Earnings-related pension recipients in Finland

This statistics provides an overview of the Finnish earnings-related pension system. The statistics includes the key figures for all new retirees and retired persons on an earnings-related pension in Finland. The statistics is released once a month.

Earnings-related Pension Recipients in Finland: monthly statistic

Earnings-related pension recipients in Finland in 2025

  • Earnings-related pensions were paid out to nearly 1.6 million persons in 2025.
  • The average monthly old-age pension of retirees was 2,013 euros.
  • The average monthly old-age pension of new retirees was 2,092 euros.
  • A total of 42,500 persons retired on an old-age pension.
  • Around 17,700 of the new retirees retired on a disability pension.
  • The main causes of disability were musculoskeletal diseases (33%) as well as mental and behavioural disorders (30%).

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Nearly 1.6 million earnings-related pension recipients

At the end of 2025, earnings-related pensions were paid out to 1,563,000 persons, of whom 36,000 resided abroad. Women accounted for 856,000 (55%) and men for 707,000 (45%) of all earnings-related pension recipients. Earnings-related pension recipients include all who receive a pension from the private or public sector.

Of all earnings-related pension recipients, 1,530,000 received a pension in their own right and 223,000 a survivors’ pension. Survivors’ pension recipients included 208,000 surviving spouses and 15,000 children. Pensions in one’s own right include pensions received based on work, that is, old-age, disability and farmers’ special pensions.

Recipients of pensions in one’s own right

Pensions in one’s own right include pensions received based on work, that is, old-age, disability and farmers’ special pensions.

At the end of 2025, a total of 1,530,000 persons received an earnings-related pension in one’s own right. Of them, 833,000 (54%) were women and 697,000 (46%) men.

A total of 1,417,000 (93%) of all recipients of a pension in one’s own right received an old-age pension. Of them, more than half(55%) were women. Disability pensions were paid to 113,000 persons. A slight majority of them were women. Special pensions for farmers were paid to 3,300 persons, of whom 80 per cent were women.

In 2025, the total number of persons receiving a pension in one’s own right decreased only slightly compared to 2024. When reviewed by pension benefit, the number of pension recipients decreased for all benefits.

A quarter of recipients of a pension in one’s own right aged 80 or over

Of all recipients of a pension in one’s own right, 87 per cent were 65 or over at the end of 2025. The largest five-year age groups were 65–69 and 70–74, totalling over 650,000 earnings-related pension recipients. Pension recipients aged 80 and over accounted for one quarter of all recipients of a pension in one’s own right.

Men outnumbered women only in the age group 55–64, where they counted for more than half. The share of women in the higher age groups was larger: of pension recipients aged 85–89, around 62 per cent and of those aged 90 or over, 70 per cent.

Old-age pension recipients

At the end of 2025, a total of 1,350,000 persons received an earnings-related old-age pension (excluding the recipients of a partial old-age pension). Of them, 607,000 were men and 743,000 women. The average age of old-age pension recipients was 75.9 years. (75.1 for men and 76.5 for women).

A quarter of old-age retirees aged under 70

Two per cent of all old-age pension recipients were under 65 years. In total, those under 70 years accounted for 25 per cent of all old age pension recipients. Among men in this age group, the proportion was 28 per cent and among women 23 per cent. Of all old-age pension recipients, 24 per cent were in the age group 70–74 years. Thirteen per cent were over 85. Of them, women were in a clear majority (113,000 women and 61,000 men).

Average monthly old-age pension 2,013 euros

The average monthly earnings-related old-age pension in 2025 was 2,013 euros. Women’s average was 1,697 euros and men’s 2,401 euros.

The median earnings-related old-age pension was 1,844 euros a month (€1,625 for women and €2,181 for men).

Most partial old-age pension recipients have drawn half of their accrued pension

The option to retire on a partial old-age pension was introduced from the beginning of 2017. The amount of partial old-age pension is 25 or 50 per cent (based on the individual’s own choice) of the earnings-related pension they have accrued at the time of retirement.

