Quality report of the statistics on social protection
expenditure and financing
Relevance of statistical data
The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) annually
collects data on the costs and financing of social activities by
the state, municipalities, non-profit associations and other
organisations. The data are collected at the national level.
The statistics on social
protection expenditure and financing compiled by THL follow the
European System of Integrated Social Protection Statistics
(ESSPROS), approved in 1996 and updated in 2008.
ESSPROS Manual, 2008 edition. Eurostat, Population and Social
Conditions, Methodologies and Working Papers, ISBN
978-92-79-04777-0, ISSN 1977- 0375.
http://ec.europa.eu/eurostat
.
The purpose of the statistics is to support decision-making and
guidance in social and health policy especially at the national
level. The statistics are targeted at decision-makers, planning
officials, researchers and students in the field of social and
health care and all others who need basic information on trends in
social protection expenditure and financing and related statistics
nationally and internationally.
Description of methods
According to the ESSPROS
system, social protection encompasses all interventions from public
or private bodies that are intended to relieve households and
individuals of the burden of a defined set of risks or needs.
Benefits granted under a social protection scheme can take the form
of benefits in cash and benefits in kind (services).
The statistics on Social
Protection Expenditure and Financing are based on data derived from
various statistics (i. a. Kela, The Finnish Centre for Pensions,
Financial Supervisory Authority and Statistics Finland) financial
statements and other similar sources. Some data have already been
pre-compiled into a statistics package, from which THL has derived
the data, and some data has been received directly from service
providers.
The method used is described
in more detail in the ESSPROS Manual mentioned above.
Correctness and accuracy of
data
The data in the statistics
on Social Protection Expenditure and Financing are checked by
comparing them with the previous year's figures. Data from previous
years can also be changed, if necessary. In case of uncertainty,
the data suppliers are contacted in order to check the data.
Timeliness and promptness of
published data
The Social Protection
Expenditure and Financing Statistics are produced by THL annually.
The statistics are published in February.
Accessibility and
transparency of data
The key information is
released in a Statistical Report published on the THL website. More
detailed information is available from THL. The data are public and
the information services are mostly free of charge. The statistics
provide useful information for anyone interested in social
protection expenditure and financing and related trends in
Finland.
Comparability of statistical
data
THL (previously STAKES) has
gathered data for the Social Protection Expenditure and Financing
Statistics since 1999. Before that, the statistics were published
by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Health. The data have been
released in the current form since 1980. The concepts and
definitions are in line with the international ESSPROS
classification.
The National Pensions Act
was revised on 1 January 2008, which also brought changes to the
legislation on pensions and disability allowances. After the
revision, pensioners' care allowance and pensioners' housing
allowance are their own separate allowances and not part of the
pension. In these statistics, the care allowance has been moved to
the disability category and the housing allowance to the housing
category. This also affects the division of social protection
expenditure into cash benefits and benefits in kind (services),
because housing allowance is regarded as benefits in kind and
because pensioners' housing allowance used to be part of the
pension.
Clarity and consistency
The statistics provide
comprehensive information on social expenditure and financing by
function. The contents of the statistics by function are described
in more detail under 'Contents and definitions' in the Statistical
Report.
Special issues in the statistics for 2009
The figure for sick pay (statistics item 1.1.5) is based on a
labour cost survey conducted by Statistics Finland every four years
and on the sum of wages in the national economy. The most recent
labour cost survey was published in autumn 2010 for 2008. This
prompted a slight increase to the percentage used for estimating
sick pay in the social protection expenditure statistics.
Therefore, the sick pay figure has increased even though the sum of
wages in the national economy decreased in 2009.
Insurance institution administration (statistics item 9.2) no
longer includes the investment administration costs of employment
pension insurance institutions as of 2009. This technical change
reduced the overall administration costs.
Capital gains income in financing has been retroactively updated to
correspond with the national economy account figures.
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