to the Board of Statistical Ethics. The Board meets approximately once a month. When the request is for extractions or sample data that are complex or contain sensitive personal information, data preparation may take considerably longer.
Information on access
For further details: https://stat.fi/tup/tutkijapalvelut/index_en.html
Other
Statistics Finland Act: https://stat.fi/media/uploads/org_en/lainsaadanto/statisticsfinlandact_2023.pdf
Acts on the Openness of Government Activities: https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/1999/en19990621_20150907.pdf
Data Protection Act: https://www.finlex.fi/fi/laki/kaannokset/2018/en20181050.pdf
General Data Protection Regulation: https://eur-lex.europa.eu/eli/reg/2016/679/oj
Statistics Act: https://stat.fi/meta/lait/statistics-act-2802004_en.html
Application process: https://stat.fi/tup/tutkijapalvelut/kayttoluvan-hakeminen-ja-lupamuutokset_en.html
Prices: https://stat.fi/tup/tutkijapalvelut/tutkimusaineistojen-ja-palveluiden-hinnoittelu_en.html
Types of microdata available in Finland
Public Use Files (PUF)
https://stat.fi/tup/tutkijapalvelut/opetusaineistot_en.html
Scientific Use Files (SUF)
N/A
Secure Use Files (SecUF)
https://stat.fi/tup/tutkijapalvelut/aineistot-ja-niiden-toimitusmuodot_en.html
Access to microdata by type of person
Public Use Files | Scientific Use Files | Secure Use Files | |
---|---|---|---|
Public | Yes | N/A | N/A |
Students | Yes | Yes | Yes |
PhD students | N/A | Yes | Yes |
Researchers | N/A | Yes | Yes |
Foreign researchers | N/A | Yes | Yes |
Modes of access by microdata type
Public Use Files | Scientific Use Files | Secure Use Files | |
---|---|---|---|
Online access | Yes | No | No |
For download | Yes | Yes | No |
Onsite access | No | Yes | Yes |
Remote access | No | Yes | Yes |
Remote execution | N/A | N/A | N/A |
Microdatasets available for Finland
Other access points in Europe
Disclaimer
The pages above provide information on microdata disseminated at the national level by the statistical institutes in the European countries and on microdata disseminated by Eurostat. The pages describe the data and the procedures for requesting access as well as the available types of microdata files (Public Use Files, Scientific Use Files, and Secure Use Files).
This information was initially collected by CASD/GENES for the CIMES database developed for Data without Boundaries project (funded by the 7th Framework Programme, the EU's research funding programme between 2007 and 2013). CIMES stands for Centralising and Integrating Metadata from European Statistics. Various organisations (ADP, CED, CNRS-Réseau Quetelet, FORS, GESIS, RODA, ONS, and UL) contributed to the creation of CIMES by collecting and structuring the metadata for the period of the Data without Boundaries project (2011-2015). In 2021, Eurostat moved the CIMES database to the CROS platform to facilitate updates of countries' information. Eurostat would like to thank all CIMES developers, especially CASD, for sharing the CIMES database and for all efficient collaboration.