The number of persons receiving a partial old-age pension has grown each year as of 2017, apart from in 2025. That year, the number of the partial old-age pension benefit decreased by 3,800 persons compared to the previous year. At year-end 2025, a total of 67,100 persons received a partial old-age pension; of them, 54 per cent were men.

Each year, men have been in the majority among the recipients of this benefit, varying between 55 and 58 per cent.

Of the two possible rates of partial old-age pension, the 50 per cent rate has been clearly more common. At the end of 2025, around 82 per cent had selected this rate. Men favour the 50 per cent rate more than women: among men 86 per cent and among women 76 per cent had claimed their partial pension at the 50 per cent rate.

In 2025, the average monthly earnings-related partial old-age pension was 863 euros for those selecting 50% rate. Women’s average monthly pension was 735 euros and men’s 959 euros.

The average monthly earnings-related partial old-age pension was 450 euros for those selecting 25% rate. Women’s average monthly pension was 397 euros and men’s 526 euros.

Disability pension recipients

At the end of 2025, around 113,000 persons received an earnings-related disability pension. This is nearly 50,000 less than in 2015, when the number of disability pension recipients was 161,000. The number has dropped each year for both men and women. In 2025, around 59,000 women and 54,000 men received a disability pension.

The earnings-related disability pension is granted until further notice or as a temporary pension (also called a cash rehabilitation benefit). Both may be awarded to the amount of a full pension or a partial pension.

Of all disability pensions in force in 2025, around 90,000 (80%) were awarded until further notice and 23,000 (20%) as temporary pensions. Disability pensions granted to the amount of a full pension numbered 92,000 (81%) and to the amount of a partial pension 21,000 (19%).

Two thirds of all disability pension recipients aged over 55

Two thirds of all disability pension recipients were aged 55 and over in 2025. 22 per cent were aged 55–59 and 46 per cent were over 60. Four per cent of disability pension recipients were young, under age 35.

In 2025, the average monthly earnings-related disability pension was 1,450 euros. Women’s average monthly pension was 1,331 euros and men’s 1,562 euros. The amounts are for full disability pensions.

More than 40 per cent of disability pensions granted on mental health grounds

Mental disorders were by far the most common cause of retirement on a disability pension. At the end of 2025, nearly 50,000 people received a disability pension due to mental and behavioural disorders. This accounted for 44 per cent of all disability pension recipients. The proportion was 47 per cent for women and 41 per cent for men.

Another major reason for disability were musculoskeletal diseases, applying to around one quarter (28,000) of all disability pension recipients. The shares for all other main disease categories were less than 10 per cent.

The younger the age group of disability pension recipients, the higher the proportion of disability pensions granted for mental disorders. In 2025, mental disorders accounted for 83 per cent of disability pensions in age group under 35.

In age group 35–44 the corresponding figure was 71 per cent, and in age group 45–54 it was 57 per cent. In age group 55–59 mental disorders were still the single largest category (44%), but musculoskeletal diagnoses were also a common cause of disability retirement (21%). In the age group over 60, musculoskeletal diseases were more common (37%) than mental disorders (30%).

 

22,100 persons retired because of depression

In 2025 the number of persons receiving a disability pension on grounds of depression was 22,100. Depression accounted for 44 per cent of all disability pensions granted due to mental disorders. Depression was a far more common cause of disability among women (14,100) than men (8,000).

Most recipients of the years-of-service pension are men

The years-of-service pension was introduced as a new pension benefit at the beginning of 2017. The benefit aims to offer a route to early retirement for those who have limited possibilities to continue working but who do not qualify for a full disability pension.

At the end of 2025, years-of-service pensions were paid to 338 persons. Most (96%) recipients of this pension benefit were men. Three out of four years-of-service pensions were granted based on musculoskeletal diseases.

Survivors’ pension recipients

In 2025 survivors’ pensions were paid out under the earnings-related pension system to 208,000 surviving spouses and 15,000 children. Female surviving spouses numbered 182,000 (87%) and male surviving spouses 26,000 (13%).

Three out of four surviving spouse’s pension recipients had turned 75. Surviving spouses aged 75–84 accounted for 40 per cent and older surviving spouses for 35 per cent. Nearly one in ten recipients of a surviving spouse’s pension was under age 65.

Pension recipients abroad

Two per cent of earnings-related pension recipients reside abroad

At the end of 2025, earnings-related pensions were paid from Finland to 36,000 persons residing abroad. This is around 2 per cent of all earnings-related pension recipients. The number of earnings-related pension recipients residing abroad has remained stable in recent years.

Almost 90 per cent (31,100 persons) of all earnings-related pension recipients abroad received an old-age pension. Survivors’ pension recipients numbered 4,500 (12%) and disability pension recipients 1,200 (3%). Approximately 54 per cent of earnings-related pension recipients residing abroad were women.

Most pensions paid abroad go to Sweden

Around 39 per cent of these benefits were paid to Sweden (14,100 recipients). The next biggest destinations were Estonia (5,400), Germany (2,000) and Spain (1,900).

The average monthly earnings-related pension paid abroad was 665 euros. When looking at the ten largest foreign countries in terms of number of earnings-related pension recipients, the largest monthly average pensions were paid to recipients residing in Spain (€1,653) and France (€1,650). The average pension paid to Sweden was 403 euros a month.

New retirees

61,200 new retirees on an earnings-related pension in 2025

Table: New pensioners in 2017–2025 by age group

In 2025, the number of new old-age pension recipients increased by more than 5 per cent from 2024. The number of new disability pension recipients increased by 1 per cent. A total of 61,200 persons retired on an earnings-related pension, or well over 2,300 insured persons more than in 2024. In 2025, a total of 42,500 insured persons retired on a full old-age pension.

In 2025, around 17,700 persons retired on a disability pension. The number may be considered small, especially since 2,300 of them were aged 63–64 years. Before the 2017 pension reform, disability pensions were granted only to persons under the age of 63. In 2025, a total of 7,200 persons of the new retirees on a disability pension had turned 60 years.

Around 15,800 insured persons took out a partial old-age pension in 2025. The number was reduced by half compared to 2024, mainly due to the rising qualifying age for this pension benefit. In the statistics of the Finnish Centre for Pensions, those who have taken up a partial old-age pension are not counted as retired.

As in 2024, the most common retirement age was 64, with almost 26,000 individuals retiring at that age. In 2025, those born between 1 July 1960 and 31 March 1961 reached their retirement age for the old-age pension. The retirement age for those born in 1960 was 1.5 years higher than the retirement age before the 2017 pension reform (63 years).

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New retirees on an old-age pension

Around 61 per cent of new retirees on an old-age pension retired at age 64. The share was equal for both men and women.

The next most common retirement age was 65 years (24%). Those who retired at age 68 or older accounted for 5 per cent of all new retirees on an old-age pension. The average age of new retirees on an old-age pension in 2025 was 65.0 years.

The average monthly pension of new retirees on an earnings-related old-age pension in 2025 was 2,092 euros. Women’s average pension was 1,841 euros and men’s 2,346 euros.

Partial old-age pensions of new retirees

In 2025, a total of 15,800 persons took out a partial old-age pension: 8,100 (51%) men and 7,700 (49%) women.

The majority (76% or 12,000 persons) chose to take out 50 per cent of their accrued monthly pension. Among men the proportion choosing this option was 81 per cent and among women 70 per cent.

New retirees on a disability pension

Number of new retirees on a disability pension in 2025 at the same level as in the last few years

In 2025, a total of 17,650 persons retired on an earnings-related disability pension. This figure reflects the trend seen in recent years. As in 2024, musculoskeletal diseases remained the foremost cause of disability, accounting for one third of all new disability pension retirees. Mental and behavioural disorders were the second most frequent cause, making up 30 per cent of cases. The share attributed to other major disease categories was significantly lower. One third of new recipients of the disability pension were aged 55 or above, while 11 per cent were under the age of 35.

Table: New retirees on an earnings-related disability pension in 2025, by main cause of disability and age

Examining the data by age group highlights clear patterns in the primary reasons for disability retirement. Among those under 35, mental and behavioural disorders were the dominant cause, representing 79 per cent of cases. This pattern continued in the 35–44 and 45–54 age groups, where mental and behavioural disorders remained the leading cause. Conversely, for the 55–59 age group, musculoskeletal diseases were most common, accounting for 39 per cent of cases, while mental and behavioural disorders comprised 20 per cent. For those aged 60 or over, musculoskeletal diseases accounted for roughly half of all disability pension retirements.

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Most retired on a full disability pension

Of all new retirees on a disability pension in 2025, around 72 per cent retired on a full disability pension and around 28 per cent on a partial disability pension. A total of 12,600 persons retired on a full disability pension. Of them 54 per cent were men. A total of 4,800 persons retired on a partial disability pension. Of them 31 per cent were men.

Partial disability retirees older than retirees on a full pension

In 2025, the average age of all new disability pension retirees was 53.3 years. The average age of persons retiring on a full pension was 52,1 years; for those retiring on a partial disability pension it was 56,0 years.

71 per cent of new partial disability retirees were aged at least 55 years. Among new retirees on a full disability pension, 57 per cent were aged 55 or over. Persons under 35 accounted for 13 per cent of all retirees on a full disability pension but for only 4 per cent of those retiring on a partial disability pension.

Musculoskeletal diseases were the main disease category for new disability retirees in 2025. Based on them, nearly 5,900 persons (33%) retired on a disability pension. Mental and behavioural disorders were the second most common cause of retirement on a disability pension, with 5,400 people (30%) retiring for this reason. The shares for all other main disease categories were less than 10 per cent.

For a long period, musculoskeletal diseases were the most common cause of retirement on a disability pension. The situation changed in 2019–2021 when mental disorders became the largest disease category. In 2022, musculoskeletal diseases were again the most common cause of retirement on a disability pension.

The reasons for disability retirement differed for men and women. In 2025, retirement on mental health grounds was by far more common among women (35%) than men (25%). The proportion of musculoskeletal diseases was nearly the same among women and men.

Full disability retirement mainly due to mental disorders while partial disability retirement mainly due to musculoskeletal disorders

Mental disorders accounted for 34 per cent and musculoskeletal disorders for 27 per cent of all new full disability pensions. Almost half (48%) of all new partial disability retirees retired due to musculoskeletal disorders, while mental disorders accounted for around one quarter (23%).

The number of new retirees on a full disability pension and average earnings-related pension

The number of new retirees on a partial disability pension and average earnings-related pension

Few retirees on a years-of-service pension

The years-of-service pension was introduced as a new pension benefit at the beginning of 2017. The benefit aims to offer a route to early retirement for those who have limited possibilities to continue working but who do not qualify for a full disability pension.

The number of new retirees on a years-of-service pension has been very moderate since the benefit was introduced. In 2025, a record-high number of persons (261) retired on this benefit, and most of them (97%) were men.

Three fourths of the granted years-of service pensions were granted based on musculoskeletal diseases.

Table: Number of years-of-service pension retirees by gender

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Earnings-related pension recipients in Finland

Producer: Finnish Centre for Pensions
Website: Earnings-related pension recipients
Subject area: Social security
Part of the Official Statistics of Finland (OSF): Yes

Description

The statistics offers a general overview of all earnings-related pension recipients in Finland.

Data content

The statistics includes central data on all earnings-related pension recipients and new retirees on an earnings-related pension.

Categorizations

private and public sector, pension benefit, gender and age, pension amount, disease classification ICD-10; regional classification: municipality, province, country of residence

Methods of data collection and source

The data on earnings-related pension recipients, new retirees and earnings-related pension expenditure are based on the pension register.

The regional data presented in the statistics are based on the population data of the Social Insurance Institution of Finland, supplemented with data on earnings-related pensions taxable at source and paid abroad, as reported by the pension providers.

Update frequency

The more restricted statistics Earnings-related Pension Recipients in Finland is released once a month. The more comprehensive statistics Pensioners in Finland is released once a year.

Time of completion or release
The monthly statistics is released by the middle of the following month and the annual statistics in the autumn of the year following the statistical year. For a more detailed schedule, consult the Release Calendar.

Time series

The statistics has been produced since 1996. In 2005-2013, the statistics was published under the name Pensioners and Insured in Finland.

The Quality Description of the statistics (section “Coherence and comparability of data”) includes more detailed information on the comparability of the time series.

Key words

Social insurance, pension, earnings-related pension, old-age pension, disability pension, disability pension, unemployment pension, farmers’ special pension, part-time pension, partial old-age pension, retirement

Age

In the tables on persons having retired on an earnings-related pension, the age used is the age at the start of the pension. In other tables it is the age at the end of the statistical year.

The average age is the arithmetic mean of the ages. For recipients of an earnings-related pension the age is calculated from the age at the end of the statistical year, and for persons who have retired on an earnings-related pension, from the age when the pension starts.

The median age is the age for the middle-most observation in the data.

Disability pension incidence rate

The share of new retirees on a disability pension in one year as per mille of the pension-insured population.

Age-standardisation and non-age standardisation is used when calculating the incidence rate. The standard population used in age standardisation is the number of insured persons in 2012 or the most recent statistical year. Standardisation is used to remove the effects of changes in the population’s age structure on the incidence rate.

The age used in the statistics is the person’s age at the end of the statistical year.

Disability pensions include ordinary disability pensions: years-of-service pensions as of the year 2018 and individual early pensions up to the year 2012.

Before 2018, disability pensions were granted only to person under age 63. That is why the incidence rates have been specified by age groups. In the long run, however, the most comparable age group is the 25–62-year-olds. Since the retirement age for the old-age pension continues to rise, disability pensions are granted to increasingly older persons. That is why the age classification used in the statistics must be amended in the future.

Domicile, country of residence, county

The domicile of a person is seen to be the domicile on the last day of the year. For pensions paid abroad, the country of residence is the country of residence on the last day of the statistical year.

Countries of residence are categorized according to the country categorization valid at the end of the statistical year. Counties are classified according to the regional classification in force at the end of the statistical year.

Earnings-related pension expenditure

Earnings-related pension expenditure includes all statutory pensions from the private and public sector paid during the statistical year, as well as voluntary, registered supplementary pensions paid by the employer, but not pensions paid by the municipalities according to the old local government regulations.

Main cause of incapacity

By main cause of incapacity to work is meant the main disease which is the basis of the pension. Although the reason for the disability may sometimes be a significant secondary disease in addition to the main disease, statistics are based solely on the classification of main diseases.

Since 1996, the diagnoses and the corresponding codes are based on the ICD 10 classification of diseases. Disability pensions granted before 1996 are based on the previous ICD 9 classification. The classification is primarily carried out according to the new classification of diseases. The codes according to the old classification have been as closely as possible placed in the correct category in the new classification.

New retiree on an earnings-related pension

New retirees receiving a pension based on their own work history are persons whose pension based on their own working career (old-age, disability or special farmer’s pension) has begun during the statistical year. A further requirement is that the new retiree has not received any pension of the aforementioned types for at least two years.

A scheme-based review is always carried out for the scheme in question. If a person has retired from another sector already prior to the statistical year, and is retiring from another sector during the statistical year, he or she is only registered in the latter sector for the statistical year, no longer in the figure of all who have retired. In other words, a person is only entered in figures relating to the whole earnings-related pension scheme in the statistical year during which the first pension begins. The scheme-specific figures of the tables can thus not be added together.

Persons having retired on an old-age pension are persons whose old-age pension started in the statistical year and who have not received a pension of any type in their own right for at least two years. As regards disability pensions and special pensions for farmers, the precondition is that the persons have not received a pension of this type for two years. As regards the different types of disability pension, the precondition is that the persons have not received a disability pension of any type for two years.

Persons retiring on a part-time pension are not considered as all persons having retired on an earnings-related pension. Persons receiving a part-time pension are not included in the figures until the year when their pension is converted to some other pension based on their own work history, usually an old-age pension.

The partial old-age pension, introduced in 2017, is processed in the same way in the statistics as the part-time pension. That means that persons who have retired on a partial old-age pension are not considered new retirees.

Pension benefit

The pension benefits in the earnings-related pension scheme are old-age, disability, special farmer’s, part-time, partial old-age and survivors’ pensions. More detailed information about pension types relating to the statistical year (for example basis for granting and age limits) has been presented in the figures for each statistical year in chapter 1.3 Pension benefits.

Pension sector

Recipients of an earnings-related pension are always included in the sector from which he or she receives at least one pension under survey. If a person receives a pension from both sectors, he or she is included in the figures for both sectors, but only once in the figures for the whole earnings-related pension scheme.

Persons who have retired on an earnings-related pension are registered in the sector-specific numbers, if retirement from the sector in question occurs in the statistical year. A person is registered in the numbers for the whole earnings-related pension scheme only once, in the statistical year during which the first pension begins.

Recipient of an earnings-related pension

Persons receiving a pension based on their own work history are those receiving old-age, disability, unemployment, special farmer’s, part-time or partial old-age pension during the last days of the statistical year. All recipients of earnings-related pension includes the aforementioned as well as recipients of survivors’ pensions. The earnings-related pension may be paid simultaneously with several different pension acts and types of pensions.

Size of the earnings-related pension

All monetary amounts given in the statistics are gross monthly pensions. Pension integration may have the effect of reducing an earnings-related pension if a person receives a pension under acts covering specific risks (Motor Liability Insurance Act, Occupational Accidents, Injuries and Diseases Act, Act on Compensation for Military Accidents and Service-Related Illnesses, Act on Compensation for Accidents and Service-Related Illnesses in Crisis Management Duties, Military Injuries Act). The reduction is made to the accrued earnings-related pension. These benefits may be so high that only a small amount or no earnings-related pension is paid out.

The earnings-related pensions of pension recipients and persons who have retired on earnings-related pensions include the euro amounts from both sectors of all pensions based on their work history and which were in payment at the end of the statistical year: old-age, disability, unemployment and farmers’ special pensions. The pensions include the euro amounts of both basic pensions and registered supplementary pensions. If the pensions of new retirees in the statistical year have ended before the end of the statistical year, the pensions include the amounts of all earnings-related pensions in payment when the pension ended.

Recipients of part-time pensions do not simultaneously receive other earnings-related pensions based on their work history. Therefore, the earnings-related pensions of those who receive and those who have retired on a part-time pension include the euro amounts of the part-time pension only.

In addition to the above, the total earnings-related pension includes any survivors’ pension that the pension recipients may receive. The total earnings-related pension is not calculated for those who have retired on an earnings-related pension.

The average earnings-related and total earnings-related pensions are arithmetic means. Tables 5 and 16 also show the median pension. The median
pension is the pension observed at the mid-point of the material, i.e. half of the pension recipients receive a pension that is lower than the median and half receive a pension that is higher.

Social security agreement

An agreement between two countries that regulates the social security of individuals who are mobile between these countries.

Social security internationally (Ministry of Social Affairs and Health)

Unpaid period

Period for which a person receives a social security benefit for which pension accrues. Unpaid periods are, for instance, periods of parental allowances, periods of sickness allowance and unemployment allowance.

1. Contact

1.1 Contact organisation

The Finnish Centre for Pensions

1.2 Contact organisation unit

Planning Department

1.3 Contact name

Joonas Hautamäki
Jari Kannisto

1.4 Contact person function

Statistical expert

1.5 Contact mail address

The Finnish Centre for Pensions
FI-00065 ELAKETURVAKESKUS
Finland

1.6 Contact email address

firstname.lastname@etk.fi
Contact form

1.7 Contact phone number

+358 29 411 20

1.8 Contact fax number

Fax: +358 9 148 1172

2. Metadata update

2.1. Metadata last certified

13 February 2026

2.2. Metadata last posted

26 June 2024

2.3. Metadata last update

26 June 2024

3. Statistical presentation

3.1. Data description

The statistics depict the number of and average pensions of persons who have received and who have retired with an earnings-related pension.

3.2. Classification system

Private and public sector; pension benefit; size of pension; gender and age of pension recipient; classification of diseases ICD-10; regional classification: municipality, region, wellbeing services county and country of residence.

3.3. Sector coverage

The statistics covers all statutory pensions paid from the Finnish earnings-related pension system.

3.4. Statistical concepts and definitions

The concepts and definitions have been presented on the statistics page.

3.5. Statistical unit

Person / pension recipient.

3.6. Statistical population

Persons receiving a pension from the Finnish earnings-related pension system.

3.7. Reference area

Municipality, province, wellbeing services county and country of residence.

3.8. Time coverage

The statistics have been produced since 1996. As for the number of recipients of an earnings-related pension, the time series extends to 1981.

4. Unit of measure

Number of persons.
Pension amount: €/month (gross pension).
Population share: % of population insured by Kela for social security benefits.
Disabiltiy pension incidence: ‰ of population insured for earnings-related pensions.

5. Reference period

For pension recipients, the last day of the statistical month and year. For new pensioners, the calendar month and year.

6. Institutional mandate

6.1. Legal acts and other agreements

The Act on the Finnish Centre for Pensions states that one of the responsibilities of the institution is to compile statistics in its field of operations.

6.2. Data sharing

The statistical data is delivered annually to the Finnish Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) for the statistics of the European system of integrated social protection statistics (ESSPROS).

7. Confidentiality

7.1. Confidentiality – policy

The Finnish Centre for Pensions is committed to data protection as a fundamental principle of statistics, which ensures confidential processing of data.

7.2. Confidentiality – data treatment

Data is protected by the necessary physical and technical solutions at the various stages of processing. Personnel have access only to the data necessary for their work. Third parties do not have access to the premises where the data is processed. Employees are required to sign a confidentiality agreement when they are hired.

8. Release Policy

The statistics of the Finnish Centre for Pensions are released on weekdays at 9.00 a.m. on the website of the Finnish Centre for Pensions. Any exceptions to the release time are announced separately.

The data in the statistical database are released as open data. The database’s open interface can be freely used under the CC BY 4.0 licence, with the Finnish Centre for Pensions being cited as the source of the statistical data.

8.1. Release Calendar

The release dates of the statistics are published in the release calendar. The release calendar for the following year is published towards the end of the year.

8.2. Release calendar access

Release Calendar

8.3. User access

The statistics are available to everyone when they are published on the website of the Finnish Centre for Pensions at a previously announced date.

Embargo policy: Media that are bound by the journalist’s guidelines may request material from the Finnish Centre for Pensions’ Communications Department.

Communication Department’s contact information

9. Frequency of dissemination

The monhtly data of the statistics are released after mid-month of the month following the statistical month.

Special data of disability pensions are released in March.

Annual data on earnings-related pension recipients are released in March.

Preliminary data on the number of new pensioners with earnings-related pensions are released in February. The final data on new pensioners is released in June.

A separate statistical publication is released each year in June.

10. Accessibility and clarity

10.1. News release

The releases of the statistics can be found in the shared open repository Julkari: Earnings-related pension recipients in Finland (Julkari)

Press releases on this topic can be found online at the website of the statistics.

10.2. Publications

Earnings-related Pension Recipients in Finland: monthly statistic
Earnings-related pension recipients in Finland (Julkari)

10.3. Online database

The monthly statistics on earnings-related pension recipients (PxWeb)
Number of earnings-related pension recipients (PxWeb)
Number of new retirees on earnings-related pension (PxWeb)
Size of earnings-related pension recipients’ pension (PxWeb)
Size of pension of new retirees on earnings-related pension (PxWeb)
Disability pension incidence rate (PxWeb)
Recipients of earnings-related pension living abroad (PxWeb)

10.4. Microdata access

The Finnish Centre for Pensions’ registry data can be requested for scientific research use.

Pension register data and Earnings and Accrual Register data on employment covered by earnings-related pension insurance can be used for research purposes in accordance with the Publicity Act, Data Protection Act, and the Act on the Secondary Use of Health and Social Data (hereinafter Act on Secondary Use), even though individual-level data is confidential. The research must be individualized and scientific and based  on a research plan. Register data are not disclosed for commercial purposes.

Apply for research access to register data of the Finnish Centre for Pensions

11. Quality Management

11.1. Quality assurance

The Finnish Centre for Pensions is committed to the quality principles of Official Statistics of Finland. Its statistical production follows the quality criteria of Official Statistics of Finland, which are compatible with the European Statistics Code of Practice.

11.2. Quality assessment

The quality of statistics is assessed at several stages in the statistical process.

12. Relevance

12.1. User needs

Feedback from users is gathered through customer surveys. Feedback is also collected through direct contact. The feedback received is monitored and taken into account in the development of the statistics.

13. Accuracy and reliability

13.1. Overall accuracy

The data are based on administrative registers. The source data are at individual level and used for the payment of pensions.

13.2. Sampling error

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13.3. Non-sampling error

The register data are extracted at the beginning of the year, when some of the retroactive pension decisions may be missing from the statistical data.

14. Timeliness and punctuality

14.1. Timeliness

The monthly data of the statistics are released after mid-month of the month following the statistical month.

The annual data are compiled in several parts which are published in five separate releases following the quality inspection of the data.

The first part is released in February and the last part in June following the statistical year.

15. Coherence and comparability

15.1. Comparability – geographical

The regional classification (municipalities, counties, wellbeing services counties) in force in each statistical year is used in the statistics.

15.2. Comparability – over time

This statistical publication has been produced since 1996. Its time series are mainly comparable from that date. As for the number of earnings-related pension recipients, the time series extends back to the year 1981.

In 2005—2013, the statistics was published under the name Pensioners and Insured in Finland (Official Statistics of Finland). As of the statistical year 2014, the data is published in two different statistical publications: Earnings-related pension recipients in Finland (OSF) and Persons insured for an earnings-related pension in Finland (OSF).

In 1999, the concept of new retirees was changed. It no longer includes persons retiring on a part-time pension. They are included in the figures for new retirees when they start to receive some other pension that is based on their own working life, usually an old-age pension.

The partial old-age pension, introduced in 2017, is processed in the same way in the statistics as the part-time pension. That means that persons who retired on a partial old-age pension in 2020 are not considered new retirees.

As of the statistical year 2020, survivors’ pensions (the surviving spouse’s pension and orphan’s pension) that amount to 0 euro are no longer included in figures of the annual statistics. In the monthly statistics, the change is made as of the beginning of the statistical year 2021. This change affects the number of recipients of survivors’ pensions and the average pension level.

The amount of the paid survivors’ pensions is affected by the surviving spouse’s own earnings-related pension (or calculated accrued pension) and benefits paid based on motor liability and accident insurance. Taking them into consideration may lead to a survivors’ pension of 0 euro.

Changes in earnings-related pension legislation must be considered when interpreting the statistics:
Year-by-year changes in earnings-related pension legislation

15.3. Coherence – cross domain

Differences in the definition of concepts may make comparisons with other statistics of the same statistical region difficult.

These statistics include only statutory earnings-related pensions, which exclude, for example, voluntry supplementary pension insurances.

15.3.1. Coherence – sub annual and annual statistics

The data on the earnings-related pension system are mainly coherent between the monthly and annual statistics. Due to the differences in the date of extraction of the data, some of the pension data may become more accurate in the course of the year.

15.4. Coherence – internal

The data of the statistics are coherent with the data in the joint statistics of the Finnish Centre for Pensions and Kela (Statistics on Pensioners in Finland).

Statistics on Pensioners in Finland

16. Cost and burden

The production of the statistics is financed annually by the Finnish Centre for Pensions.

17. Data Revision

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18. Statistical processing

18.1. Source data

The statistics are based on the registers of the Finnish Centre for Pensions.

18.2. Frequency of data collection

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18.3. Data collection

Administrative registers.

18.4. Data validation

Adjustments are made at different stages of statistical production in accordance with the production processes of the Finnish Centre for Pensions. In addition, the results are compared with changes in legislation and with data from previous statistical years.

18.5. Data compilation

Individual-level pension data are extracted from the pension register. They are used to generate aggregate data and statistical tables.

Changes in earnings-related and national pension laws

Finnish Centre for Pensions – Central body of and expert on statutory earnings-related pensions